Sebastian Castro never thought he’ll get back to acting after a two-year hiatus.
In 2020, the New York-born indie actor/YouTuber left the Philippines, just before the Covid lockdown, returning to the United States where he found work in real estate.
“I have many dreams,” Castro, 32, said in an interview with Pep.ph. “My mom said having many dreams can be a problem. But I wanted to try real estate because it made the most sense at the time.”
With pride, he said he has sold over P10 million dollars’ worth of real estate.
But showbiz came calling back. Dexter Paglinawan Hemedez and Allan Michael Ibañez of production company Team Campy Entertainment wanted Castro to star in the boys’ love (BL) series Stay.
Castro was to play Andre, a Filipino filmmaker who goes to America to look for work. Ellis Gage plays his love interest Joshua.
The role seemed tailor-made for Castro. After all, the US had been his home, and “Bubble,” the viral gay
-themed music video on his YouTube channel, marked his coming out in 2013.
At the time, “Bubble” had drawn over three million views.
Two years earlier, in 2011, Castro was just on his second day of visiting the Philippines when he was scouted and cast in a TV commercial.
He transitioned to acting in minor and supporting roles in indie movies.
He landed his first major role in the LGBTQ+ film 4 Days in 2016, with Adolfo Alix Jr. directing.
Stay also stars Lotlot de Leon as Castro’s mother, and Filipino drag queen Bombalicious Eklaver as Castro’s best friend Mikyla.