Currently enthralling the Philippine viewers, Piolo Pascual and Lovi Poe relayed preparations and thoughts about their collaboration in Flower of Evil.
Flower of Evil is the first Viu Original Adaptation from the Philippines which stars Lovi Poe and Piolo Pascual.
It follows the thrilling story of a man who successfully changes his identity in order to hide his scandalous past. He then marries a police detective, who will, later on, be tasked with investigating an unsolved serial murder case that will lead back to him.
The show also stars Agot Isidro, Edu Manzano, Denise Laurel, Joross Gamboa, Joem Bascon, Epy Quizon, Rita Avila, Jett Pangan, Pinky Amador, Joko Diaz and JC de Vera.
ABS-CBN and Viu’s collaboration strengthens their vision and commitment to bringing premium Asian entertainment to more viewers worldwide.
ABSCBN and Viu Collaborate For The Philippine Adaptation Of “Flower of Evil”
In an exclusive interview with kdramadiary, the lead stars profoundly communicated their insights about Flower of Evil.
Describing his character, Piolo Pascual admires the growth of Jacob after finding a new purpose with his family.
“Because of this love he was able to conquer even his own fears, his own insecurities, and all the things that he had to go through. It is because of his love for his family.”
When asked if she has similarities with her character Iris, Lovi Poe responds how they are similar in the sense that she wants to have a valid basis more than anything before judging other people.
“I think we’re pretty similar in that way. You know I don’t want to be speaking ill of anybody, or yeah you know, even trying to judge someone just because I heard this person is like this or that. So, I think we’re pretty much the same that way.”
She also shares that she is also trusting people like Iris is to her husband albeit discovering new things.
Flower of Evil is a beautifully mounted redemption story where most of the emotions are carried by the male lead. In preparing for Jacob’s perspective and emotions, Piolo Pascual revealed the workshops done to know the character better.
“But just like in any series, you get to know the character more as you go along. So, I had to come up with my own character execution and watch the original work diligently just to make sure that we don’t copy what they were doing and to be different.”
Fond Memories While Filming
Recognizing the openness of everyone in the team, he imparted that it was a nice collaboration. They were able to diversify and make the narrative really more pragmatic.
He praises his female lead for being on the same page in terms of what they wanted the characters to achieve especially in the middle part of the series when the plot became intense.
Cleverly responding to the question if she will leave her lover should she discover he has a shocking secret, Lovi answered it depends on what kind of secret it is.
“Well, if it’s something that’s still ongoing and hard to carry, and it’s something about the past, sometimes you just have to accept it. But, if it’s still happening, and if it’s really that bad then it’s a different story. Of course, you want to stand by your man as much as possible, but there are limits.”
In tackling Jacob’s role as a father, Piolo conveyed that it was the easiest part of the filming. Being a father himself it was comfortable for him.
“There were a lot of affectionate scenes with our daughter. That made me miss my son you know maybe want to have a daughter or another child. And, we wanted to take home our daughter in the show but her father refused.”
Lovi agrees with how amazing their daughter was and how she adored and missed her.
The actress also reminisced about the scene when she had to jump in the water for the opening scene of the pilot episode of Flower of Evil.
Cutely bickering, Piolo remembered how Lovi was so excited to film it. It was a scene when he was tied and she had to jump to save him. The shooting for that scene took three grueling days.
“We did it for three days. It was cold and really taxing. But it was a great experience. It’s super fun, I enjoyed it.”
On Sharing The Story’s Core Message
Exploring marriage dynamics in the background of a serial murder case is such a unique concept highlighted in Flower of Evil.
On that premise, Piolo expounds how the message of the drama focuses on how difficult the situation is if the family is involved and the trust is broken.
“My character needed somebody in his life. Like a wife that would help him become the person he should be. Because when you are judged by the society, chances are you will also judge yourself. Isolate yourself and you wouldn’t want to help other people. She was his anchor. You got to have that in your life. Otherwise, you’d be lost. I hope they understand that and see that when they watch the series.”
Echoing her male lead’s words, Lovi remarked about the “power” of that “one person”. She shares, “Sometimes you have that one person that can be your anchor and can lift you.”
As soon as the trailer for Flower of Evil launched, the excitement heightened. Inevitably, a comparison to the original work is expected. Giving her two cents as to how they manage the expectations, Lovi admits that it is inescapable to feel the pressure.
“The pressure is there but at some point, you just have to snap out of it. You do scene after scene and you just give your best. Because if you are doing it for the wrong reasons like surpassing something or being better than it, it’s not going to turn out the way you want it to be. It has to come from the heart so in every scene if you know that you felt it and you really gave your soul, and then eventually it will show. You don’t really have to think about it that much.”
Flower of Evil is a partnership between ABS-CBN and Viu aims to elevate Filipino content to be at par with global standards. In terms of production scale and character portrayals, Piolo takes pride in the whole effort of the team. He also praised how the filming process was healthy owing to the excellent management of the shooting sequences.
“Having VIU as a partner means it’s gonna be shown in at least 16 countries. More than the pressure, it’s a privilege to put our content. As much as it’s very Korean, the best part of our version is the sensibilities that we played with. With all the characters, everybody stepped up.”
Lovi also asserts how everyone was eager to make sure the quality of the show is just going to be excellent.
“Every single one of us, it’s not just the actors. There are even moments where the crew, will actually watch the series the night before to make sure that the lighting is perfect.”
Flower of Evil is available on Viu. Download the Viu app on the App Store, Google Play, and select smart TVs, as well as on the web at www.viu.com.
*Photos taken from the artists’ Mega pictorial
abbyinhallyuland thanks Viu PH for the interview opportunity
