Showbiz royalty, matinee idol and heartthrob, fantaserye king, dramatic and romantic lead, top-tier action star, brand ambassador, father, son — these are the many roles and responsibilities of Richard Gutierrez. His relevance and longevity are products of professionalism, passion, pain — both emotional and physical — commitment, dedication and, of course, that undeniable love for the craft.

To the many crowns that he wears, Gutierrez said: “There’s a saying, ‘heavy is the head that wears the crown,’ right? I mean, you have a lot of responsibilities, a lot of engagements, a lot of commitments — but I am enjoying it. It gives me excitement and purpose. They are blessings, and in whatever I do, I give one hundred percent — my heart, my soul, my entire being. I am embracing this whole journey.”

King to his sons

Gutierrez’s sons are his 12-year-old eldest, Zion, and his youngest, 8-year-old Kai. Despite his busy schedule, the king in his sons’ eyes makes sure they spend quality bonding and game time together.

“My boys, you know, they have a lot of activities. I try to line up activities for them such as basketball and even boxing,” said the doting father. “Of course, they’re kids — they want their iPads, you know? So, they also have iPad time.”

He is especially proud of the fact that each of his boys has his own personality. “Zion is the quieter, more intellectual type, while Kai is outgoing and energetic. What surprises me, though, is that Zion loves singing and watches all my series and movies. He also enjoys my dad’s old films. Both boys are curious about filmmaking and acting, so maybe one day, one of them will enter showbiz — when the time is right.”

What Gutierrez now places greater importance on, especially for his children, is education. “School is still the top priority. I also want them to focus on their academics,” he said.

With regard to his co-parenting setup with Sarah Lahbati, he shared: “It’s been running smoothly. We have equal time with the kids, and so far, everything’s okay.”

Top-tier action king

Without a doubt, together with his co-actors and the artistic, production, and technical teams, Gutierrez has been instrumental in raising the bar for action-drama series on television — bringing them at par with international productions.

This is a conscious effort to deliver expansive, explosive, and compelling narratives that veer away from the action TV templates of the past. His trilogy began with The Iron Heart, followed by Incognito, and now continues with Blood vs. Duty.

“I’m really enjoying these projects. The stories speak to men, but also to the whole family,” said the action king. “I’ve done many action shows before, like The Iron Heart and Incognito, but this time, with Blood vs. Duty, we’re making the storylines more relatable. It feels like the perfect era for action.”

He continued: “I believe we have something special. We’ve already done a lot of taping days. I’ve had many sleepless nights, and we’ve filmed numerous action scenes. I’ve also had several massage sessions because of body pain.”

Of the physical toll, Gutierrez said: “It is part and parcel of the work. More than anything, we’re able to see what we’ve accomplished at the end of the day. I think we have something special.”

Regarding the stunts, he admitted: “I used to do all of them, but now I do most of them.”