Kapuso actor Derrick Monasterio admitted on Thursday, July 28, that if he was any younger, he could be sulking after not getting the titular role.
“Dati siguro noong bata ako sinasabi ko, ‘Ah sayang hindi ako ang bida dito’ parang ganoon,” he said during the virtual media conference for Return to Paradise, a series which he top-bills alongside Sparkle artist Elle Villanueva.
But reaching his age, he realized that every project he gets is a team effort. The actor learned that there really is no “I” in “team.”
“Pero ngayon, nakikita ko ‘to as a team, as a collaborative effort of talented people. Lahat, lahat iyan. Even from the smallest person to the biggest person, lahat ‘to tulungan para mapaganda ang show.”
Monasterio even appreciated the Return to Paradise crew, thanking them for being “the best production that I’ve ever worked with.”
“Grabe ang respect ko sa grind, sa hustle ng mga tao sa show na ‘to,” lauded the actor. “When it comes to talent, when it comes to attitude, professionalism, everything. Kaya feeling ko, nadadala din ako at nailalabas nila ang best ko.”
His last teleserye was in 2021, playing a supporting role in Legal Wives. In 2017, the actor was part of the 2017 fantaserye Mulawin vs. Ravena‘s lead cast.
Return to Paradise is directed by Don Michael Perez and also includes Eula Valdez, Teresa Loyzaga, Ricardo Cepeda, Allen Dizon, and Paolo Paraiso. Kiray Celis, Karel Marquez, and Mia Pangyarihan were also added into the mix.
The series will begin on August 1, replacing Raising Mamay on GMA Network’s Afternoon Prime.