Playing The Fool

Coming from a family of well-known actors, Ryan Yllana did not have a hard time finding exposure in the industry. But with a great passion for acting and a knack for comedy, he has easily found his own niche in the entertainment spotlight. Text by Jessa Ericka C. Bien. Photos by iGMA Team. It’s actually easy to spot Ryan in GMA. He brightens up our mornings with the veteran comedian Joey de Leon in their comedy show Takeshi’s Castle , and moves us to empathy in the primetime hit Mga Mata ni Anghelita , where he gives comedy a rather different attack as he takes on the role of a village fool. “(Ako) si Bitong, 'yung baliw na rumoronda sa bayan (ng Sta. Maria). (Ako) 'yung nakakaalam ng secrets ng bayan kasi gala nga, pero dahil sa baliw (ako) hindi (ako) pinaniniwalaan” Ryan says. Fresh from his comic-antagonist portrayal of Candyman in Super Twins , Ryan now becomes a childish village fool that the townspeople hesitate to trust. “This one requires a different attack” he notes. “Ang hirap nga na maging independent na baliw ka pero may kinakausap ka. Minsan sa iba-iba ako nakatingin, na minsan lumalagpas 'yung camera sa akin. Mahirap makipag-interact kasi kung saan-saan ako nakatingin at may sarili akong mundo. Ang pinagkuhanan ko lang (ng model), 'yung mga old movies na (nagpapakita) kung papaano makipag-usap sa mga baliw.” Challenging Enough The youngest Yllana says he finds the role challenging because he has to provide comic relief and act foolish at the same time. According to him, taking on the character previously played by German Moreno makes the part even more challenging – especially when he has not seen the original movie. “Naghahanap ako ng kopya (noong movie) kasi gusto ko rin makita ('yung execution ng role ni Bitong). So I’m doing it my own way. Pero effective naman kasi naku-cute-an naman sila sa pagkabaliw ko. At ang maganda sa role ko, puro take one!” he discloses. But more than memorizing scripts and knowing his lines, Ryan also undergoes a meticulous make-up session to get in character who is often blackened and dirty. He imparts that it does not take long to transform him into a grimy individual, but he immediately adds with a laugh, “'yung pagtanggal ng make-up, 'yun ang pinakamahirap sa lahat!” Ryan is determined to make a name for himself in showbiz, and he knows the best way to do this is to prove he can take on any genre. Although he is bent on mastering comedy first, he assures he will find time to explore other areas in the industry. Catch more of Ryan in Mga Mata ni Anghelita , weeknights after 24 Oras . You can also view the show’s photo gallery by by clicking here . Or share your comments about the show in the iGMA forum .