Jeric Gonzales is one of those artists who didn’t jump into showbiz right away, but made sure to earn a college degree first.
In his latest film, “Graduation Day,” the actor plays a struggling student who had to make ends meet just to graduate.
The Kapuso star said he could very much relate to his character, who despite coming from a poor family, tightly held on to his dream of finishing school.
“‘Nung college ako, naranasan ko rin yung baon na sakto lang, pamasahe, nanghihiram pa ako ng sapatos sa kapatid ko — ang hirap! Ang hirap! But then pag natapos mo yung course mo, like ako natapos ko nursing, very fulfilling talaga. Nakatapos muna ako bago ako nag artista,” he said during an interview.
“Graduation Day,” produced by BenTria Productions and directed by Dante Balboa — the Seiko Films star turned academic and now film writer-director — is still showing in select cinemas. This marks Jeric’s second time as a lead actor following the Metro Manila Film Festival 2022 entry “Broken Blooms,” but he admitted that the preparation for this new project was more challenging.
Jeric shared that as the lead he feels the responsibility of carrying the film’s box-office performance. He called on the public to support local films.
“‘Yes, of course, lalo na sa movie industry natin ngayon di ba, napakahirap gumawa ng pelikula na tatangkilikin ng mga kababayan natin so sana tangkilikin nila itong ‘Graduation Day,’ kasi talagang pinaghirapan namin ito at para suportahan pa rin ang pelikulang Pilipino.”
Meanwhile, if Jeric looks leaner these days, it’s because he’s currently undergoing intense preparation — workouts, dieting, boxing and muay thai — for an “iconic” film he has been allowed to reveal just yet.
