A Golden Streak: The Education of Emilio Daez

And so, seeing him up and about and all gung ho about the things to come–no sob stories, no big declaration of a need to ‘make it’ big, only pure zeal and elation for the rope handed to him in exploring this uncharted territory–it is apt to call the 25-year-old the very definition of a walking ball of sunshine.

This is not to say that he is just in it for the ride. He came in with a raring look in his eyes, game to take his directions and talked freely about things that would make the entire shoot a breeze, from the things he likes, and those that he is not that familiar with, yet. He gives his quips sincere and unfiltered–still devoid of pretense common in the inner workings of the ‘celebrity’. 

While his PBB stint was arguably cut short (if you’re to ask his growing legions of fans), Daez, at this stage in his still-evolving career, is already enjoying a golden streak. And why not? A disarming natural charisma and an ‘unteachable’ spark mark him among the bright, shiny ones looking to be anointed in the pantheon of a new breed of superstars.

Born to a family of professionals in the fields of business, real estate, and even in sports, it is with the influence of an older brother, Mikael, a host and an actor, and sister-in-law, Megan, an actress and a world-renowned beauty queen–who dipped his toes in the beautiful chaos of show business by virtue of indirect exposure–that him taking his shot at the industry came as a welcome surprise.

“I definitely did not expect that I would be here. I think it came off as a surprise [given], of course, my background. [In fact,] it’s a surprise that even Mikael entered the industry because we come from a background of, you know, entrepreneurs, corporate people, very private people as a family, on both sides. It definitely came as a shock for us to, you know, go into the spotlight.”

He continued, “I was in a very, very privileged position because of the job that I was in. I was promoted to assistant manager already in my first six months because of the program that I finished. It’s a very exclusive program that I got through a very rigorous interview process. And I think what helped me there is my background. I graduated from an honors course in Ateneo, Management Engineering. So, that definitely sets you up for some sort of business, corporate, entrepreneurship path. So, me taking this more artistic route is definitely a complete opposite of what I was supposed to be doing.”

Finding his footing and relating to people in an entirely different milieu is no alien undertaking for him, though. If anything, it comes naturally to him. “I’ve always loved being around people. I think it’s because of the way I grew up. I’m the second of the youngest of nine siblings. And on both sides of my family, we have a lot of first degree cousins. I have 50 on one side, 36 on the other. So, I really grew up around a lot of people. It’s not foreign to me to be around people, talking to people older than me. At my age or even younger, it’s very, very easy for me to get along with people and I really do enjoy it,” he narrated matter-of-factly.

While a complete departure from his early life navigating the world of numbers and structure, what with his degree and a budding career in banking, transitioning into the entertainment industry, from first few glimpses of him in his brother’s online videos, then with collaborations with social media juggernauts, to where he now treads carefully down a path of being an actor seems like the most natural choice.

He noted, “After working in corporate, I really felt like there was something in me that was being called by this artistic side. I think something creative in me really just wanted to come out.”

“My dream before was really to become a CEO of a bank. I really wanted to be the President or you know, really just climb the corporate ladder and be that executive that everybody looks up to and respects because I’m very fortunate to be surrounded by a lot of very well-respected people in the finance and business industry, people who I look up to and people who I idolize in terms of work ethic, values, and overall the way they live their life. So, I’m highly inspired by those types of people. And I think [in] choosing this artistic path, the work ethic and values are still applicable. It’s just a different type of skill that is required.”

He talked with excitement growing more and more visible on his face, “So, if I were to be using my left brain more in corporate, now that I’m in the arts, I’m using more of my right brain. But still the level of discipline and work ethic required is just the same, if not, even more intense. But yeah, it’s just a different skill set that needs to be honed over time, of course.”

Lifting the velvet rope and allowing access to his private life, starting with social media, spelled a great difference in his life before his rise to public consciousness. He looked back, “I really started on Instagram, TikTok, and I think that’s kind of like, where my foot got into the door because I started, I guess, turning heads and getting more inquiries for brands. And I think that’s what really pushed ABS-CBN to really look and be like, ‘Hey, maybe this guy can actually work with us and maybe be something.’” 

Armed with newfound wisdom, understanding the art and business of entertainment in the small and big screens, for him, means applying key values imprinted to him by learnings from his life before the klieg lights and the screaming fans. In seeing his career path evolve almost abruptly due to the weight of public interest that grew from his online presence, he has come to understand that his creative pursuit is all about a balancing act.

He related this with a realization, “Actually, I feel like right now, going into this artistic industry, it feels like I’m more of an entrepreneur and the product is myself. But I try not to, you know, frame it that way because, you know, I still really enjoy making content and have fun with it. And, you know, I really try to bring out my authentic self there. I see it now, that I am given more freedom to, I guess, express myself through this artistic life. But that also means that I’m in charge of myself and I’m in charge of disciplining myself and making sure that I’m able to do everything that I need to do in order to prepare for any role, posting, hosting, any event that I’m required to do.”

“So, there’s still a structure that needs to be set, but in contrast to corporate where the structure is already there and I’m kind of plug and play, this time in this artistic industry, I’m slowly forming my own structure and making my own way and seeing what works for me.That’s the beauty of it.”

Developing this arsenal of strengths and skills comes with taking workshops like they’re religion. He said, “It really starts with the workshops. That’s what gives me the confidence to be able to act on set. Without these workshops, I would not have that foundation and be able to perform in front of the camera. So, definitely lots and lots and lots of workshops.”

His appearance in the Kapamilya series Pamilya Sagrado, opposite some of the biggest stalwarts in Philippine acting, combined with his sizable presence in social media, garnered the attention of many who were entranced by his enthusiasm and his contagious zest for exploring new things. But navigating this led him to an education that greatly set him up for the next act of his story.

He shared, “Honestly, sa una pa lang talaga sa Pamilya Sagrado. Di ko namalayan na sobrang mai–in love ako sa pag-arte. Pagsabak palang sa set, first day pa lang, sinasabihan ko na ‘yung mga co-actors ko, ‘Grabe! Ang saya pala umarte.’ It’s very hard, it’s very, very tough. I have huge respect for all the veteran actors that I worked with from Piolo Pascual, Mylene Dizon, Tirso Cruz, John Arcilla, you know, the work that they put into it really shows how prepared they are and how professional they are. And, I know I have a long way to go. But, I’ve really been enjoying this process of really finding myself in this acting space.”

“There’s really always a chance for you to learn. But that preparedness that you need to have when you step on set is crucial. And that’s where that character study happens, where dissecting the script happens.”

He delved in deep on this growing passion for his newfound craft, “For example, with Leon in Pamilya Sagrado. I really tried to dissect each and every aspect of Leon.From his childhood, to his teens, to where he is right now. How he is to his family, how he is to his friends. Really dissecting and doing a character study on that.”

“And that’s something that, I guess, I’ve used as a foundation that I’ve carried on to my next projects. Like Saving Grace. So I played Wilson there. I did another character study and [dissected] the script. [I still did] workshops for that as well. So, it’s really about basing it off the text that’s given and the character that I’m given and really just dissecting it piece by piece and making sure I know my character as a whole. Front and back, like my own self. And, so far I’ve been very fortunate to be given these roles in succession.”

This gradation of commitment to his craft, were, to him, like a roadmap that pointed him to his north star of roles, a first-ever lead that gets launched in the thick of his ascent from newcomer to marked acting heavyweight-in-the-making. 

He shared, smiling as he read “allowable” details that’s been kept mum from the time of the Hot Damn! Issue shoot, “Love at First Spike is a coming-of-age sports dramedy series about a student-athlete who joins the school’s boys’ volleyball varsity team and his struggle of getting associated with the members of [his new] squad. We follow our main protagonist, Uno, who is played by me, the captain of the basketball varsity team in the prestigious school. He’s the star player and many universities are already falling in line to recruit him for their own teams even though he’s just a junior.” He furthered, “Love at First Spike is a nerve-wracking, fun, and heartwarming story of friendship, teamwork, and acceptance.”

Love at First Spike, on paper, is a number of firsts for his career. But, to him, this is all the ringing declaration that galvanized his desire to stay, grow, and evolve.

“Leading my first series has been a great blessing and dream of mine, but more than that, it’s really, you know, learning about the craft and really honing my skills in this craft, seeing where I need to improve and working on those weaknesses because I have a lot of weaknesses coming as a newbie, but I’m very excited to work on those and just keep getting better and better.”

He added, “I think there’s a lot of personal growth that comes with acting, because you really have to be true to yourself in order to portray a character truthfully. That’s what I’ve really learned and, you know, it’s a constant process.”

This newfound, laser-sharp focus on acting does not veer him away from other facets that ultimately makes him, himself. In between acting schedules, there’s basketball and his interest in food and travel that make up the totality of not just his online persona but his overall sense of adventure and exploration. Weave all of these things together, now with the joy he finds in hosting, and curating his social media presence, and we see a more realized, dynamic, ever-evolving version of himself. 

“[Playing] basketball has always been a passion of mine and it’s something that I use as an outlet to really just immerse myself and just be happy playing. And with food, it’s really something that I grew up with, I really love eating food. It’s one of the things that make me happy as a person.I really grew up watching Anthony Bourdain, even the travel shows. So, traveling, eating, I really just associate that with good memories and an opportunity to explore and really just live, you know,” he expressed.

“Of course, there are times when you’re busy, [but] I think this allows me freedom to really explore and even incorporate [these] passions of mine with work, you know, that intersect between living my life and being able to sustain that life with work.”

It goes without saying that Daez is more than ready to brave new frontiers, not just on his journey as an actor and with it, an even bigger discovery on his sense of self. Flexing that boyish charm, he rolls up his sleeves and dips his toes into uncharted waters armed only with a passion and growing familiarity with an industry so far removed from the world of numbers and structure he has long been immersed in. But he takes this on with childlike wonder and verve for a shot at telling stories that look to color outside the lines of the mold years of leading man standards have been set long before his thrust to public consciousness. And for these reasons, he takes these next steps with no signs of turning his back on  the very foundations that brought him here, the many layers and levels that make him the industry golden boy that he is now. 

“No one’s perfect, and I’m definitely far from perfect. I know I have a lot, lot, lot more ways to come, but I’m just very excited to keep it, you know, one day at a time, trying to get better every single day because there’s so much for me to learn. I know I’m very new to this, but I’m very excited to see where my journey will take me. And hopefully, it will be a long one because I’ve really, really been enjoying it.”