Acting Tips from Pip

Tirso Cruz III, the other half of one of the most successful love teams of the 1970s, has become a legend in the industry. Pip, as he is fondly called by his fans and friends, shares with iGMA today his very own techniques on how an actor like himself might effectively reach his audience through the art of acting. Pip currently stars as the talented composer Arsenio in GMA-7’s newest afternoon offering, Kaputol ng Isang Awit. During the presscon of the show, Pip gave us some helpful advice for budding actors. He says acting should never be inert, and that as an actor, one should always find something new to do with the craft: “As an artist kasi it’s nice to be able to swing around. Masama naman na you play one kind of character, [and] all the while you become stagnant and monotonous. It’s very hard kasi you run out of ideas also.” Pip himself finds ways to keep motivated, like with his previous characters on afternoon soaps. He used to be a part of the TAPE-produced afternoon show, Valiente. “[We] were able to stretch it…for five years. It was a lot of fun and it was very fulfilling kasi there were many things na I would’ve wanted to do in the movies, kaya lang limited kasi per project,” says the talented actor. For Pip, this was an opportunity to rediscover his acting skills. But for an actor, five years was a very long time to sustain a character. “Every nook and cranny na-explore na ng character, and it posed a lot of challenges for us. Being conscious about the character, ang hirap kasing i-hold yung character for five years,” he reveals. His first acting tip is to get someone to remind you of who your character really is: “Sometimes we even had people to check on us. [We] should remember minsan kasi, hindi ganyan yung character, he won’t do this. Kung minsan sa set nagti-tweak kami, nagpapalit kami ng story dahil we’re not running true to form.” Being a veteran in the industry, Pip admits that he has repeated quite a number of roles. With this, his second tip is to challenge yourself: “’Yun bang the challenge is to create a character na para bang, sounds like but is exactly different. [For example] you’re a good guy. So how many approaches does a good guy have?” Like the way a character walks, talks—even the cadence of speech should be noted. “Be able to maintain and hold on to it, so that the character doesn’t fall apart as the show progresses. Instead, the character becomes more solid. Makikita mo yung growth niya pa-unti-unti,” says Pip. And when it comes to his co-actors, Pip lives by this rule: “Kailangan talaga family. You [must] get to know a person, not only his character, but the person itself. [Like] ‘yung mga yung mga quirks niya kasi that makes the work easier. When you become close like that, work isn’t work anymore. It’s fun.” With this attitude, Pip assures us that any actor will be able to focus on the more important things related to the show. “Like ‘yung takbo ng istorya, so it’s really some work pa rin kailangan. Kapit-kapit kayo ng sabay-sabay.” But for Pip, the most important thing about acting should be effectively relating to your audience. “For me, the greatest challenge is making the audience part of it, hindi yung detached sila. You have break that wall, para maka-identify sila sa ’yo. [And then] somehow, I think you [would] have achieved part of the target, na bringing entertainment.” It’s no wonder this man has reached a level of success most actors can only dream of. So for all of you dreaming to make it big in the entertainment world, be patient and persevering. And, of course, remember to take Pip’s tips to heart. - Text by Alula Love M. Dela Cruz. Photos by Jason S. Lim. Be sure to watch Tirso Cruz III on Kaputol ng Isang Awit weekdays on GMA’s Dramarama sa Hapon.