Piolo Pascual has been known in the local entertainment scene as the “Ultimate Heartthrob” for he is undoubtedly the total package—he has the handsome looks that can make anyone swoon and the acting and singing skills that can totally astound. However, there’s more to him than being the sought-after and bankable artist that he is, and we’re able to get a glimpse of his other facets in his interview with Bianca Gonzalez in an episode of CinemaOne’s “The B Side.”

From simply impressing us with his versatility as an actor and singer, Piolo decided to take on another hat 17 years into his prolific and stellar showbiz career. In 2009, he co-founded the independent production company Spring Films Inc. together with his friends-turned-business partners, director Joyce Bernal and talent manager Erickson Raymundo, they established Spring Films Inc.

According to him, it was actually esteemed comedian-actress Eugene Domingo who inspired them to put it up as they desired to produce her launching movie following her notable performance in the 2007 flick “Paano Kita Iibigin,” which was top-billed by Piolo and Regine Velasquez. They commissioned writers and other people who comprised the production team behind the highly successful “Kimmy Dora” trilogy that served as her project in a leading role (or roles).

Besides, it’s also his curiosity and exposure to the field since his teen years that fueled him to take on the job of being a producer. When asked why he chose to produce rather than direct or write, Piolo explained, “Para kasi siyang puzzle eh. I know for a fact that I cannot be a director because it’s not in my skill set, and you have to study to become a filmmaker or a director. So, I’m not gonna be a hypocrite and say just because I know how it’s done, I’m gonna do it.”

He added, “As a producer, ang dami mong guide. ‘Yong director mo, ‘yong [executive producer] mo, your line producer. Hindi siya madaling matutunan—actually, it’s harder than being an actor—pero ang sarap lang no’ng proseso at ‘yon ang nae-enjoy ko. And until now, I’m still learning. Mahilig kasi ako sa production eh, so ever since inaaral ko talaga paano ginagawa ‘yon isang sequence, ‘yong breakdown, kung gaano karaming sequence ang kaya, kung magkano ang kailangan para makabuo ng pelikula.”

Piolo disclosed that he has also tried his hand at screenwriting and had already written some concepts “but it entails time, knowledge, exposure, and range and know-how.”

Among the founders of Spring Films Inc., the seasoned actor tagged himself as the “bad guy” because he is the “bearer of bad news,” or the one in charge of informing the members of the production crew if something is not right or should be redone or omitted. He described himself as “very ruthless” when it comes to the post-production process since he has to make sure that the finished product would turn out great, so they had to take on a lot of sacrifices and compromises.

He also admitted to being “OC” or obsessive-compulsive during the post-production phase of every movie that they release since he always places himself in the shoes of an audience who simply wants to enjoy whatever he’s watching. Besides, he somehow serves as the “image model” of their company, too, as he helps in selling their product to theater owners and streaming platforms.

Throughout his more than three decades in the industry, Piolo has already done a slew of films and series, especially as an actor. But when quizzed by the host about which of his past projects he would like to produce a remake of, he divulged that it’s going to be none other than “Lobo,” one of ABS-CBN’s highly remarkable teleseryes, which he topbilled opposite Angel Locsin in 2008.

Their conversation then steered into his facet as a family man, particularly as a father to his unico hijo Iñigo Pascual. When asked what his dream for him is, Piolo said, “I want him to be the best person that he can be. He has so many things that he wants to do, but I want him to really pinpoint because he’s so much better than me. He’s a better singer, he’s a better actor, he’s a dancer, he writes songs, and he’s very talented when it comes to arts.”

He continued, “So, I wanted him to be able to just pinpoint one thing that would catapult him to success beyond [what] he can imagine. But I sincerely feel that he has a place in entertainment because of his talents. So, I want him to keep on growing, keep on improving, keep on getting better, and never stop learning. Always be a student of the world and always be good.”

They have already performed and even gone on tours together over the past years, and Piolo is definitely looking to doing more so in the future as he truly enjoys every moment that he spends with Inigo. Besides, they got to bond not just onstage but also in between their shows.

Even though he is eloquent and influential, Piolo asserted that running for office actually never crossed his mind, nor has he ever considered it. He said, “I believe that I have a better platform and I don’t wanna change that because I know my voice is already heard being a celebrity. I don’t have to do politics. First of all, it’s not my cup of tea, and I didn’t study politics.”

Since he’s a producer, Bianca asked him which part of his life he wishes to have a “producer’s cut,” to which he replied that it’s probably that time when he was still just starting out in showbiz. He recounted how he could barely spend time with himself or his loved ones even during special occasions since he was always working but clarified that he wasn’t complaining since it was his choice after all.

If there’s a time that I can go back to and probably slow down the time, that was the time when I was starting out with [ABS-CBN], and I was a workhorse. Ang dami kong na-miss out na opportunities to just really savor the moment, savor the time with [Inigo], savor the time with family, and just enjoy life,” he related.

And if there’s another side of him that many people aren’t aware of yet, Piolo said that it’s perhaps his penchant for having “a day of recovery,” in which he would just eat, sleep, or binge-watch whatever. Besides, he can also be a normal person who likes to go shirtless at home, especially when he’s at his hometown in Batangas.