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Alden Richards excited about first villain role for Hollywood project
Manila Bulletin
|January 1, 2026
For the first time, Asia's Multimedia Star Alden Richards will portray an antagonist in his Hollywood film debut titled "Big Tiger."
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FROM LEFT: Max Collins, Byron Mann, director Keoni Waxman, Katherine McNamara, and Alden Richards.
"It was never a hard decision for me because, as I've said for almost a decade, I've been playing bida (protagonist) for the longest time, and the hunger to learn as an actor has always been there," said Alden when asked if playing a villain was difficult decision during the mediacon for the movie in Mandaluyong City recently.
Alden added, "So I really want to venture into something I haven't done before. Given the opportunity to play a role in this movie, it would be rewarding. Our director gave me a playground to portray this role. It was worth it."
Asked if he enjoyed it, Alden said, "Very much."
Alden shared his preparations for the film, which his company, Myriad Entertainment Corporation, co-produced with other companies: Birns & Sawyer, Angeles Studios, and Voltage Pictures.
"Since it's my first time playing an antagonist role, this is new to me as well. I've been playing the protagonist for almost a decade in my career. But I've been dreaming of this kind of role because I've always wanted to play the bad guy in storytelling.
"Regarding preparations, I was in touch with our director and team. A lot of questions about how he wanted the character executed. How to make it different and new. There are new experiences in terms of feelings and emotions. Since this was an action film, stunt preps helped me portray the character full circle," Alden also said.
Alden said he was proud of the partnership because it gave Filipinos opportunities to showcase their talents.
"This partnership is an opportunity to give back to the industry and to be proud of something we have. Partnering with other companies, we were able to provide jobs to Filipinos and showcase their talents.
This story is from the January 1, 2026 edition of Manila Bulletin.
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