What is it like to battle with evil face to face? Callalily vocalist and actor Kean Cipriano knows for sure.
If you need professional help in overcoming the booty calls of temptation, the badass rocker is the right person to ask after he got a little steamy with hunky devils in the much-awaited horror-comedy film, “Echorsis: Sabunutan Between Good and Evil.”
Kean, in what he calls as his most challenging role yet, is excited because we are seeing a different side of him. What made the task exceptionally challenging, says the Callalily frontman, is his role which happens to be a gay priest.
Such offbeat roles, however, are what make the job more exciting for the 28-year-old actor, who has tried playing different characters in the past years.
“For me, that’s the thing naman with acting—you get to be someone you can’t be in real life. Like I can’t be a priest pero nagawa ko siya because it was my character in the movie,” Kean points out.
In “Echorsis,” Kean takes on the role of Father Nick, an exorcist-priest who is secretly gay. Kean’s character is called upon to cast out a gay demon that has possessed the body of a gigolo named Carlo (Alex Medina) after the untimely death of the latter’s gay lover, Kristoff (John Lapus).
Being someone who believes in the forces of good and evil, Kean was extraordinarily interested in the role.
“It was also one of the most challenging things I’ve done in my career and it certainly fulfilled a dream.”
“Everything is possible in love”
Since “Echorsis” tackles the sensitive topic of same-sex relationships and identity crises, Kean has been asked for his views on the LGBT community.
“I love them, especially in this industry. In anything they do, gay people are really intense, they are bright. I have tremendous respect for them. Hindi naman sa gender nagbi-base ang mga bagay sa mundo. Nasa puso ng tao, sa good intentions,” he declares.
Kean even believes that a straight guy can fall for a gay person because everything is possible in love.
“Of course! In love, anything goes. When you’re in love, you go crazy; you don’t know what you are doing. You’ll drown and float at the same time, so you swim,” Kean muses.
Not quite a comedian
Kean has been doing a lot of comedies lately—on TV or the movies. Still, he doesn’t consider himself a comedian. He stresses that the people behind him and the materials he is given are what makes him effective in such roles.
“Hindi naman talaga ako nagpapatawa, ang nagpapatawa ‘yung script, ang nagpapatawa ‘yung mismong material, yung director,” Kean avers. “I’m just grateful and blessed to be part of a comedy production that has good materials,” he adds.
The musician-turned-actor confesses that he has simply fallen in love with acting and just wants to share the beauty of film making with everyone. He loves being an instrument in telling one’s story.
“I’m an actor! Gusto ko lang gumawa ng mga pelikula, whether indie or mainstream. It’s all about storytelling. Kumbaga, it’s a matter of portraying a character and being an instrument of the director to tell the story that he/she wants to relate to the world,” he says.
Kean, who says that he worked with the best people in “Echorsis,” recognizes the box-office potential of the movie and believes that there is a strong chance that the movie will have a cult following.
“Laugh trip ‘pag napanood nila ‘yung pelikula! Sasabihin nila sa mga kaibigan nila, ‘Uy panoorin mo tong pelikulang Echorsis dahil natuwa ako’,” Kean gushes about the movie that was produced by Chris Cahilig of Insight 360, directed by critically acclaimed filmmaker Lemuel Lorca, and written by Jerry Gracio. “I’m excited for everyone to see it!”
Completing the ensemble cast of “Echorsis” are Alessandra de Rossi, Chokoleit, Kiray Celis, Mich Liggayu, Ruby Ruiz, Negi Negra, Bekimon, Nico Antonio, Francine Garcia, Odette Khan, and 1:43’s Yuki Sakamoto, Anjo Resurreccion, Gold Aquino, and Yheen Valero.
“Echorsis” is supported by BellaVita Land Corp. and McJim Classic Leather.