It is past 3 p.m. on a Monday and the sun is casting a warm glow on the interiors of Lester Ong’s office in Quezon City. Ong is the director of One Good Day, a new Filipino series on Amazon Prime. His office is every inch the quintessential man-cave: on one end is a massive wooden conference table surrounded by leather-and-steel chairs beside a brick wall. On the opposite end is a shelf stacked with books, toy collectibles, and a globe illuminated by a spotlight on a wooden stand, and right beside the shelf is the director-entrepreneur’s desk where an antique telephone set stands out from all the other items on the table’s surface.
A tan leather-upholstered couch and a coffee table occupy the space between the conference area and the office desk, and you could just imagine someone lounging comfortably on the plush leather seat and peering through the wooden blinds on the opposite side, watching the flurry of people walking about in the hallway. Spacious and tastefully decorated, the office is akin to the movie set for a detective-mystery, and a picture-perfect venue for the interview and photo shoot of the star of the aforementioned TV series: Ian Veneracion.
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The man of the hour finally arrives. Oozing with masculine appeal in dark jeans, an olive-green leather jacket and combat boots, he looks as if he’s dressed to match the office interiors on purpose. Standing a little over six feet with a physique men his age would give an arm and a leg for, the 47-year-old actor looks nothing like someone closing in on his golden years.
Veneracion walks into the room with an air of confidence and self-assurance you’d expect from someone who’s done it about a million times. He shakes hands with everyone, flashing that megawatt smile that women—young and old—have probably fallen for. He finds a seat at the far end of the conference table, places his Ray Ban sunglasses on top of it, and looks at the timepiece on this writer’s wrist while winding his own watch to synchronize the time. We decide to have the interview first to give him a little time to loosen up and relax. He appears to be a man who truly values his time, if that gesture with the watch is any indication.
He apparently doesn’t need help loosening up. He answers the first question at length, touching on some career highlights of his 40 years in show business and inevitably answering a few questions that had yet to be asked. Someone points this out—the length of his response—and the actor chuckles self-consciously, his face turning crimson.
Veneracion clearly remembers the day he was “discovered.” He had accompanied one of his uncles to Broadcast City, the headquarters of three of the five television networks at the time. A TV director spotted him and remarked how he would make the perfect addition to the production number for the upcoming employee Christmas party. His parents agreed to let him participate, and so at five years old, he did his first acting job—posing and walking onstage dressed as the Sto. Niño.
Some time after, RPN-9 TV execs called his parents to ask them if they would allow their young son to star in a TV sitcom opposite Joey de Leon. His parents said yes, and the boy spent his Saturdays taping Joey and Son.
Ian remembers being enthralled by the huge cameras and the buzz of people on the set, amused by the humorous exchanges between De Leon and director Al Quinn, and intimidated by veteran actress Odette Khan. The show ran its course for a couple of years after which Veneracion took a break from television.
PHOTO: Jill Tan Radovan
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Eventually, the budding entertainer got bored with the humdrum of everyday life as a regular kid. When he was 11 years old, he finally told his mom that he wanted to get back into showbiz. An entertainment reporter sent his photo to starmaker German “Kuya Germs” Moreno, and soon enough Veneracion became one of the youngest mainstays of That’s Entertainment, a youth-oriented daily variety show.
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“It was interesting all of a sudden,” he says. “Kasi I could see their kalokohan. Sina Nadia [Montenegro], Dranreb [Belleza], Monching [Gutierrez], Lotlot [de Leon], Tina Paner. Enjoy ako ‘nun.”
Seiko Films soon offered Veneracion roles in teenybopper movies. Film buffs back in the day might remember him as the Peter Pan-esque elf in Pardina at Ang Mga Dwende, a comedy-fantasy headlined by ‘80s love team Sheryl Cruz and Romnick Sarmenta. Seiko’s head honcho Robbie Tan gave him his first big acting break via the horror film Hiwaga sa Balete Drive, where he was cast alongside Joel Torre, Gina Alajar, and the late Charito Solis. Peque Gallaga and Lore Reyes directed the film.
Even then, at 13 years old, Ian knew what a privilege it was to work with such industry giants. “I felt so intimidated, and I felt the pressure,” he says.
Veneracion was astounded by the fact that he was working with Torre and other acting greats so early in his career. “Excuse my language, pero dati parang, ‘what the fuck am I doing here? I don’t know shit!’”
Being cast in Hiwaga… made Ian realize that being an actor entailed more than looking cute in front of the camera. “It’s much more personal than that pala.” He pauses, in a moment of reflection. “Nakita ko yung process nila how much they took their jobs seriously. That it’s always a journey of self-discovery whenever you’re given a role.”
“You’ve never been that shape for a certain role,” he adds. “You have to acquire that shape and not judge the values of that role and be that shape. And then parang may universe sa loob mo na bumukas.”
PHOTO: Jill Tan Radovan
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Veneracion considers the late Peque Gallaga as one of his mentors. Then a fledgling actor, he took acting workshops under the seasoned director to prepare for his first big role. He continued to take part in Galllaga’s summer acting workshops in Negros in the years that followed, fine-tuning what he and his mentor refer to as the ‘being’ type of acting.
The whole point of ‘being,’ according to him, is that you really have to be in touch with your emotions.
“You have to be aware of your emotional state, so that’s your ground zero, that’s your reference point. If you want to move, just like a map, you have to know you are here, before you can navigate towards any direction. That’s the important part of being. I’ve always used it. And you use personal experience, always.”
The workshops proved to be helpful in preparing him for more projects. Veneracion bagged the lead role in his first action movie, Alyas Baby Face, in 1990, when he was only 15 years old. It was a childhood dream come true for him.
“Every little boy who's into martial arts and motorcycles and guns because of watching cowboy movies and stuff—we all wanted to be an action star,” he explains.
Veneracion headlined many other action films that followed, some better than others, each with a testosterone-pumped title. He was Zaldong Tisoy, Boy Praning, Pedrito Masangkay, and Ben Balasador at different points of his career as an action star. After almost a decade of doing mostly action films, he found himself gradually shifting to roles that didn’t require him to jump off moving vehicles or load ammunition, in movies or on TV. He became the father of the teenage lead, or someone’s uncle.
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Like every actor who has earned his keep, he admits that he isn’t necessarily proud of all the projects he’s been part of. There are even films that he did not even bother to see the final cut of, even if he was part of the cast. Yet, he remains truly grateful.
“Always, ever since, I’ve been surrounded by kindness. From people I work with, my peers, my co-actors, even the bosses of productions, and even strangers. Who would think na hindi pa sila sawa sa mukha ko? But they’re still there; they watch my movies."
There are, however, a few notable films that he takes pride in, even if not all of them were necessarily box-office hits, such as Jerrold Tarog’s Bliss;Puti, an homage to Mike de Leon’s Itim and a twisted tale where he plays a painter; and inter.m@tes, where he plays a closeted gay action star. The film was an entry to the New York Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.
Veneracion had appeared in close to 30 TV shows before the role of Eduardo Buenavista in the remake of Pangako Sa‘Yo landed on his lap in 2015. He considers this as one of the most important career milestones that led to his renaissance as an actor.
“Tanggap ko na before na after you reach your peak age as a leading man, eventually you get to do father roles. I was resigned to that,” he admitted. “And lo and behold, a resurrection!”
In Pangako Sa ‘Yo, which starred the hugely popular love team of Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla (aka KathNiel), Veneracion’s character was caught in a love triangle with Amor Powers and Claudia Buenavista, which was played by Jodi Sta. Maria and Angelica Panganiban.
His onscreen onscreen chemistry with Sta. Maria was such a hit that it snowballed into a rom-com film: The Achy-Breaks Hearts, which also starred the actress’ other onscreen partner from another series, Richard Yap.
In 2017, Veneracion topbilled A Love to Last opposite Bea Alonzo as Anton Noble IV, which he says was a bit difficult to play.
“I find it challenging to play roles that are so close to your actual shape, to your personality,” he says. “If you play someone who’s really close to your personality, I find it…para siyangTwilight Zone kasi sometimes you don’t know anymore if you’re still acting or that’s you. So it blurs the line between reality and—I think—really, a certain part of your brain cannot distinguish when you’re acting. And that role was A Love to Last."
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One of Veneracion’s latest projects is One Good Day, a six-part action series that just dropped on the streaming service Amazon Prime. Here he plays Dale Sta. Maria, an assassin-for-hire residing in the fictitious village of of Kingtown, Iloilo. He decides to abandon his profession when he is diagnosed with a serious illness. However, he is forced out of retirement when an unfortunate turn of events drives him to embark on a personal mission to seek vengeance for his loved ones.
The powerhouse cast includes Joel Torre, Rabiya Mateo, Andrea Torres, Aljur Abrenica, Justin Cuyugan, Nicole Cordoves, Pepe Herrera, Robert Seña, and Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, among others.
Being offered the role felt like coming full circle. “It felt really natural, he says, but adds that the role didn’t come easy.
“I knew that it would be physically demanding, that I had to be fit enough to do the stunts.” The actor underwent training at the UFC Gym for the fight scenes, and rehearsed intensively with the director’s team of stunt personnel.
“Direk Lester invested a lot of time and effort and money, I suppose, for his team of stuntmen. Alam mo na yung specialty ng bawat isa, alam mo na yung galaw, also with the cameras. It’s like a dance. It’s more like choreography.”
Studio Three Sixty also invested in equipment. The production team was fortunate to utilize high-quality equipment and technology at par with what’s currently being used in making Hollywood films.
One other thing the actor loves about the series is its non-linear approach to storytelling. He’s hoping the show will get good viewership and merit a new season.
A jack of all trades and master of some
Veneracion’s acting resume may be impressive, but there’s a lot more to him than just being an accomplished actor. He is also a painter, musician, singer, athlete, and outdoorsman who engages in trail riding, paragliding, rock climbing, scuba-diving, sailing and recreational fishing. He rides a motorcycle—preferring long, three-day trips over short ones—plays basketball, golf, tennis, and football; and rides a bicycle as a form of exercise. It’s hard to think of something that this guy can’t do.
He is also a trained pianist and guitarist and has managed to collect roughly 40 electric and acoustic guitars, including a few crafted by local brand Elegee Custom Guitars. He professes to be a huge fan of Eric Clapton and can probably fill you in with every piece of trivia there is about “Slowhand” himself.
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A musician in his own right, Veneracion held his first solo concert in a hotel in Cebu in 2018. Classic ballads such as America’s “All My Life,” Ric Segreto’s “Loving You,” and Basil Valdez’s “You” comprised his setlist.
“It’s instant gratification with a live audience,” he says. “And there’s an exchange of energy, talaga. You dictate the vibe.” He pauses. “And YOU know—” he exclaims, “—when they’re on the same vibe. It’s like you tune in to a frequency and you know when most of them are on that same frequency.”
Veneracion becomes even more fiery and passionate when he talks about music. The pitch of his voice slightly elevates and he talks a bit louder. He claims that music has saved him so many times in his life. This is coming from a guy who normally picks up a guitar in the morning and strums it while having his first cup of coffee.
PHOTO: Jill Tan Radovan
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Relatively little is known about him as a songwriter, though he does admit to writing his own songs. Earlier this year, he released the music video for “Ninuno,” a gritty rock anthem he co-wrote. His online discography includes a few other originals: “We’re All Alone,” “Pasko Na Naman,” “Umuwi Ka Na,” and “I’ll Miss You The Most.” “Umuwi Ka Na” is a heart-wrenching song about forbidden love. “I’ll Miss You The Most,” on the other hand, seems to have been penned for his wife, gauging from the lyrics: 20 years since then/You’re still my best friend/And I love you more/Three kids to brag about/Despite our many bouts with insanity.
Veneracion’s marriage—and the fact that it remains intact—is often the subject of speculation. Many are fascinated by the fact that, despite having worked with some of the most beautiful and intriguing women in the industry, there have been no reported instances of him having dalliances with any of them.
He says it’s pretty simple: he made a commitment to Pam, his wife, and he intends to keep it. He speaks highly of his wife: her confidence, and her full trust in her husband.
What he finds attractive in a woman
Still, like any man, Veneracion admits to feelings of attraction to the opposite sex. He candidly shares the little things that catch his fancy, starting with a woman’s physical attributes: a shapely derrière, nice teeth, and smooth skin.
“Movement, he adds. “The way she flows. The way she moves. And then eventually, the voice. The quality of voice—if it’s pleasant to the ears. I love music, eh,” he says matter-of-factly.
“May quality of voice na ‘ay sarap sa tenga nung boses niya.’ Tapos articulate pa, Ganda pa ng diction, tapos interesting to talk to pa. Aside from the physical factors, yung insides, how she thinks, how she perceives, how she sees the world, basically. A person who thinks the world is beautiful, becomes really attractive. And a person who thinks this is a fuckin’ hellish place, the attractiveness plummets down.”
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Things he cannot live without
“What I need in my life are three things: a motorcycle, a guitar, and a woman,” he says. “That’s all I need, really. I can be in the middle of the dessert, on the mountain, a beach, it doesn’t really matter basta I have those three things.”
He needs a motorcycle for the prospect of adventure it presents. He knows that he can go anywhere he wants with it.
He also needs an art form—a means to express himself, hence the guitar.
Last, but definitely not the least, he needs someone to love. “Someone to take care of. Someone to take responsibility for. Someone to protect. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be meaningful, even with the motorcycle and the guitar.”
One good day could be different from another, but Veneracion has plenty of ideas.
“Me, under a tree with my guitar with some cigarettes and coffee, watching the cows eat grass. That would be one good day for me. Or take away the guitar. Have a sketchpad or I would be paragliding and land in the middle of a field. And then have coffee.”
One Good Day is now available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Watch the trailer here.
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