MANILA -- Paolo Gumabao did not get to meet his dad, Dennis Roldan, as well as his siblings until he was 15.

The meeting, however, was not something dramatic or emotional even if it happened for the first time.

“I was born here in the Philippines, but at the age of one, dinala na ako ng mom ko and stepfather to Taiwan,” Gumabao told ABS-CBN News. “I felt out of place there.

“Even with my teachers, there was racism that I felt from a lot of them. Now that I got experiences in life, I’ve learned how to process and handle this in life.

“We’re good. Every time each of us has a project, I support him in his film. That’s what he also does in my film projects. He is very much always supportive.”

It was back in 2015 when Gumabao was introduced to Marco as his brother. “I was 15 at that time,” he said. “Feeling ko naman it was a mutual thing. After they all met me, they were all vey eager to bond with me and know me better.”

Two years after he returned from Taiwan, Gumabao got to meet his dad. “The same day, he brought me to Lancaster Hotel, where he was speaking in a service and he introduced me to everyone there as his son.

“Then he called up Marco and asked where he was. He was working out in Katipunan at Gold’s Gym. My dad said, ‘O sige, hintayin mo kami diyan. May ipapakilala ako sa ‘yo.’

“Kilala ko na siya na kapatid ko siya. Siya, he still didn’t have an idea who I was. Then my dad and I went down from the car. Sabi ng dad ko, ‘O, si Paolo, kapatid mo.’

“Nagulat si Marco, but he didn’t have any negative reaction. That was how simple and casual it went. We had a lot in common.”

Gumabao’s bonding with Marco at that time was more of video games and basketball. “More of a guy thing,” said Gumabao of his older brother, Marco, who is now 29 and four years older than him.

“I guess we’re both good from the time we met each other. People think there will be competition, but between the two of us, there is none. It never happened na nagka-inggitan kami. We’re both happy with our respective projects.”

The brothers have both established themselves in their respective careers.

Meanwhile, Gumabao credits his mom for raising him without hatred for his dad even if he grew up away from him for more than a decade.

“I was not raised with deep hatred with my dad. It wasn’t my dad’s fault that I grew up away from him. It was my mom’s fault that I lived away from my dad.

“It wasn’t my dad’s fault, in reality. Growing up, I didn’t have any resentment with my dad. Pang-teleserye lang ‘yun.”

As far as his career is concerned, Gumabao is ready to try other genres after making his salvo in BL (boy’s love) films.

“Right now, I’m in a point where I’m trying to explore other genres,” admitted Gumabao. “I’m trying to dive into the deeper aspects of the craft.

“I want to try the horror genre. Hopefully, in the future, I also want to venture into comedy if I will be given such projects.”

In Regal’s suspense thriller, “Shake, Rattle and Roll Extreme,” which opens in theaters on November 29, Gumabao is in the cast of the “Rage” episode as Moze and Jane de Leon is his leading lady as Trina.

Meanwhile, Rob Gomez is Moze’s best friend who is in love with his girlfriend. Joey de Guzman directed the episode.

“We’ll see how those three characters navigate through those experiences happening in that episode habang meron silang mga angst among them,” said Gumabao.

He is now 25 years old and even when he was still younger, he was already familiar with “Shake, Rattle and Roll.”

“The most memorable episode for me that I still remember up to now was ‘LRT’,” recalled Gumabao. “I remember the monster there."

Each one of the episodes in “Shake, Rattle and Roll Extreme” offers a different side of fear, according to Gumabao.

His “Rage” episode is undoubtedly a scream fest. “Sisigaw ka at mapapatalon ka sa upuan,” he said. “More of an adrenalin rush.

“Very gory siya. But still rooted in reality. The other episodes, mas horror siya kasi nakakakilabot.”

Gumabao really loves his acting job ever since he started to join showbiz a decade ago. “Seven years old pa lang ako, gusto ko ng mag-artista. Nag-start ako sa small roles at pagiging talent.

“Ngayon na gumaganda ang mga role, pinapahalagahan ko siya at inaalagaan ko siya. Lahat ng scripts na binibigay sa akin, ina-aral ko ng todo.”

Gumabao, who is being managed by Manny Valera, wishes to play an autistic character. He also watched his dad play an autistic character in Mario O’Hara’s “Bakit Bughaw ang Langit” (1981).

“I’d like to dive into someone’s shoes na high-functioning special person,” Gumabao said. “Pakiramdam na out of place ako growing up there at hindi ako makasabay sa ibang tao kahit subukan ko. I kind of relate in that way.”