For the first time, Kapuso actor Alden Richards will portray an antagonist in his Hollywood debut titled "Big Tiger."

"It was never a hard decision for me because, as I've said for almost a decade, I've been playing bida (protagonist) for the longest time, and the hunger to learn as an actor has always been there," said Alden when asked if playing a villain was a difficult decision during the mediacon for the movie in Mandaluyong City recently.

Alden added, "So I really want to venture into something I haven't done before. Given the opportunity to play a role in this movie, it would be rewarding. Our director gave me a playground to play this role. It was worth it."

Asked if he enjoyed it, Alden said, "Very much."

Alden shared his preparations for the film, which his company, Myriad Entertainment Corporation, co-produced with other companies: Birns & Sawyer, Angeles Studios, and Voltage Pictures.

"Since it's my first time playing an antagonist role, this is new to me as well. I've been playing the protagonist for almost a decade in my career. But I've been dreaming of this kind of role because I've always wanted to play the bad guy in storytelling.

"Regarding preparations, I was in touch with our director and team. A lot of questions about how he wanted the character executed. How to make it different and new. There are new experiences in terms of feelings and emotions. Since this was an action film, stunt preps helped me portray the character full circle," Alden also said.

Alden said he was proud of the partnership because it gave Filipinos opportunities to showcase their talents.

"This partnership is an opportunity to give back to the industry and to be proud of something we have. Partnering with other companies, we were able to provide jobs to Filipinos and showcase their talents.

"I am just so amazed at how our actors, director, and crew members from the US worked together — nothing but good words. With this first international partnership for my company, I assure you it won't be the last, and there will be more to come," Alden said.

Filipino actress Max Collins, one of the film's stars, believes fans would enjoy seeing Alden in a different role.

"It is so different. I've worked with him. We did Ilustrado together. That's totally different from who our characters were. It was weird to see him as an ***hole. We love Alden because he is so sweet. To see him as a bad boy was amazing and sexy. I think you should do it more. His fans would also like to see him do more of that," Max also said.

Max described her stint in the project as humbling and fun.

"It was so much fun and humbling. There are so many things we don't know. There are similarities and so many differences, and it just reminds you of having to always be on your toes as an actor. Like the Filipinos, we are always on our toes because we want to learn as much as we can and absorb what we are learning from our foreign counterparts.

"And they were so kind to us. Our foreign counterparts are so generous with their knowledge. I am so thankful to be part of this project. They are amazing," she said.

Hong Kong-American actor Byron Mann, one of the stars of the movie, said he also enjoyed shooting in Manila.

"Food! It's delicious," said Byron when asked about what he enjoys most about filming in the Philippines. "But one of the biggest surprises or advantages of shooting here is that everybody speaks English. So it's smoother. You don't need translators on the set."

Bryon added, "Everyone is super friendly here, which is again a little unusual among other Asian countries, not to say they are unfriendly. It's part of the Filipino culture to be friendly and welcoming. I just enjoyed it."

Filipino-American director Keoni Waxman said shooting in the Philippines was like a homecoming for him. "Making a movie here was a dream. It feels like a homecoming because I have never been here before."

On what makes "Big Tiger" different from other action movies, Keoni answered, "Doing a lot of action movies, we deal with martial arts and plot-driven stories. This is a character-driven movie. So it makes a lot of difference when it's a movie about people because there is fighting instead of a big action set."

Other stars of the movie are Katherine McNamara and Luke Goss. "Big Tiger" will be shown in cinemas soon.