Dennis Trillo talks about the weight of portraying Crisostomo Ibarra: 'Hindi ka pwedeng magkamali'

Dennis Trillo impressed many with his portrayal of Crisostomo Ibarra in the hit GMA show "Maria Clara at Ibarra."

In an interview with Updated with Nelson Canlas, the Kapuso actor talked about the weight of taking on the role of an important figure in Philippine literature.

"'Yung role na Crisostomo Ibarra isa na namang icon na importanteng figure sa Philippine literature na representation ni Rizal. So parang doon pa lang ang bigat na eh, kasi hindi ka puwedeng magkamali," he said.

"Kailangan lahat ng kilos, ng pananalita, pananamit kailangan lahat 'yun tama doon sa period na ginagawa niyo 'yun kunyare," he added.

Dennis said he bought a new copy of Jose Rizal's "Noli Me Tangere" to refresh his memory and try to imagine how things were back then.

"Ang hirap i-recreate ng ganu'ng mga eksena na hindi mo naman talaga nasaksihan kung papaano nangyari noong mga unang panahon," he said.

Asked why he accepted the role, Dennis said that he'd been honored to receive the offer.

"... Mahalaga sa akin 'yung pag-acknowledge nila na kaya to ni Dennis, ibibigay natin ‘to sa kaniya," he said. "So ako naman in return parang ginagawa ko 'yung trabaho ko para hindi ako mapahiya sa kanila. Parang ganu'n iniisip ko para magampanan ko ‘to ng husto. Magawa ko ‘to ng mabuti na matutuwa sila at hindi masasayang 'yung tiwala na binigay nila sa akin."

Dennis stars in “Maria Clara at Ibarra” alongside Barbie Forteza, and Julie Anne San Jose.

Based on Rizal's "Noli Me Tangere" and "El Filibusterismo," the series is commended for giving a classic story a modern twist, especially with how the country’s history plays a big role in the present. It also openly discusses topics such as the rights of women, education, and labor, among many others.

“Maria Clara at Ibarra” airs on GMA Telebabad on Mondays to Fridays at 8 p.m., and streams on the GMA Network YouTube channel, website, and app. —JCB, GMA News