CARLO Aquino deliberately did not watch the original K-drama “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” in preparation for his role as Matthew “Matmat” Gonzales in the series’ local adaptation.
Filipino director Mae Cruz Alviar said Aquino was well-aware of the character of Moon Sang-tae (played by Oh Jung-se), who has autism in the story, and how his role would impact the series, that’s why he wanted to be able to give his own take of the role as Matmat.
“He knows that everyone is raving about the performance of the original. And yes, Oh’s performance was powerful. Caloy didn’t want to have some sort of influence or be tasked in copying it. He wanted to take charge in terms of creating it based on our immersion and research, and make it realistic,” she said of Aquino’s preparation during the drama’s media con.
In the Korean version, Moon Sang-tae is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, and has elements of a savant syndrome, the latter of which being a condition where one person is exceptionally good at a certain thing. He also has an irrational fear of butterflies, as it was connected to the death of his and his brother Sang-tae’s (Kim Soo-hyun) mother.
The Philippine adaptation also covers Matmat’s (Aquino) autism, and how the death of his mother affects him up to its present events.
Despite this, Aquino said he had a lot of “pegs” in bringing Matmat to life. He also underwent immersion in a school for special needs and workshops with the younger version of his character, as well as co-star Joshua Garcia, who will play his brother-caregiver.
“I underwent immersion for three days in a school for special needs… They made me observe those who are high-functioning and not too much. They made me go through workshops with Ms. Anna Feleo. I also put together the character with Ms. Anna Feleo. I was with the younger version of Matmat because our movements need to be aligned,” he said.
Aquino, however, admitted that he had second thoughts before accepting the offer to star as Matmat.
“I need to pop these doubts. I have to see it through. If I fail, at least I did it. When the cast met for the first time, I opened up about my experiences to Josh (Garcia). He opened up about his as well. That’s when I thought that it would turn out okay. I became more relaxed,” he said.
According to the drama’s cast and crew, there was no question in their minds about Aquino’s ability to pull off Matmat’s character.
“It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” is the local adaptation of the hit K-drama of the same name starring Kim Soo-hyun, Seo Yea-ji, and Oh Jung-se. The Filipino version, that also stars Anne Curtis, will premiere on Netflix on Friday, July 18, 2025. (Hannah Mallorca © Philippine Daily Inquirer)
