Christian Bables does big-screen collab with Lav Diaz after theater stint

“Niyakap ako ng teatro:” Bables on his evolving artistic journey.

Award-winning actor Christian Bables is checking off a major career checklist, pivoting seamlessly from his commercial theater debut to an upcoming historical epic with acclaimed auteur Lav Diaz.

In an interview with radar Entertainment, the “Drags to Riches” star revealed he is officially bitten by the theater bug after starring in “Taksyapo!” for Virgin Labfest 2026, a commercial play directed by John “Sweet” Lapus.

“It was a new experience na I think maaadik ako,” Bables admitted, noting that stepping onto the live stage unlocked a completely different level of fulfillment. “Iba din ‘yong happiness na nakita ko nang tumuntong ako sa teatro… pakiramdam ko niyakap ako ng teatro. So I’m looking forward to doing more.”

But the stage isn’t the only place Bables is pushing his boundaries. The actor also shared an exciting update regarding his film lineup, confirming that he has officially finished filming a new Spanish period drama under Diaz.

Shifting gears from his recent queer roles (and the fact that he’s of Spanish-Filipino descent), Bables teased that he will be playing a straight character this time around. While he hilariously tried to stop himself from dropping too many classified plot points, he did hint at the project’s massive scale, estimating it could run for a signature Lav Diaz runtime.

“Siguro 13 hours… kasi ‘di ba ngayon ang ginagawa ni Direk Lav meron na siyang Director’s Cut, ‘yong mahaba at tsaka ‘yong para sa mga festival niya?” Bables explained.

Whether it’s commanding the live stage or anchoring a historical film epic, Bables is entirely focused on making his ultimate dream projects a reality. “Itong 2026 kailangan lahat ng mga wants or mga dreams ko matupad, and paunti-unti ko siyang natutupad,” he said.

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