Dingdong Dantes stars as Anthony ‘Atoy’ Padua, a highly skilled former soldier trying to rebuild his life while secretly helping people track criminals, recover stolen property and seek justice. (Photo from IMDb)
Multi-awarded actor Dingdong Dantes once again wins applaud in his masterful acting as the title character in the primetime television action-drama series ‘The Master Cutter’, playing the role of a former Scout Ranger living a double life as a tailor and tracker-for-hire.
The series premiered first on Netflix last May 8—72 hours ahead of its local television debut on GMA Prime tonight—and prime time viewers are set to watch a different kind of narrative that follows the story of Anthony ‘Atoy’ Padua, a highly skilled former soldier trying to rebuild his life while secretly helping people track criminals, recover stolen property and seek justice.
In a pre-show media presentation hosted by Netflix, Dantes cited that the main role offered both a physical challenge and an opportunity to portray a character unlike any he has done before in his nearly three decades in show business.
“The challenging part is doing different kinds of characters. Because, of course, I did a clown character here, there’s also a nun. So, physically, it’s a bit challenging, but at the same time, it’s really fun to do. Because this is something that I haven’t done yet, even though I’ve done a lot of things on television,” the host of the popular nature series ‘Amazing Earth’ shared during the press conference.
Asked what convinced him to accept the project, he said, “Well, I think there’s no reason to say no if you’re given such a beautiful project like this. Especially when you’re with such a talented cast. One of the biggest casts, I think, that I’ve worked with in my entire career.”
But he also noted what made ‘The Master Cutter’ even more attractive for his taste, “at the heart of the story, more than the spectacle, and more than the action scenes that you see, is the heart of the story.”
“I think it’s all about a modern family story. It’s all about different types of relationships.” he enthused.
Meanwhile, director Dominic Zapata noted that while the series features large-scale action scenes and suspense-driven storytelling, one of its central inspirations came from a real-life tailor named Mang Delfin.
“There’s a character called Mang Delfin. He was an actual person. He was a master cutter. He used to work in Bergamo as a master cutter. Then, he started doing home service. He goes to you, give you swatches, you choose a fabric, then it comes back after 10 days for fitting. And he was really good,” the veteran director recalled.
Zapata lukewise revealed that viewers will experience more of the compelling story of the main character who leads the double life of a peaceful tailor and high-adrenalin tracker.
“There’s nothing more fulfilling than the character of Atoy when he is the master cutter or the tailor. For me, it’s very, very fulfilling,” Dantes asserted to describe some of his favorite moments that happen inside Atoy’s tailoring shop located in the fictional Barangay Tabanglupa, which becomes the center of the series.
“Atoy’s shop, Mang Delfin’s Tailoring, is situated in Baclaran. Baclaran has a very nice community, that’s where we shoot. You’ll see later on in the series, how fun, how colorful and how full of character the place is and much more, if you get to meet the characters.”
In ending, Dantes praised his co-actors and actresses in the series: “There are a lot of talented characters that form the Barangay Tabanglupa. For me, it’s very fulfilling because Atoy, as a character, and as the tailor, and as the master cutter, he’s able to bring all of these characters together.
“Their lives are intertwined, in one way or another. I get to know their stories. I get to know what’s important in their lives,” he concluded.