Unlike your usual matinee idols, Yul Servo is an actor who shuns the limelight and hype given a personality to become delectable in television or the movies. Yul has never received the fortunate treatments like imaging and packaging that young actors commonly get from their managers or the TV networks that hired them. Yul Servo has defined who he is in show business through his works which have so far meant meant him to be a formidable and versatile leading man!
It was through the five-hour film “Ang Batang Westside” that Yul Servo’s name filled the insides of the entertainment pages of major dailies, tabloids and even news programs. To some his first project was an unorthodox move for an unknown actor. But to others, he was hailed as a brave artist and a genius. No wonder he bagged the Best Actor award during the 2001 CineManila International Film Festival. He also won Best Actor in the 2002 Brussells International Film Festival.
His follow-up film was a sexy movie that pitted him against seasoned actors like Albert Martinez and Elizabeth Oropesa in “Laman.” For his role as a naive “probinsyano,” he also earned a Best Actor award from the 2003 Star Awards.
“I never expected to win those awards. Pero maganda po yun para sa akin kasi alam naman po natin that there are a lot of actors here who have been wanting to win an award in their careers.
Nakakagulat. Basta all I ever did was to do my job well and I studied my assignments real hard,” Yul expressed humbly.
It doesn’t also mean that he has become meticulous when it comes to choosing the movie roles he wants to make. As long as he and his manager, film director Maryo delos Reyes, feel that a script is worthy to do then they’ll grab it. A movie doesn’t have to promise an award for him to make it.
According to Yul, what is more important to him is being able to do different roles every time.
“My roles so far have the same feel of being a ‘probinsyano.’ I hope to do more. I also want to play a Manila boy or a rich man someday...I also can do a sexy role pero may limitasyon po ako.when it comes to nude scenes. I know na bilang artista dapat gawin mo lahat ang hinihingi ng role na tinanggap mo pero ayaw ko po na magkaroon ng frontal scenes. Hindi ko pa po kaya,” Yul said.
As an actor, Yul is geared towards exploiting much of his thespic skills. He is fond of experimenting with different characters because he believes this will broaden his horizons as an actor. In his bid to be versatile, he has even accepted roles in non-revenue short films. So far, he has already done six of this kind. To his credit are “Illusyon” (2002), “Stressful X” (2002), “Essential (2003), “Litrato” (2003) and “Dalawang Piso.” His most recent short film is “Ano Ang Kahahantungan ni Virgin Mario,”which is bound for the Chicago Film Festival. In this short film, he has a gay lover and one morning, he woke up to discover that he is pregnant!
“I lend the directors of these short films my talent because I want to help them. I also learn from them and I can experiment a lot about my acting. These are learning experiences for me,” he stressed.
For his third full-length feature film, Yul Servo is again the talk of the town because he has snagged the coveted role as the leading man of the country’s one and only “superstar,” Ms. Nora Aunor in the film entitled “Naglalayag.” And it is not just a simple Nora-Yul film tandem; it is a love story between a young taxi driver and a respectable middle-age courtroom judge. And the intricacies of such a relationship and the drama behind it make the Nora-Yul movie more than just interesting.
During the third press conference of the film which was held recently, the actor could not contain his elation for landing the said role.
“I’m very proud working with the Superstar! Pumapalakpak ang tenga ko! My mother was a Noranian and I became a Noranian too because of her. We always watch her films. And now nakatambal ko siya and we even have kissing scenes! “From what I heard, pihikan po siya sa pagpili ng partner niya pero nakapasa po ako!”
He also shared that he learned so much about the actress while they were shooting the movie. He was in awe to discover the many harships Nora Aunor went through to become this country’s superstar. And he describes her simply as “sobrang husay niya!”
With regards to their kissing scenes, having his trusted manager, Maryo delos Reyes, as his director was a big help. Knowing his stature in showbiz and Nora’s, he would have felt naturally intimidated. But what he did was put himself into character and that dissolved all the qualms he ever felt.
“My character was very much in love so naging smooth yung halikan namin. Unang shot may kaba, pero habang tumatagal nawawala. I used my nervousness in the other kissing scenes. Basta hinalikan ko na lang siya and I made her feel through my kisses how much I’m in love with her!”
For him, it is not impossible for any young actor to fall for someone like Nora Aunor.
“Ok siyang makipag-usap. And you’ll feel her kabaitan is very sincere. Maalalahanin din at maalalay din siya.”
“Naglalayag” is about Dorinda, a widow and a judge who is in her menopausal stage. She
meets Noah, a taxi driver, one night she left her car keys in her office. During the ride to Dorinda’s place, Noah was impressed with her passenger’s persona. Soon he starts courting her. Even if Dorinda tries to ward him off, Noah was persistent.
Then Dorinda falls in love too and miraculously, Noah impregnates her at the age of 47! They lived together despite the complications of their so-called May-December affair. The plot thickens when Noah was victimized by a hold-up and carnap syndicate that lured Dorinda out of her hiding to defend her love one in public.
“Naglalayag,” produced by Angora Films, and which is an official entry to the Manila Film Festival, also stars Aleck Bovick as Yul’s other girlfriend.
