The Abdominal Walls of Jericho
by Charmaine Baylon
People Asia Online
April 7, 2001

It is not always easy to penetrate the walls of this Jericho. Although open and accommodating, he craves moments just for himself. 

"I’m serious about my surfing; it’s my outlet," says Jericho Rosales, adding that he’s been into the sport for two years now. "When I’m down, when I need space, when I need time to myself, I go to the beach. After I surf, I just sit there for an hour and talk to myself." 

It’s an activity he treasures greatly, especially now that he’s getting busier with his many showbiz commitments. (Proof of his jam-packed schedule: Jericho arrived from a previous engagement for the shoot, and then he had to rush back to ABS-CBN for his taping right after.) 

Indeed, a lot has happened for this 21-year-old actor since bagging the title of "Mr. Pogi" a few years ago in noontime variety show Eat Bulaga. Realizing that acting held much promise for him, he joined ABS-CBN’s Star Circle Batch 4. Various acting assignments followed soon after, such as Kaybol, Okatokat and Esperanza, among others. Jericho has also starred in a few films — he is remembered for his performance as Rommel in the acclaimed Metro Filmfest entry Tanging Yaman. 

But what’s taking up most of his time and attention nowadays is his role in the TV series Pangako Sa ‘Yo. He describes his character as "the black sheep of the Buenavistas. Angelo is the James Dean type — (sort of) like a rebel without a cause. He’s angry at his dad and he wants to ruin the name and reputation of the family," he smiles. "Playing the bad guy is something that I don’t usually do, so it’s a bit challenging for me." 

And a challenge is what Jericho looks for in every role being offered him, whether it be the obedient son, the lovesick boyfriend or the honest cop. Although he has already tackled drama and comedy, it seems that he’s getting known more for his work on the former — his acting has even been labeled by some as "intense." There are even times that he gets so serious about his roles that he finds himself getting a bit carried away. "Yeah, I bring it home," he says with amusement. "Sometimes, I’m even starting to worry if I’m internalizing the role too much." 

So if playing different personas onscreen is not as easy as it seems, then Jericho needs all the inspiration he can get. Time spent on the beach and surfing is one way to find it. His other plan is quite simple: "I just read and study the script and be the character. You just have to be imaginative and creative," he points out. 

Such quiet moments on the beach also allow him to get away from the friendly yet prying eyes of the public. (Having seashells and starfish for an audience is a lot different from screaming girls and people who just can’t stop staring.) "With regard to my work, I do the shopping, I find my costumes, I look for this and that. I also go to the gym at the mall," he explains. "When you get mobbed, you just have to deal with it." But don’t get him wrong, though — he’s friendly with all the people he meets. "I like being nice; it makes me feel good," he laughs. "Even if I’m in a hurry, I still manage to at least give them a smile." 

Looking at Jericho now, you’d think he doesn’t have any more time to spare for other things. For someone who "wants to be known for my acting instead of (just) being popular," he definitely has his work cut out for him. If he does manage to get some time away from acting and surfing, though, he’d like to try his hand in photography and some off-cam jobs. In fact, he has already done floor and assistant directing. "I want to do everything, anything — things that regular actors don’t do. I want to be one of the pioneers here in the Philippines, one of the young actors who do the unusual stuff," he states. 

This might hold true in the near future, for where can you find actors who have plans of putting up a restaurant for surfers, a surf camp and a barbershop? It will be hard to juggle everything, but Jericho clearly knows what he wants to do. "When I found myself in this job, I realized that I belong here. Maybe I’ll never stop. 

"This is my path."

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