Having been used to reporting the news for several years, Atom Araullo admits that he is not used to making headlines himself.
But since being cast in the title role of Mike de Leon’s anticipated comeback film “Citizen Jake” in late 2016, the 35-year-old broadcast journalist turned TV host turned film actor has made news on several occasions. Atom has been more visible as of late and often finds himself in the center of the spotlight that he used to devote to his coverages as a news reporter.
From posting his views on controversial political issues to his recent transfer of networks from ABS-CBN to GMA-7 and more recently to hosting “Adventure Your Way,” a weekly travel show that airs on cable and satellite network AXN, Atom is just about everywhere.
In a recent interview with InterAksyon and other media, Atom said his adventurous nature allows him to be bolder in trying out new things and getting out of his comfort zone.
“It may seem that news and current affairs has nothing to do with film or not related to a travel show. But they’re all mediums of communication. At the end of the day, a person will embody these different mediums. I guess the common element there is I’m at the center of all these different things I’m doing,” he noted.
“If I’m just true to myself, I’ll let the audience decide whether or not they will support me in these endeavors. But ultimately it doesn’t really matter. The important thing is how it makes me feel and the lessons I learned, how it supports my other endeavors.”
And whether or not he is in the public eye, Atom says he’s just glad that he’s able to do these things now in what he describes as the “middle stage” of his career.
“I’m just having a lot of fun. There are a lot of things I want to do in many different fields I’m trying to pursue at the moment. I like the idea of having to explore many different interests and seeing where those thing lead, be open to mistakes along the way, and just having a fun journey,” he quipped.
Atom said the crowdsourcing nature of his new series “Adventure Your Way” provides him with the perfect platform for what he’s trying to achieve. The show is pretty much dictated by what his followers post on social media.
“One suggestion is for me to actually fly a plane, which takes one day to learn. There are a lot of different levels to flying a plane but to actually be inside a tiny plane and having control over it was both nerve-wracking and quite thrilling,” he confessed.
Other suggestions involve things that are already on Atom’s bucket list including skydiving, bungee jumping and camping on a cliff ledge under the stars.
Since the show premiered last February 8, Atom has explored places like Sagada, Cebu and Camiguin with many more in the coming weeks.
“As a whole, the show came out better than I hoped. I think it’s only going to get better as we progress with more fun and spontaneous activities. As a host and not as a reporter and not as a producer, I’m very thrilled to be a part of this,” he quipped.
As excited as he is with “Adventure Your Way” — which airs every Thursday at 8:30PM with several replays from Friday until Monday — Atom is equally anxious about how the public will respond to “Citizen Jake” which will have special screenings at UP Diliman on March 10 (invitational) and March 13 (open to the public).
In addition to playing the title role of journalist Jake Herrera, Atom is also credited as one of the film’s writers together with director Mike de Leon and Noel Pascual.
