At 63, actor Albert Martinez shows no signs of slowing down in showbiz anytime soon. However, he's now at a stage where he meticulously selects the projects he takes on.

"I'm 63. I've done anything that I can't imagine. I've been telling my manager maybe it's time for me to retire. But sabi niya, 'No. You don't have to quit. You can pick projects that you like. Projects which you believe will be part of your legacy.' This project, 'Lavender Fields,' goes into that place of legacy projects that we are working on," said Albert during a pocket interview for the action-drama series "Lavender Fields," which will air on ABS-CBN beginning Sept. 2.

With over 40 years of experience in showbiz, Albert confidently expressed that he harbors no regrets about dedicating his life to an industry that has sustained him financially.

"When I was younger, I kept working. But what happened was I missed more significant opportunities for my family. I missed graduations and birthdays. It's either I'm abroad or shooting in the mountains. Hindi rin minsan pwedeng mag-pack up. I celebrated many of my birthdays on the set. So now I want to be with my family.

"I had no regrets (joining showbiz) because I could feed my family. Yung moments lang talaga na nawala. Gusto ko lang bumawi sa mga apo ko. They call me Yoyo," Albert said.

Albert also divulged his secrets to maintaining a vibrant and active lifestyle.

"I eat the right food, especially greens. I do 10 kilometers of biking and workouts like stretching every day. Then, I eat one full meal a day at 3 p.m. Akala nila yung one full meal isang bandehado. Pero balanced diet na yun. It's a small meal lang. I have vegetables, carbs, and proteins. Wala lang doon sugar. 

"I can eat red meat. I don't have any maintenance medicines. I started intermittent fasting around 10 years ago. Then saka na ako nag upgrade sa one meal a day. At first, I had a dietician, but I already mastered it. Available naman lahat (ng information) online, so you have to review. That's why hirap ako mag gain pero mabilis ako mag lose ng weight," Albert said.

Albert shockingly admitted to binge eating as part of his preparation for the role of an investigator.

"My body is not used to binging so medyo nahihirapan ako. I noticed when I started food binging, yung sleep pattern ko naiba. It became shorter. Nag develop ako ng eye bags. My skin also became bad. Sabi ko ganito pala kapag inabuso mo sarili mo.

"I have my physician on call anytime, monitoring my blood. So far, naman nama-managed naman siya," the actor said.

Albert added: "My basic food is camote, hard-boiled eggs, and black rice. I have pineapple all the time for fiber. That's my regular food.

"But when I took this character, it became a free-for-all. But I have to eat more than I should. Sanay na ako sa half cup of rice, and suddenly you eat more. By the way, don't copy this one. I drank beer kasi ang bilis magpataba ng beer. I added beer for a quicker result.

"Another way of doing it is to take on cakes. Kaso ang long-term side effect nun hindi maganda, so I took the other side.

"Kahit na nag binge-eat ako, yung workout ko for stamina and flexibility, nag triple ako, considering my age na rin.

"I'm used to one meal a day. Gaining weight took a while. For me, gaining is more challenging than losing. Kasi, my body is used to it. Hindi sanay yung body ko sa gaining. I remember hindi pa rin lumalaki yung tummy ko so nag beer ako. The weight gain took a while," he said.

Albert mentioned that he has remained single since his spouse, Liezl Sumilang passed away in 2015 and that finding a partner is not a priority for him.

"Hindi ko siya priority at the moment, although if it happens, it happens. You'll never know. I've been single for almost 10 years now. 

"I got used to it because I was preoccupied with work and my grandchildren. I am catching up with my kids. Hindi pa naman end of the world," he added.

'Lavender Fields'

Albert said, for the first time, he was playing an investigator. "I prepared for this character. I don't wear much makeup here, if you notice. I didn't shave. My hair is unkempt. It's a commitment that I did para mabigyan ko ng justice yung role ko."

In preparation for this role, Albert mentioned that he sought assistance from his friends in the police and the military. He described his character as Sam as complex.

"I must thank my friends for helping me discover things about being an investigator. I was adopted by Batch 96 of the PNPA (Philippine National Police Academy) and Batch 89 from the (Philippine Military Academy). They taught me how to look and act like an investigator," he said.

Albert said he also plans to be a Philippine Army reservist in 2025. 

"Most of my Mistah (PMA graduates) are from the Army. Maybe that's how I can be of service to the Army. Siguro, I can be a PR or help them with their image."

In the latest series, Albert refuses to categorize whether he's good or evil. Previously, fellow actor Edu Manzano, also part of the cast, said he hates Albert in the series.

"Mahirap ikwento baka may ma-spill ako. Pero ginagawa namin ni Edu yun para sa interaction namin on the set. So when we see each other, it's like questionable sa mata ko at questionable din ako sa mata niya.

"Being a villain is a complicated role. That's why the best thing to understand my role is to watch the series because maraming mangyayari sa series. In 'The Iron Heart,' my character is a villain from the start to the end," Albert said.

But Albert said he enjoys playing a villain character.

"Why not? It is the best. It's unlimited because you can be creative about it. I enjoy my villain character for the simple reason that I can do whatever I want. But my character here is different from the others," he said.

Albert also praised Jodie Sta. Maria, who plays the lead character in "Lavender Fields."

"She's one of the actors that I praise. They make the scenes real. So for an actor like me, hindi na siya effort. Yun scenes kasi automatic na real na. It's always a pleasure to work with her," he said.

The highly anticipated series features a powerhouse cast led by some of the most beloved actors of today - Jodi, Janine Gutierrez, and Jericho Rosales together with Philippine drama icons Albert Martinez, Edu Manzano, Jolina Magdangal, and Maricel Soriano, and new gen actors Jana Agoncillo, Krystal Mejes, Miguel Vergara, and Marc Santiago. 

“Lavender Fields” revolves around the story of Jasmin (Jodi), a simple girl from a small town who ends up getting pregnant after she deeply falls in love with Arthur/Tyrone (Jericho), a charming yet mysterious accountant.

Their whirlwind romance is short-lived as Arthur’s real identity comes to light - that he is a married man with deep ties with his wife’s family. 

Jasmin will encounter a stroke of bad luck when Iris (Janine), Tyrone’s scheming wife, plans for her misfortunes to cause trouble within her family. As a result, everything that Jasmin holds dear is instantly taken away from her, including her one and only child.

Fueled by her broken heart, Jasmin completely reinvents herself into a rich, fierce, empowered lady named Lavender Fields. Armed with her new identity, Jasmin infiltrates the glamorous world of Tyrone and Iris to make them pay for her hardships as she tries to redeem herself and everything that was stripped away from her. 

How much can Lavender sacrifice to take back what was once hers? What chaos awaits Tyrone, Iris, and Lavender once their lives entangled?

The “Lavender Fields” premiered on Netflix on Aug. 30 and on iWantTFC on Aug. 31. The series will also air on free TV, cable TV, and online on weeknights at 9:30 PM beginning Sept. 2 on Kapamilya Channel, A2Z, TV5, iWantTFC, and Kapamilya Online Live on ABS-CBN Entertainment’s YouTube channel and Facebook page. 

Viewers who use any digital TV box at home, such as the TVplus box, only need to rescan their device to watch “Lavender Fields” on TV5 and A2Z. The show is also available to viewers in and out of the Philippines on iWantTFC, while viewers outside of the Philippines can watch on The Filipino Channel (TFC) on cable and IPTV.