In the Dominic Zapata-directed series, the actor transforms into multiple disguises as a tailor who secretly hunts criminals.
There’s acting. And then there’s acting within the acting.
For Dingdong Dantes, that layered challenge is exactly what makes his newest series, “The Master Cutter,” so intriguing.
“It’s a performance within a performance,” Dantes said, describing his role in the upcoming Netflix series directed by Dominic Zapata.
In the action drama, Dantes plays Atoy, a former scout ranger who now lives a double life. By day, he is a quiet tailor working in Baclaran. He turns into a relentless bounty hunter at night, sifting through the criminal underbelly of the city.
But the complexity doesn’t stop there. “Portraying the role of Atoy is very interesting for me as a performer. Because Atoy, as a character, gets into disguises. Sometimes he becomes someone else,” he explained.
Those disguises push the actor into unexpected territory. “He becomes a clown. He becomes a Cuban mafia. He plays many different characters. As a performer, I like it that there is some acting within the acting,” he pointed out.
Beyond the disguises and action sequences, what excites Dantes most is the collaborative energy behind the project.
For him, the series is an exploration of character and craft. “Aside from it being action-packed, what I love about it is that it’s full of heart,” he said. “I think it’s always interesting to explore the human side of all the characters we portray. The characters that we bring to life are reflections of what is happening around us at that certain given moment.”
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That perspective also makes the project meaningful on a personal level. Zapata, after all, played a key role in Dantes’ early years as a storyteller. “He was my first teacher when it came to storytelling and filmmaking, Direk Dominic,” the actor shared.
Years later, the mentor-student dynamic has fully resurfaced. “We’re still here creating stories for everyone,” Dantes reflected. “Before, it was for the Filipino audience, and now it’s for the world, too. So I am just so happy and privileged to witness this magic.”
“The Master Cutter,” also starring Paolo Contis, Max Collins, Shuvee Etrata, Sienna Stevens, and Jo Berry, premieres April 17 on Netflix across Southeast Asia, streaming 72 hours before its free TV debut.
Aside from it being action-packed, what I love about it is that it’s full of heart. I think it’s always interesting to explore the human side of all the characters we portray. The characters that we bring to life are reflections of what is happening around us at that certain given moment.
Dingdong Dantes
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