Alden Richards’ new teleserye “The Gift” is one of the most anticipated television shows this month of September.
After receiving his most recent award from the South Korean film industry and being hailed as box office king, Alden Richards is back on GMA Network’s prime time TV portraying a challenging role in “The Gift”.
Richards has indeed proven himself to be one the most bankable actors in the Philippines and one of the brightest stars in Asia in addition to being a popular host on the longest-running noontime variety show, Eat Bulaga.
On the eve of its worldwide premiere on September 16, Good News Pilipinas offers this list of the reasons why “The Gift” is a must-watch TV series made in the Philippines.
IT’S ALDEN RICHARDS’ PRIMETIME TV COMEBACK
After the blockbuster success of his movie, “Hello, Love, Goodbye” with actress Kathryn Bernardo, Alden Richards is back to the primetime TV via the series, “The Gift”.
The newly-hailed box office king, who recently received his Asian Star Prize at the 14th Seoul International Drama Awards in South Korea, headlines the new primetime soap opera which serves as his comeback project for GMA Network’s Telebabad block.
Alden Richards will play the role of a street-smart Divisoria porter, Sep, who will lose his eyesight but will be blessed with the ability to perceive past and future events.
The award-winning Kapuso actor underwent a blind immersion training to prepare ofr his portrayal of the challenging role of visually-impaired Sep.
IT’S BEAUTY QUEEN THIA THOMALLA’S FIRST ACTING STINT
One of the TV series’ fresh offerings is the Filipino-German beauty queen Thia Thomalla who raised the Philippine flag in Egypt in 2018 after winning the first Miss Eco International crown for the country.
Thia Thomalla will portray the character of Faith, a lass tagged as “prinsesa ng Divisoria” and a daughter of a wealthy businessman. Faith will be the love interest of Alden Richards’ character, Sep.
This is the first acting stint of the beauty queen who is blessed to be paired with big star Alden Richards.
“That day when they told me na nakuha ko ‘yong role, umiyak ako (I cried when I got the role). Kasi I did not expect it at all,” Thomalla shared in a media interview after learning of her selection as Alden Richards’ co-star.
MANILA’S ICONIC SPOTS ON SHOWCASE
The Kapuso TV series is being filmed in the Philippines’ capital city of Manila which recently jumped 12 notches up on the list of the 2019 Safe Cities Index.
The cast paid a courtesy call to Manila Mayor Isko Moreno prior to their location shoot.
With Manila as the TV series’ backdrop, expect to see some of the city’s iconic spots on the small screen once the teleserye soap opera starts airing.
It can be recalled that the city of Manila received praises from American TV personality Martha Stewart during her visit in the country. The lifestyle icon commended Filipino ingenuity and warm hospitality.
AN INTERESTING MIX OF YOUNG AND VETERAN ACTORS
The upcoming primetime series “The Gift” has a mix of young and veteran actors who will bring to life the story of Sep and Faith and their community.
Here are the actors and their roles on the TV series that you must catch:
- Alden Richards as Joseph/Sep, the Divisoria porter who will lose his eyesight but will be blessed with the gift to see people’s past and future
- Thia Thomalla as Faith, Sep’s love interest who is a daughter of a wealthy businessman and tagged as “Prinsesa ng Divisoria”
- Jo Berry as Strawberry, a fruit vendor in Divisoria who will raise up Sep as a good man
- Elizabeth Oropesa as Lola Char, the mother of Strawberry and a fortune teller in Quiapo
- Mikee Quintos as Amor, a Divisoria lass who is secretly in love with Sep
- Mikoy Morales as Bistek, Sep’s funny and high-spirited best friend
- TJ Trinidad as Gener, Sep’s biological father
- Jean Garcia as Nadia, Sep’s biological mother
- Christian Vasquez as Javier, Nadia’s second husband, and a wise businessman
- Martin del Rosario as Jared, Sep’s half brother, and an aspiring politician
- Ysabel Ortega as Sabina, Sep’s youngest half-sister
- Rochelle Pangilinan as Francine, Javier’s executive assistant, and mistress
- Tetay as Tonya, Nadia’s wealthy best friend, and Javier’s cousin
- Betong Sumaya as Asi, the driver, and assistant of Javier and Jared
- Luz Valdez as Lola Puring who raised Javier after his parents died when he was still young
- Victor Anastacio as Andoy, a gang member in Manila
The soap opera also serves as a reunion project for Alden Richards and Jean Garcia who worked together in a TV series a few years ago.
IT IS A STORY OF INSPIRATION AND POSITIVITY
The prime time soap opera promises its audience a story full of inspiration and positivity.
Alden Richards’ role will bring the audience to the world of blind people and will provide a point of view of people with disabilities who belong to the marginalized sector of society.
Alden went through an immersion program to prepare for his challenging role and said he understands the visually-impaired people more and see them as inspiring.
“After that immersion, I interviewed people who can see before sila nabulag and na-inspire ako sa kanila na tipong ‘what can be my contributions to society now that I’m blind? Iyon ‘yung gusto kong mabaon ng mga manonood sa The Gift – bibigyan natin sila ng peek sa mundo ng mga taong hindi nakakakita para mas maintindihan natin sila,” shared Alden Richards.
(After that immersion, I interviewed people who became blind and I was inspired with the line, “what can be my contributions to society now that I’m blind?” This is what I want the audience to learn from The Gift – we will give them a peek into the world of the blind so we can understand them more.)
WATCH THE full extended trailer of Alden Richards’ TV Series ‘The Gift’ here and SEND well wishes to the team of The Gift in the comments below!
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