IAN Veneracion stars in the first Pinoy mini-series to be shown on Prime Video, “One Good Day”, produced by Studio Three Sixty and directed by Lester Pimentel Ong. The show was shot on location in Iloilo City where the local government and business supported them wholeheartedly, allowing them to shoot freely in Iloilo’s old mansions and their progressive business district.

So what is his role in this action drama? “I play Dale, a former mobster,” he says. “I was a streetkid na tinulungan ni Joel Torre, a gambling lord na dahil sa akin, lumaki ang kanyang Rodrigo Crime Organization at naging very powerful kasi we can help put government officials in office.”

He decided to retire when he is diagnosed to have a brain tumor. But Joel won’t let him go and convinces him to return as a mobster. At first, he doesn’t want to go back to a life of crime and violence, but when his wife, played by Rabiya Mateo, is murdered by their rival camp led by Menchu Lauchengco with Aljur Abrenica as her henchman, he is forced to get out of retirement and go on a final mission before having a truly “One Good Day”, as the show’s title says.

“When their offer came and they told me it’s going to be action, I got really excited,” says Ian. “Kasi na-miss ko talaga mag-action. Lately, I’ve been identified with romantic drama with the series I do on TV and with my career as a singer. Dito, we introduce a new kind of action on screen, you’d be surprised.”

Ian was so happy to see us and calls us “lumang tao” because we were there when he started as a 7-year old child actor. He is now 47 and we saw him being launched by Seiko Films as a teen star in the horror films “Anak ng Demonyo” and “Hiwaga sa Balete Drive”. He became a teen action star in “Alyas Baby Face”, “Zaldong Tisoy” and “Bukas Tatakpan Ka ng Dyaryo”.

When local films waned, he rested for a while and was ready to do father roles, but his career was resurrected with him doing lead roles in soaps like “Pangako Sa’Yo” and “A Love to Last” and in films like “Achy Breaky Heart”, “Bliss” and “Ilawod”. Not only that, Ogie Alcasid encouraged him to nurture his singing career and now he is doing gigs all over town.

He and Ogie will have a concert, “Kilabotitos”, at Resorts World on October 28. Because of his twin careers in acting and singing, he is now busier than ever before. He also has a Metro Manila Filmfest entry, “Nananahimik ang Gabi”, a dark suspense thriller for Rein Entertainment where he plays the sugar daddy of young star Heaven Peralejo.

He’s optimistic that viewers will enjoy “One Good Day” on Prime Video, which also stars Andrea Torres, Pepe Herrera, Louise Abuel, Justin Cuyugan and Nicole Cordoves. Their director, Lester Pimentel Ong, is a former stuntman who became an action director and later did TV series for ABS-CBN like “Luna Sangre” and “Bagani”.

“I’ve worked with him before sa ABS and he has very progressive ideas as he has worked with many foreign filmmakers. We got along fine as we have the same passion for motorcycles and martial arts. Very physically demanding lang ang role ko rito, so when we start each day, I ask him, o ilan ang papatayin ko ngayon. When he says, lima, then I ask him, ano, sa suntukan o barilan?”

He prefers it when it’s gun fighting. “Barilan kasi is less exhausting kaysa sa physical combat. E, ako, wala akong double dito, I did everything, nagpasagasa pa ako sa kotse in one scene. But I enjoyed it all kasi today’s younger generation, they know me more doing drama on TV. Nagugulat sila when they learn I did action before so hopefully, this show will re-introduce me to younger viewers.”

“One Good Day” will start streaming on Prime Video starting November 17. Don’t miss it!