Lester Llansang plays ally-adversary in ‘Totoy Bato’

His acting stints in the sports drama “Suntok sa Buwan” and the drama action “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano” came in handy for Lester Llansang to find his foothold in “Totoy Bato” on TV5. The weeknight action series introduced his character in a commotion that was familial, but set against a religious event in episode 11.

The series protagonist Totoy, portrayed by Kiko Estrada, had a chasing and close encounter with Lester’s dramatis persona and said the latter had been marked as perhaps an adversary. The former, as the local hero, let him escape and told the character to never set foot in Pook Paraiso.

“I play Baldo Anastacio,” said Lester in a virtual chat with The STAR. “My role seems like either good or bad, pero hindi ko pa pwedeng sabihin kasi kumbaga sa ‘Street Fighter,’ ako yung secret character (but I can’t elaborate more about my character. If he’s in ‘Street Fighter,’ he can be likened to a secret character).”

With that, Baldo is an interesting one whose loyalty and intention change, as one may put it.

“For me, siyempre, masarap yung role, masarap laruin, challenging (the role is enjoyable and fun to take on. It’s challenging),” added he.

“Natutuwa ako sa role na binigay, ipinagkatiwala sa akin (I’m glad that it’s been given to me,” shared Lester.

Since opportunities are sometimes few and far between in a creative industry like show business, Lester is happy to secure work. It’s a reality that newbies and veterans know.

“Ang masasabi ko lang, experience ko bilang artista, sobrang blessed and sobrang thankful ko na na hanggang ngayon nandito pa ako (what I can say is, based on my experience, I’m very blessed and thankful that I’m still part of the community),” said he, adding that even though he has not reached the peak of popularity or the leading role status everyone aspires to, what matters to him is he remains active.

“At malaking bagay na yun para sa akin kasi ibig sabihin yung mga tao sa likod ng camera, may tiwala pa rin sa akin, sa talento ko (it’s a big thing to me because it means the people behind the camera trust me and believe in my talent),” said he. “Andyan ka lang, OK na ako dun.”

Given the genre of “Totoy Bato,” Lester’s Baldo will be seen in intense scenes that are carefully curated and choreographed.

“Yung mga scene na talagang ma-action yan kasi talagang mula sa katawan ko yung action (the action-packed scenes where I do the stunts myself),” said he of what viewers can expect from his role.

His co-star Kiko shared that Lester runs fast. So, it’s a hint of how agile the character Baldo is as his storyline develops.

“Sa eksena siguro, abangan na lang din nila (they should watch out for what my character will do, in terms of scenes),” said he, teasing that Baldo is not “balimbing” or a turncoat.

“Pwedeng maging good or bad, parang ganun. Tignan natin sa takbo ng istorya (he could be good or bad. Let’s see his characterization as the story unfolds),” added he.

Action sequence-wise, “Totoy Bato” viewers and followers can anticipate underground fight club scenes which could indicate that Totoy may give mixed martial arts a try. It has also shown Totoy and his best friend Dwayne, played by Diego Loyzaga, doing hand-to-hand combat.

As for his part, Lester had a conversation with director Zyro Radoc and was asked to prepare for action scenes using guns and weapons. His sport is shooting. He advocates proper gun handling and safety. Albert Langitan and Ambo Gonzales are the other “Totoy Bato” directors.

It’s exciting to see Lester’s Baldo and Kiko’s Totoy demonstrate their physical and mental strengths in action scenes to further reveal what the characters are made of and the principles that guide them in navigating their reality.

Although they are in stark contrast to each other, Baldo and Totoy will propel the drama action to a unique storyline, shaped by the characters’ choices in life.

(“Totoy Bato” airs weeknights at 7:15 on TV5 and at 8 p.m. on Sari Sari Channel.)