Alden Richards wants to be the bad guy for once
It’s no longer unusual for beloved matinee idols to make the unexpected turn as a kontrabida. Still, this can be tricky to navigate for stars with a massive and fiercely loyal following. By breaking out of the squeaky-clean image they have spent years building, they risk throwing off fans or turning off potential endorsements from brands who see them as a role model.
After 15 years in the industry, Alden Richards has played just about every version of the unassailable good guy and world-saving hero onscreen. He has been a hardworking bartender in Hong Kong, a defiant guerilla fighter during the Japanese occupation, and, of course, everyone’s charming “bae” during the AlDub phenomenon.
But at this point in his life, it’s no longer fame and fortune he’s after—he already has that in spades, and they were never really his main motivation anyway. Now he wants growth and reinvention.
And there’s probably no better time for the boy next door to finally go underground.
A dream come true
In “Big Tiger”—the upcoming international action film Richards is top-billing and executive producing—he takes his first real stab at playing a villain. He’s John Lynch, a volatile, cold-blooded figure in a prison complex that doubles as battleground for underground factions.
Directed by Keoni Waxman (known for his work with action star Steven Seagal), the film features an international cast, including Filipino actress Max Collins, American actress Katherine McNamara (“Shadowhunters”), and Hong Kong actor Byron Mann (“Street Fighter”).
Details are scant for now, but the teaser shown at a recent media event made it clear that the film is unlike anything he has done before. Asked by Lifestyle Inquirer if he thought his fans were ready to see him in such a role, he tossed the question back to the crowd—to which they chorused an excited, resounding yes.
“I have been in the industry for more than a decade, but there are still sides of me as an actor that haven’t been seen. I want to show people that I have more to offer,” Richards says. “I have been playing the protagonist almost all my career, so this new role is a dream come true for me.”
Indeed, the idea of transitioning from an image you’re known for to something totally different can be daunting. But if you have been in the game as long as Richards has, reinvention becomes imperative—if only because it helps us create new opportunities and stay interesting.
“I want to be the bad guy in the story,” adds the 34-year-old actor, noting that local showbiz has become more accepting of bidas who cross over to the other side once in a while. “It wasn’t really a difficult decision. The hunger to learn as an actor will always be there.”
Worth the shot
Besides Richards—who in recent years has branched out into directing and behind-the-scenes work—isn’t one to take on a project without weighing whether it aligns with his vision. With his own production company, Myriad Corporation, co-producing the movie with the international outfits Lux Angeles Studios, Birns & Sawyer, and Voltage Pictures, he also played an active role in steering its creative direction.
“Aside from my acting job, I have to have an overview of the storytelling,” Richards points out. “We get to be more specific with the things we want to show the audience.”
His background is largely in dramas and romantic comedies. He has done more television than film. As such, doing an action flick for global release wasn’t really top of mind until his collaborators raised the prospect. But the demand for the genre is strong outside the Philippines, he was told. And as they say, you never know until you try.
“I thought it was worth the shot—so I jumped into it,” he says.
Richards made the right call. John Lynch is mysterious, eccentric. And playing an antagonist, he quickly found out, can be a little “disturbing.” “I’m not used to the feeling,” he admits.
But hey—no growth without discomfort. True enough, as the filming wore on, those unfamiliar emotions proved a door to even more still untapped.
“In terms of preparation, it involved constant communication with our director and asking a lot of questions about how he wanted the character executed,” he shares. “I drew on my knowledge of villains I had seen in the past to figure out how to make this one different and feel fresh.”
“Exploring feelings, expressions, and body language was key,” adds Richards, who trained in arnis, learned knife combat, and performed his own stunts. “I was given plenty of room to experiment and play.”
Still a hero
His transformation didn’t go unnoticed. “It was weird to see him act like an asshole,” Collins says of Richards, whom she knew as someone “always sweet.” “To see him as a total bad boy was amazing and sexy. He should do it more. I think his fans would love it.”
But while he reveled in being the bad guy in front of the cameras, he was still very much the hero behind them. Richards says that “Big Tiger”—more than just a vehicle for artistic growth—is also his way of reigniting interest in the Philippines as a shooting destination for international productions.
The movie, filmed completely in Metro Manila and surrounding areas, also saw overseas production teams collaborating with local film workers. “I see this partnership as an opportunity to give back to the Filipinos—a way to take pride in what we have, provide jobs, and showcase our talent through international collaborations.”
