At Hotel 88, the housemates check in, and the drama unfolds
Inside “Bahay ni Kuya,” the breakout stars of “Pinoy Big Brother (PBB): Celebrity Collab Edition” won people’s hearts by being themselves. But can they do the same by being someone else? That may well be one of the crucial questions their upcoming series, “The Secrets of Hotel 88,” aims to answer.
More than a test of the cast’s individual acting skills, the show also gauges whether the chemistry they have built through unfiltered interactions translates when there are scripts to memorize and blocking to observe.
It has to be said that there are actors here, like Xyriel Manabat and Will Ashley, whom you can consider as young veterans. Josh Ford and Kira Balinger also already have considerable bodies of work. However, experience varies among the relative newcomers: AZ Martinez, Bianca de Vera, Brent Manalo, Dustin Yu, Esnyr Ranollo, Klarisse de Guzman, Mika Salamanca, Ralph de Leon, and River Joseph.
Who knows—they may just surprise us. Director Henry King Quitain certainly was. “They really worked hard for it. They all underwent workshops. They studied their characters. You would be surprised at how serious they are about their craft,” he says. “Amazed ako sa binigay nilang talento dito.”
Shrouded in secrets
Premiering on GMA 7 on March 2, following its digital debut on iWant on Feb. 23, “The Secrets of Hotel 88” is dubbed by its creatives as a genre-bending series that melds elements of mystery, suspense-thriller, romance, and family drama.
The series begins with the Fernandez brothers—Gio (Manalo), Martin (De Leon), and Francis (Ashley)—who reunite and inherit Hotel 88, after the death of their father, whom they never knew.
Their claim is challenged by members of the powerful Almazan family: Luna (Salamanca), Leon (Joseph), Jade (De Vera), and Justin (Ford). Before long, they find themselves in conflict over ownership. Little do they know that the once-grand property is actually shrouded in secrets and unresolved mysteries.
Amid escalating tensions and shifting loyalties, Sari (Martinez), Edward (Yu), Raphie (Ranollo), Monette (De Guzman), Cheska (Manabat), and Trixie (Balinger) get drawn into the conflict. Needless to say, their appearance at the hotel isn’t without a good reason.
“Whether it’s personal or a big plot twist, every character holds a secret,” Quitain says.
No awkwardness
What’s no secret, however, is the cast’s tried-and-true bond. While acting—even for the pros—is a constant learning process, rapport is the one thing the cast didn’t have to work too hard on. Living together for months (up to four for the Big 4 duos) allowed them to bypass the usual awkward stage at workshops and during the first couple of days on set.
And because they know each other’s stories and have borne witness to each other’s most vulnerable moments, empathy is a given.
“Noong nagwo-workshop kami, walang hiyaan at ‘di kami awkward sa isa’t isa. So that helped with our chemistry on-screen,” Manalo says. “Alam namin ang mga bubog ng isa’t isa, so kaya naming makiramay sa nararamdaman [ng isa’t isa.] Kung umiyak si Mika, ang daling umiyak din para sa ‘kin kasi ramdam mo talaga kung saan siya nanggagaling.”
Salamanca, Manalo’s screen partner and fellow Big Winner, agrees, adding that her time in “PBB” gave her a much-needed confidence boost.
“Feeling ko if hindi nangyari ‘yung ‘PBB’, tapos ihaharap ako sa ganitong proyekto, ‘di ko kakayanin,” she says. “Kapag may scene na kailangan namin ng hugot, alam namin kung sino ang titingnan namin. Kapag kailangan kong umiyak, tinitingnan ko si Bianca. Kapag kailangan ko ng lakas ng loob, tinitingnan ko si Josh.”
Lifting each other up
Ashley and Manabat may be the first to downplay their seniority, but whether they admit it or not, their experience makes them some of the go-to people for acting advice on set. But it also works both ways, they say. By sharing the lessons they have learned over the years, they also gain fresh perspectives and, at times, find renewed motivation to work even harder.
“Sa mga pagkakataong nakakapag-usap kami tungkol sa trabaho, nakakatuwa kasi may mga naibibigay naman akong tips mula sa mga past shows ko. At meron din akong napupulot na bago. Teamwork talaga siya,” says Ashley, who has been acting since he was 11.
Indeed, Manabat stresses, the goal isn’t to outshine each other, but to lift each other up.
The actress—who finished third-runner up in the talent competition “Star Circle Kid Quest” at the age of five—recalls an inspired taping day when she and Salamanca opened up to each other and “romanticized their life and career.” And whenever the rest of the crew felt physically spent and mentally overwhelmed, they relied on each other for support.
“Lahat kami uhaw matuto,” she says. “We teach [each] other in a way na hindi magmu-mukhang mas angat ka dito o mas angat ka doon. Lahat kami may mga input sa isa’t isa, and we accept those na bukal sa loob namin.”
