Derrick Monasterio is stepping into a complex and intriguing role in the upcoming murder mystery series SLAY — and he admits it’s making him “cringe.”

The Kapuso heartthrob portrays Zach, a fitness influencer whose life ends tragically in a fire. Described as “hot but full of red flags,” Zach is far from a typical hero, and Monasterio is embracing the challenge of portraying an anti-hero.

During the SLAY media conference, presented by Viu Originals, Monasterio revealed that even he was taken aback by his character’s flaws.

"I didn’t expect the role to be this intense, because sometimes, even I cringe at what I’m doing. Like, those poses in the gym, they’re cringe-worthy," he shared.

However, he emphasized the importance of fully embodying the character. "Although, I also realized that if you start cringing, then you are not your character anymore, so I just kept that in mind," he explained.

On portraying an anti-hero, Monasterio highlighted the need to understand the character’s motivations. "What I can say is that when you're given an anti-hero role, perhaps you should just look for why he became bad. He needs to have a background, that's one check for me. Number two is may redemption," he added.

Monasterio stars alongside a powerhouse cast, including Gabbi Garcia as Amelie, Mikee Quintos as Sugar, Ysabel Ortega as Yana, and Julie Anne San Jose as Liv. The series also features Royce Cabrera, James Blanco, Tina Paner, Matet de Leon, Bernard Palanca, Phoemela Baranda, Chuckie Dreyfus, Simon Ibarra, Jay Ortega, and Gil Cuerva.

SLAY is a milestone project as GMA’s first Viu Original, offering unique storytelling perspectives between its Viu and GMA Prime versions.

Audiences can catch SLAY on Viu beginning 3 March and on GMA Prime starting 24 March.