Jake Cuenca says ‘be present’ is best way to support Bela Padilla

“There’s many ways of being there for one another, of trying to understand. But for me, as the years go by, the best thing you can do is be a supportive co-actor,” Cuenca said during a media interview at the launch of his upcoming play “The Art of Breaking Up,” set for November.

He pointed out that while it’s easy to dissect scenes or offer different interpretations, those don’t always translate into meaningful help on set or onstage.

“You can dissect it as much as you want or give people advice or opinions, but there’s nothing like reading the script together,” he said.

For Cuenca, acting is deeply subjective, and too many perspectives can sometimes do more harm than good. What truly makes a difference, he stressed, is the willingness to give time and energy to the craft with your co-actors.

“When you talk about acting, everyone’s opinion, everyone’s perspective is subjective. Nothing’s really wrong. But the best support you can give to your co-actors is to be available to read the script,” he emphasized.

That kind of collaboration becomes even more crucial in theater, where actors are often pushed to their limits during readings.

“Lalo na with theater na, sometimes, when you do a reading, you have to play three, four different roles, and sometimes, all you can get from that is the repetition,” Cuenca shared. “’Yong na-realize ko, the only takeaway from that is, I was able to do my craft today.”

His comments come as his co-star Bela Padilla recently opened up online about dealing with personal struggles, highlighting the importance of setting boundaries and having people help carry emotional burdens—something Cuenca seems to echo in his own way, through quiet, consistent support in the rehearsal room.

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