EXCLUSIVE: Elijah Canlas Opens Up on His Purpose for Acting and Making Music
Paradoxical as it seems, it is Elijah’s warmth and passion that makes him a cool guy as he opens up about his journey as an artist
With a friendliness that belied Elijah Canlas’s reputation as an award-winning actor, he greeted and shook hands with every person in the room as soon as he arrived at the studio for the shoot. It was such a down-to-earth first impression that this gesture communicated more than any words about who he is as a person—he is warm, and that makes him even cooler in real life.
I first saw Canlas on Youtube as Cairo from Gameboys, a hit boys’ love web series in 2020. I all the more admired him as Lancelot in the award-winning About Us But Not About Us, where he starred with 80s icon Romnick Sarmenta; then developed a soft spot for him as Jayjay on the Philippine adaptation of Keys to the Heart with Zanjoe Marudo and Dolly De Leon.
Many are familiar with him from his breakthrough part as the titular character of Kalel, 15, where he won Best Actor awards in the country’s Gawad Urian and FAMAS; then at the 17th Asian Film Festival in Rome, and at the 16th Harlem International Film Festival in New York. For some, he is the infamous Archie Aguerro from Senior High and High Street. He is also musician now.
Soon, he will be playing the young Edgar Jopson in the biopic of the Martial Law martyr Edjop. But for the two days MEGA Entertainment had him, we knew him as Elijah Canlas—no role, no character, but that cool guy.
Destiny was in the Air
If the stars only aligned differently for the 23-year-old artist, he wouldn’t have become an actor. “We really didn’t have a network who’s in the industry, and most of our relatives don’t work in the show business,” Canlas answered truthfully. “So, probably not.”
But, would he have said no to acting, if given the chance? “Definitely not,” he declared with a smile. “Ever since my parents exposed me to it, my brothers and I fell in love with the art. This is my calling!”
I feel like I’m where I want to be, and I don’t want to be anywhere else.
Elijah shared two specific instances when the acting bug bit him. First, Dwein Baltazar’s Gusto Kita With All My Hypothalamus. “In 2018, when I saw that film, I was like, ‘I want to act!’” Second, his brother’s play Ondine: Ang Nimpa ng Lawa. “It was so cool,” he said, describing the setting—a swimming pool in Makiling. While these two were Elijah’s eureka moments, art has always been in his life; maybe it was always on the sidelines, just waiting for him to answer to its call.
“‘Yung awakening ko is mostly from watching movies and listening to music,” he shared. “My dad has really excellent taste in music (classic rock, new wave, British rock). I’ve been exposed to great art as a young kid, and I feel like that’s what shaped me to become an artist.”
Diving Into the Streets
Both the shoot and the interview were scheduled in between his back-to-back agenda. He shared during the one-on-one that he had a shoot the night before, and after the interview, he would be in a recording. “But life’s been great, it’s been really good,” he says, ever grateful.
Elijah’s muscles are familiar with acting, but he is not one to settle for less and even just one craft. He also makes music in between his filming schedules for both movies and television. Two tracks in—“kilala kita” and “asar talo”—and his first EP, coming in a few months, will finally be released. Besides his vocals, he also channels his expression and creativity into the verses as a songwriter. Rapping along to the lines of Kendrick Lamar during the shoot, he admitted that the artist is a great influence to him.
“I really fell in love with his album To Pimp A Butterfly. The political and cultural statement of that album is so inspiring. That’s why when I had the chance to make music of my own, I wanted it to be both personal and may statement,” he said. “It’s very nerve-wracking and ang laki nung pressure na papasukin ko ‘yung hip-hop scene here in the Philippines, and syempre, dahil nga artista ako, iba ‘yung makikita nila..”
But right now, I’m just trying to find my voice and just being true to myself.
Cool, Conscious, and Considerate
From one layout change and wardrobe switch to another, the actor maintains his composure throughout the shoot. He follows the photographer’s instructions, while giving poses of his own. After three layouts, he answers more interview questions. He is clearly used to this kind of set-up after a number of years in the industry. But if there is anything that he isn’t cool about, it’s doing his craft for the sake of just doing it. There has to be a purpose to his work.
In fact, one of the things that makes Elijah Canlas a cut above the rest is that he cares about what happens beyond the world of showbiz.
“We grew up knowing the political climate in the Philippines, and in school, Iskolar kami ng Bayan. We have a duty to fulfill; alagad kami ng sining. Taumbayan ang nagpaaral sa amin,” he pointed out, recalling his days in Philippine High School for the Arts. “I’m also an empathetic person. I want to help out as much as I can.”
It’s safe to say that his projects—whether in acting and in music—can speak for his perspective as an artist. Hearing him utter these words was like a flashback to watching him as Paciano Rizal in GomBurZa. His character was an instrument in forming the mind of his younger brother, Jose, about the conditions of Filipinos then. In a way, as Elijah, that’s what he does as an actor—be an instrument for dialogue about the realities of the characters that he plays, whether it’s a student who plagiarized, a brother who needs extra support, or a teen who is about to become a father.
Elijah’s Composure
Winding down the interview, we asked Canlas about his favorite movies, because this was one thing he likes to talk about. The actor has a Letterboxd account, but he still lists a few for the conversation—400 Blows, Shoplifters, Temptation Island, Please Vote For Me, Hoop Dreams, Superbad, and more. He also gave a special mention for Drive My Car, “The way it tackles grief, and the way that you’re channeling grief through art—I relate to that so much,” he explained.
Delving into his personal style, “Like John Mayer,” he answered. “I’m a comfy guy. I love cozy clothes—oversized hoodies and sweatpants. Also, Tyler the Creator in his skater era.” His description of his personal style was exactly what he was wearing when he entered the studio—yellow hoodie, loose pants, sneakers, and a black, leather backpack.
As an individual who has played numerous roles in his young life, whether in real life or when the cameras are rolling, Elijah has a firm grip of his identity and purpose. After the interview, he will be recording more tracks. He will be doing more films.
But there was something about his polite greeting to the team, and his equally endearing gratitude to us as he exited the studio after the shoot, that spoke volumes of side of him that would always be there, and certainly never will be forgotten no matter how many characters he takes on—Elijah will always be that cool guy for his warmth.
Photographed by JHARWIN CASTAÑEDA. Creative direction by ANDREW ENCAPAS and CHLARINE GIANAN. Styled by MEGA TEAM. Grooming by LIONEL FABROS. Written by CHLARINE GIANAN. Editorial Assistant JOANA FERNANDO. Sittings Editor MIA CASTRO. Shot on location AD ASTRA STUDIO. Special thanks to JAY REYES and CARESS CABALLERO of CORNERSTONE ENTERTAINMENT
The post EXCLUSIVE: Elijah Canlas Opens Up on His Purpose for Acting and Making Music appeared first on MEGA.
EXCLUSIVE: Elijah Canlas Opens Up on His Purpose for Acting and Making Music
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