Not the Hero

Dennis Trillo is known for playing the hero, the dashing prince who will whisk his princess away to happily ever after. But what kind of Dennis will you see when he is cast as the total opposite? Text by Jason John S. Lim. Photos by Mitch S. Mauricio. On his first taping day on ESP, Dennis Trillo is relaxed, enjoying a nice conversation with ESP mainstay Alfred Vargas. The two play friends in the series; Dennis is Jared, the friend who helps out Dave (Alfred Vargas) when the latter is looking for a place to hide Cassandra (played by the lovely Iza Calzado). “Nakabili (si Jared) ng bahay, tapos in-invite ko sila.” This is the set-up that plays out in Dennis’s first episode. But while Dave thinks he has found the perfect hideaway for Cassandra, he better think again. By the end of the episode, Cassandra wouldn’t have gained a new ally -- she will gain a new adversary. “Parang sasapian ako,” Dennis explains. He says that initially his character means well for Cassandra and the others. But when they burn down the house being haunted by a vindictive ghost, the ghost enters Jared’s body. “Tapos, ite-terrorize ko na sila.” And though Dennis is very familiar with the horror genre, his character in ESP is about to give him a totally different experience. What happens next? That’s something Dennis wants to know too, “kasi isang script pa lang ang nababasa ko.” ESP is GMA-7’s newest suspense-thriller that’s got audiences on the edge of their seats -- not just because it’s scary, but because there’s always something new to watch, and some new clue to follow, another genre-bending show. “Mukhang interesting ‘to dahil kakaiba.” In the program’s first few episodes, it has been established that Cassandra is to help out lost souls into moving on to the afterlife. Dennis’s addition explores the question: what if the soul doesn’t want to move on? “Sa mga movies na ginawa ko, madalas ako ‘yung mabait na inosente, na walang alam. Ngayon, parang the tables have turned.” The actor says that the character given to him for ESP will surprise viewers. And he adds that he appreciates the fact that GMA is giving him this role, because it is “mas challenging para sa akin. Nacha-challenge, at the same time, nae-excite.” Dennis is also the first guest star to appear in multiple-episode story arc, and he’s excited to be part of this particular hit show. “Parang first time lang ‘to in Philippine television.” And the actor has nothing but praises for his fellow actors who are involved in the show, and he adds, “swerte ako dahil made na ang show na ‘to. Sana maging okay pa.” Don’t miss the continuation of Jared’s arc tonight on ESP. Afterwards, talk about the inclusion of his character as the newest threat to Cassandra’s life at the iGMA Forums and see what others have to say about Dennis as well! If you’re not yet registered, register now! You might even get the chance to talk to your favorite Kapuso star! ESP airs every Thursday night after GMA Telebabad. Find out more about his role as Jared from Dennis himself! Feel the Fun with Fanatxt by texting DENNIS to 4627! (Each Fanatxt message costs PhP2.50 for GLOBE, SMART, and TALK 'N TEXT, and PhP2.00 for Sun subscribers.)