Gold Azeron finds kissing male costar Nico Locco ‘magical’

It changes your perspective on everything. It changes you as a person," actor-host Nico Locco told Inquirer Entertainment as he recalled how traumatized he was after two unidentified men forcibly got his cell phone as he was crossing the street over a week ago.

The incident happened at night in Makati City. Luckily, Nico wasn't physically hurt. "They attempted twice. They failed the first time. I felt a hand graze my chest. They came back for Round 2 and, this time, I was using my phone, so they got it," Nico recalled. "The first rider popped me in the back of the head twice. I wasn't expecting it so I bent down and that's when they snatched my phone and drove off."

He added: "We are experiencing difficult times, so people are desperate. You have to be careful especially when you're walking in public. You have to understand your surroundings. I'm trying to let it go but I'm still mad that they took the phone. When I looked up, one guy turned around, waved and then smiled at me.

'Not safe here'

"In my mind, I wanted to beat his face. I would sometimes dream about it. It felt like a light bulb got turned on in my head. I realized I'm not safe here in the Philippines, or anywhere," he told Inquirer Entertainment in a virtual chat to promote the Mark Shandii Bacolod boys' love (BL) series "Love at the End of the World," which is currently streaming on the Gagaoolala app.

Nico is part of the third episode titled "We Need to Talk About Tony," opposite award-winning actor Gold Azeron. "It's a very endearing story between me and Gold, who plays Ian. Tony is a foreigner. He doesn't know Tagalog, while Ian is an island boy who can't speak English much. Somehow, we meet and fall head over heels in love," he explained. "It's a paradox because usually, in the Philippine setting, the foreigner is depicted as the knight in shining armor, someone who is out to save the Filipino, often financially. This time, it's Ian saving the foreigner."

Gold explained that Ian "saves" Tony by stopping him from committing suicide. "Ian is the type who will take care of you. I meet Tony, who is problematic about his dad, and I give him a second chance at life."

Both Gold and Nico said it was their first time to kiss a man on screen because of the series. "I was already informed early on that this project would require me to kiss another man. I was worried because I kept thinking of what my other male friends would say to me," Gold said. "Initially, I suggested that we just fake the scene. But when we were finally underwater, I felt the tenderness in Nico so I fought for the feeling. When we actually did it, I realized that it was magical."

Nico agreed. "Gold's face is very cute when I first saw him. Actually, through the series, I felt a connection to him. This was why, it didn't matter if he was a guy and not a girl; if I'm straight or not. When I kissed Gold, it felt very natural," Nico added.

Different mindset

When asked what they would do if ever the world would indeed end soon, just as the title of the series implied, Nico said: "I'd spend my last moments with my family and people close to me. We'd just talk about life, about the days when we were really happy, about the moments we really enjoyed. I will have dinner with them before the world ends. On the other hand, Tony's mindset is a little different because he was rejected by his family. You will see in the latter episodes what happens to him as a result of this."

Like Nico, Gold said he would be with his family in his last moments. "We'd eat together and then I'd invite them to hear Mass," he said. "Ian experienced being brokenhearted many times in the past. Just like everyone else, he longs to be with someone. This was why he told Tony, 'I'll die with you.' While with Tony, Ian feels alive. He feels happy."

"Love at the End of the World," which premiered on Dec. 30, Gagaoolala is produced by Temporary Insanity Pictures. New episodes are released every Thursday at 12 midnight.