In a career filled with iconic roles, top-rating teleseryes, blockbuster films and the kind of mass appeal only a few actors ever achieve, Coco Martin has built a legacy on grit, heart and authenticity. But in a rare, vulnerable conversation on Bianca Gonzalez’s podcast Paano Ba ‘To?!, the Primetime King revealed the one fear he has never quite outgrown — speaking English.

Impressed by Coco’s range as an actor, director, producer, and stunt performer, Bianca asked if there was anything he still struggled with. Without hesitation, Coco replied: “Mag-English.”

He laughed, but the honesty behind the admission ran deep.

Fear rooted in childhood

Coco shared that English had always been his weakest subject.

“Nung nag-aaral ako, pag English subject, nangangatog ako. As in, talagang hindi ko alam (When I was studying, whenever it was English class, I would tremble. As in, I really had no idea).”

Even the late Susan Roces, whom he fondly calls Tita Susan, noticed how much the language rattled him.

“Alam mo sabi sa’kin ni Tita Susan, para kang na-trauma e… pag nakakarinig ka ng English, [lumalayo ka] (You know, Tita Susan told me that it’s like you were traumatized… whenever you hear English, you [pull away]).”

Growing up comfortably speaking Filipino — sometimes too comfortably — made the contrast even more pronounced.

“Alam mo naman ang mga typical na Pilipino, ang joke natin ‘naku, baluktot mag-English o takot mag-English.’ Pero mula elementary, high school hanggang college, kapag Tagalog ‘yung subject, isa ako sa pinakamagaling sa classroom kasi madaldal ako (You know how typical Filipinos are — our joke is always, ‘Oh no, your English is crooked,’ or ‘You’re scared of speaking English.’ But from elementary to high school until college, whenever the subject was Filipino, I was one of the best in the classroom because I was talkative).”

But when it came to English?

“Ang problema ko, mahaba pa akong magpaliwanag. Daldal pa nang daldal. Pero pag English na, lahat ng English subject ko bagsak (My problem is, I explain things too long. I just keep talking and talking. But when it comes to English, I fail all my English subjects).”

He recalled failing English 1 three or four times. “May summer pa ako noon (I even had to take summer classes back then),” he added.

There was even a moment in college when he and a classmate were asked to report in English.

“Umalis kami. Hindi na kami nag-report. Sabi namin, bagsak na kung bagsak… kasi alam namin papahiyain kami, kasi hindi namin kayang i-explain nang English sa classroom (We left. We didn’t report anymore. We said, if we fail, then we fail… because we knew we would be humiliated, since we couldn’t explain in English in the classroom).”

Carrying the fear into showbiz

When Coco began attending international festivals early in his career, he would politely decline foreign opportunities — not for lack of ambition, but because he struggled to memorize English scripts.

He also turned down roles that required sounding like a wealthy, English-speaking character.

For him, focusing too much on the language meant losing grip on the emotion — something he never wanted to compromise.

Even on ABS-CBN’s ASAP, he was more nervous about reading the teleprompter than performing dangerous stunts.

Wanting to improve, he enrolled in English and personality development classes. He enjoyed the progress, but fear of judgment quickly crept in. Eventually, he asked to stop the classes.

Turning insecurity into comedy, character and charm

Instead of letting it diminish him, Coco embraced the fear and transformed it into a celebrated trait.

In You’re My Boss (2015), Toni Gonzaga’s character trains him to speak English for business dealings — turning a personal insecurity into a charming, comedic highlight.

In Beauty and the Bestie, his iconic reaction to James Reid’s emotional English monologue — a simple punchline confessing he didn’t understand a word — became a crowd favorite.

At the height of his career, Coco remains the country’s most relatable action star. He leads with vulnerability — a rare quality in an industry built on polish and perfection.