Incognito' Banks on a Strong Ensemble for Its Next-Level Action Story

The latest action drama series "Incognito," which is set to debut on Netflix today, aims to elevate the action-drama genre to new heights. The ABS-CBN Star Creatives production is banking on an intriguing plot about private military contractors, high-stakes action scenes shot from Palawan to Italy, and a well-assembled cast.

- By Nathalie M. Tomada

In the show, Richard Gutierrez, Baron Geisler, Maris Racal, Anthony Jennings, Kaila Estrada, Ian Veneracion, and Daniel Padilla are seven individuals going through a lot of challenges in their personal lives, but who find themselves joining forces for special missions.

Director Lester Pimentel Ong, whose previous action project was "The Iron Heart," spoke about how casting plays a vital role in a show's success. He noted that the team was focused on selecting actors who could handle the rigorous action scenes.

"We had a concept that should be portrayed by a group of actors, and we really chose the best possible cast for this in terms of acting skills. No. 1, of course, as you know, sila ang isa sa ilan sa pinakamagaling dito sa Pilipinas that we can showcase to the world (when it comes to) the Filipino talent," said direk Lester in an exclusive interview with The STAR.

The team also ensured that every actor was not only skilled in acting but also capable of handling the intense physical demands of the series. In a previous mediacon, the cast had spoken about undergoing a four-month training program on martial arts, muay thai, war games, and tactical combat.

"Other than great acting skills, kailangan natin ng athleticism and physical abilities," direk Lester further told The STAR. "So, we did our homework, nag-research kami, pinanood namin yung mga previous projects nila, at pinanood namin yung mga ibang appearances nila sa mga live TV shows."

For Richard, who plays ex-Navy Seal Jose Bonifacio, the preparation for the action-packed series was both challenging and exhilarating.