JC Alcantara has built a reputation for taking on roles that keep audiences guessing. But there was a stretch in his career when he was ready to give it all up and start over somewhere else.
At the Miss Behave finale viewing party, the actor told PUSH ABS-CBN that he seriously considered leaving showbiz in 2025 after a slump in his career. By then, he said, he had already started asking friends overseas about work.
"May times na sumuko na ako last year. Nasa point na ako na tigil ko na 'to," he admitted.
"Nasa point na ako na mag-work na ako abroad and nag-contact ko na 'yung mga friends ko doon," he added.
However, he never got on that plane. According to JC, what kept him in the industry was director Ivan Andrew Payawal, who saw something in him that he could not show during his audition for the iWant original series.
"May direktor na si Direk Ivan na naniwala sa akin, na nagbigay sa akin ng opportunity. Kasi that time, nung audition, wala akong naibigay na acting, wala akong as JC Alcantara na gustong umarte," he said.
"Hindi ko maibigay nung moment na 'yun, but may Direk Ivan na naniwala sa akin – na nakita 'yung potential ko," he added.
JC said the director approached him about 20 minutes after the audition, while he was still at the ABS-CBN compound. That short conversation, he said, turned things around for him.
"And that time na parang after ng audition namin, 20 minutes ganun, naka-stay pa ako noon sa audition namin dito sa ABS-CBN and nilapitan niya ako [and sabi niya] 'JC, what happened? Sorry kung lumapit ako sa'yo pero kailangan kong lumapit sa'yo kasi meron akong nakikitang something wrong' – at totoo naman that time," he said.
He ended up opening up to the director about everything he had been going through.
"So nagkuwento ako about nung nangyayari sa akin nung last year na iyon, and Direk Ivan believed [in] me – na kaya ko pa, na huwag mong sayangin 'yung time na 'yun. And 'yun, after nun, pinabalik niya ako, 'Sige, kita tayo sa final casting. Like, kailangan kita makita ulit na okay ka,'" he said.
"And nag-promise ako na gagawin ko lahat para dito. And sabi ko sa sarili ko na, 'Kailangan, kung mahal ko 'yung trabaho ko.' Mahal ko 'tong acting and gusto kong mag-improve. Gusto ko pang matutunan lahat. And 'yun, nagpapasalamat ako sa nagtiwala sa akin dito. Kaya thankful ako kay Direk Ivan for choosing me as part ng Miss Behave," he continued.
What makes the whole thing more surprising, JC said, is that he and Ivan were on opposite sides of a rivalry years ago. His Boys' Love series Hello, Stranger went up against Gameboys, which Ivan directed, when both shows were streaming during the pandemic.
"Kasi before, kalaban ko siya nung time na pandemic. Hello, Stranger and Gameboys – siya 'yung director nun. So pinapanood niya 'yung Gameboys, sabi niya sa akin nung time na 'yun, gusto niya akong maka-work," he said.
In Miss Behave, JC plays Cole Javier, a role he said he never expected to land.
"Sobrang happy ko. Sobrang thankful ko sa mga taong na-appreciate 'yung ginawa ko dito sa Miss Behave as Cole. And 'yung role ko dito, hindi ko rin in-expect na mapupunta sa akin. So ang daming nangyari that time and pinili na nila ako as Cole," he said.
He also thanked viewers who reacted strongly to his character – including those who ended up disliking him because of it.
"Sobrang thankful ko sa lahat ng mga sumusuporta sa akin, sa mga taong maraming nagagalit sa akin at naiinis sa akin. Thank you kasi naging effective 'yung role ko," he added.
Playing Cole was not easy, JC said, since the role required him to be violent toward women on screen. He credited the people around him on set for helping him get through it.
"Mahirap siyang character kasi iba 'yung ginagawa ko, eh. Nananakit ako sa babae. So thankful ako sa kanila kasi hindi nila pinabayaan si JC Alcantara habang pino-portray ko 'yung Cole," he said.
He also thanked Ivan and the show's five female leads – Alexa Ilacad, Xyriel Manabat, Reign Parani, Rans Rifol, and Andi Abaya – for helping him shape the character.
"Nagpapasalamat din ako kay Direk Ivan sa pagtulong sa akin para ma-build ang character na 'to as Cole, and also to my co-artists and sa five girls," he said.
—By Paolo Lim