AS ONE of the Philippines' most sought-after actors, Epy Quizon has played many roles over the years - not just good guys or romantic leads but even as a serial killer and rapist.

"I'm a character actor," declares the very youthful-looking 43-year-old veteran who has been acting since he was 17 and has over 100 films to his credit. But the role he'll likely be most remembered for is that of a real-life working-class hero on a film shoot in Malaysia, where he had to stand up for his fellow countrymen working with him on the movie.

"I told (the producers) to pay the other Filipinos first before I would step out of my room to finish the film; they don't even have to bother about my cheque (but) just pay the rest," recalls Quizon, who can be seen in local writer-director Ken Kwek's Unlucky Plaza, which opened this week.