Zaijian Jaranilla admits jitters taking on first mature role after Santino
Zaijian Jaranilla as Sol in the digital series “Si Sol at Si Luna.”
After rising to fame playing the innocent Santino in “May Bukas Pa,” Zaijian Jaranilla admitted that he was nervous to officially step into his first mature role in the digital series “Si Sol at si Luna.”
Jaranilla told the media during a press conference on Friday, May 17, that while he’s thankful people still associate him with Santino, he is at the point where he wants to explore other roles.
“I was nervous because I didn’t know what the results would be or what people would think about it. But at the same time, I’m happy that I’ve received comments indicating I’m not afraid to explore other roles,” he said.
“I’m thankful for the way people got to know me through Santino, but I want to try out other roles and gain experience connecting with different characters,” the actor added.
In 2009, Jaranilla played his breakthrough role as Santino, an orphan with a special connection to Jesus in the ABS-CBN television series “May Bukas Pa.” He later became a cast member of the popular children’s sketch comedy show “Goin’ Bulilit.”
The 23-year-old actor underscored that he didn’t expect to do such a steamy scene, referring to the clip in the trailer where he and his co-actor Jane Oineza engage in a romantic make-out session.
“It’s a big step for me because I didn’t expect that I would do such a scene. It was a challenging scene for me. But with the help of director Dulu and Jane, I was able to do it,” he said.
Jaranilla, who recently appeared in the series “Senior High,” also admitted that he has experienced falling in love at his age, which has helped him tackle his new role.
When teased about whether he has experienced doing a sexy scene in real life, the young actor candidly shared, “All I can say is that I know how to kiss.”
In “Si Sol at si Luna,” Jaranilla and Oineza are set to explore the complexities of an age-gap romance after 21-year-old Sol (Jaranilla) falls in love with the heartbroken 31-year-old Luna.
The series is scheduled to premiere on YouTube on May 31, Saturday, at 7 p.m. Subsequent episodes will be released weekly every Saturday at the same time. /ra
