Filipino actor plays pivotal role in 'Trap' thriller

Filipino actor Mark Bacolcol recalls working in his day job when he received news that he will work with M. Night Shyamalan.

Yong Chavez

TFC News

Raised in Canada by a single mother originally from Samar in the Philippines, Bacolcol initially pursued a professional soccer career in Sweden.After that chapter ended, he turned his focus to creative pursuits, writing and starring in the short film &quot;Altar Boy.&quot; The Filipino immigrant coming-of-age story, directed by Serville Poblete, found its way to Netflix Canada.Being part of a Warner Bros. film seemed like a distant dream for Bacolcol. He learned he had booked the role while working a part-time job delivering food in Toronto.Like many actors, he keeps a day job between creative projects. For &quot;Trap,&quot; he did a live audition via Zoom.&quot;You&rsquo;re conditioned to do the audition and forget about it,&quot; he said. &quot;After so many &#39;no,&#39; you&rsquo;re not really expecting something to come through. But then I received a call from my agent saying the job was mine. It was a rush of emotions, disbelief and excitement.&quot;&quot;Trap,&quot; written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, is a thriller set against the backdrop of a concert.Like many of his films, it is a thriller. But the well-known filmmaker set the action in a concert and added some humorous moments.<img src="https://news-image-api.abs-cbn.com/Prod/editorImage/17230486980781111.jpg" style="width: 783px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="M. Night Shyamalan's new thriller &quot;Trap&quot; features Josh Harnett along with the filmmaker's daughter Saleka. (Courtesy: Warner Bros. “Trap”)">M. Night Shyamalan&#39;s new thriller &quot;Trap&quot; features Josh Harnett along with the filmmaker&#39;s daughter Saleka. (Courtesy: Warner Bros. &ldquo;Trap&rdquo;)&quot;[It&rsquo;s] a balancing act to get all the buoyancy of the humor and then squeeze it till the tension is back. How funny can we make it and still hold on to the thread, the stakes of the thriller?&quot;The film also features Shyamalan&rsquo;s daughter, Saleka, who makes her big-screen debut as a famous singer.&quot;We watched him go through all the craziness of this industry from being children,&quot; she said. &quot;So. we are prepared in a way because of that, but also we have each other. As we&#39;re going through things, we come back to the dinner table together and we can talk about what we&#39;re feeling and the insecurities.&quot;&quot;Trap&quot; is now playing in the Philippines and in the U.S.

The movie, which stars Josh Hartnett as Cooper&mdash;a father who accompanies his daughter to a crowded concert&mdash;features Bacolcol in the role of Spencer, whose storyline intertwines with Cooper&#39;s.&quot;It was actually my first time in New York,&quot; he recalled, &quot;so it made for such a special and memorable visit that I&#39;ll never forget. Walking the carpet and seeing all the flashes from photographers was incredible. It felt special to be celebrated in that way.&quot;

Filipino actor Mark Bacolcol recalls working in his day job when he received news that he will work with M. Night Shyamalan.

Filipino actor Mark Bacolcol plays pivotal role in new M. Night Shyamalan thriller | ABS-CBN News

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Filipino actor Mark Bacolcol plays pivotal role in new M. Night Shyamalan thriller

Filipino actor Mark Bacolcol plays pivotal role in new M. Night Shyamalan thriller