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It was a busy day when we interviewed Gil Cuerva, but he assured us he was taking it all in stride. At 21, the Filipino-Spanish heartthrob said he was no stranger to flashing lights, cameras clicking and rolling, and punishing schedules.

Before being cast as Matteo Domingo on GMA 7’s Philippine remake of the popular Korean drama “My Love from the Star,” Cuerva was first a model. Now he’s stepping up as leading man.

His modeling stint took off when he endorsed a popular Chinese brand. Since then, his image has graced the ad campaigns and various projects from Hong Kong.

Huge surprise

Playing the Filipino version of the alien Do Min Joon came as a huge surprise to the fledgling actor. He had initially auditioned just to meet the director, Joyce Bernal, and wasn’t expecting to land a role.

“I’ve always been interested in acting,” he said, “but it wasn’t something I thought would be feasible as a career or something I seriously considered when I was younger. That’s why I never went to acting school or theater classes.”

But he admitted growing up watching a lot of films with his mother: “She was always up-to-date with Hollywood movies and actors, including the scoop and news that came along. I guess, in a way, it made me curious about acting and wanting to be an actor.”

Today, Cuerva is eager to do justice to the role made famous by Korean superstar Kim Soo Hyun. “While it’s a good thing that I’m taking part in a remake of a hit Koreanovela,” he said, “it certainly adds a lot pressure knowing that the show was very popular, not only in Korea but in the Philippines as well.”

Tropical-print tee, Bench; sky blue shorts, Cotton On

‘Explore the world’

Apart from his work as an actor, Cuerva is a young man raring to enjoy life.

“The best thing about being young is that I still have time to explore the world, break boundaries, go out of my comfort zone and experiment with life,” he said. “I can still afford to make mistakes (though not life-changing), and I also have a lot of room for growth.”

He added: “Come to think of it, it’s a nice thought knowing that I’m not yet at my peak, and it’s exciting to see how far I’ll go and where I’ll end up in this career.”

If there were things he could change, Cuerva said he wished he could have been more responsible in the past. He also should have been more obedient to his parents and studied better in school. He promised to shape up in the future.

“I feel like the reason we’re unable to move on from our mistakes is we’re scared of what people will say, especially after making a big mistake,” he explained. “But for me, if you’re able to acknowledge your mistake and learn from it, then it shouldn’t matter what other people think or say about you.”

In sum, he said: “It’s always about perspective. How we handle situations under adversity is a test of our true character.”