Meet the Pinoy Cosplay couple behind 'Stranger Things,' 'Thor,' 'Trese' and more
Being a dedicated cosplayer is no easy feat.
While some are satisfied with putting together garments that look the part, others pour their heart out to construct intricate and impressive costumes that embody the character in both looks and aura.
Pinoy Cosplay couple Awie and Prince de Guzman's love for dressing up has made them quite popular among entertainment brands that want them to bring characters from the world of movies, anime, TV, and gaming to life.
Among these campaigns is the highly popular Filipino animated series Trese, where Awie channeled the badass and intimidating lead star Alexandra Trese while Prince suited up as one of her Kambal sidekicks.
Awie recalled that it was Trese in 2021 that made them viral stars amid the pandemic lockdown.
“I felt a lot of pressure before deciding to cosplay her because the komiks have been around for many years and the Trese community is very protective of their fandom! I read the komiks so I can properly portray Trese, and I’m happy that the creators noticed my work too,” she said.
In their latest cosplay stint, Prince and Awie electrified followers online with their appearance as Thor Odinson and the Mighty Thor from Marvel's recent film Thor: Love and Thunder released this July.
In case you're confused, the Mighty Thor is actually Thor's ex-girlfriend Jane Foster, who was once just an ordinary astrophysicist before receiving the ability to wield the god of thunder's hammer, Mjolnir, and harnessing the same powers as him.
Complete with Thor's new enchanted axe Stormbreaker and Jane's Mjolnir, Prince and Awie are showing that they are indeed the god and goddess of cosplay.
Being fiances in real life, Prince and Awie are the perfect pair to dress up as Thor and Jane, minus the ex-girlfriend part. Their romance and chemistry isn't just in front of the camera as the two of them have always supported each other whenever one had to step back as a side character or being one's videographer behind-the-scenes.
Living the dream of cosplaying
Prince shared that cosplaying is one of the things he enjoys most in life as it gives him a sense of fulfillment. Being a prosthetics expert, he would frequently pull an all-nighter just so he could perfect masks, costumes, and wigs, often for characters in horror films such as Pennywise from It, Michael Myers from Halloween, and Valak from The Conjuring universe.
One of his most recent costumes where he put his prosthetics skills to good use is when he transformed into Vecna, the terrifying villain of the Netflix horror series, Stranger Things. On Instagram, Prince revealed that the costume took a month to construct and that he really wanted to do the cosplay as he was fascinated by the monstrous character.
But like every famous individual, Prince and Awie wouldn't be where they are without their fans, and the cosplay couple are always inspired and grateful for the support.
“Seeing a younger generation of artists being entertained and being inspired by our craftsmanship is the most fulfilling part. Whether they are into acting, painting, makeup, sculpting. I do my best to inspire the next generation of artists through my discipline and workmanship in doing my cosplays,” Prince said.
“When I see positive responses from the fans and followers, and they suggest a lot more characters, that’s when I know I’m doing a good job and they see that I can do more,” Awie shared.