No temptations coming his way? “Marami. But it’s good marami na rin kong pinagdaanang temptations before I got married so I tell myself, I’ve done this thing na. Now, you just look at temptations with admiration and they view you with a look na he’s so married na. In my mind, I say, yes, I’m very much married kaya pinararaan ko na lang ang temptation.”
Charlene is very lucky with him. “We’re both very lucky with each other. We both consciously try to make our marriage work.”
His TV show with Ai Ai de las Alas, “Malay Mo Madevelop”, has just changed its director. “It’s noticed kasi na sobrang parang nagiging drama na and ABS wants it to be more of a comedy. Direk Jeffrey Jeturian says he’s not for that kind of show, so kinuha si Direk Frasco Mortiz to handle it now. We’re hoping we’d be transferred to an earlier time slot kasi masyado nang late pag pumapasok kami on Saturdays.”
Is it true the late Bb. Pilipinas International Melody Gersbach almost became a part of the show? “Yes, nag-pictorial na siya with us. Pero hindi natuloy. How sad, she’s so young.”
How’s his movie with Angel Locsin, “Huling Sayaw”? “We’re leaving next week to shoot on location in Japan. Angel is okay at mahirap itong movie namin. Di siya typical love story na boy meets girl. Very ambitious ang vision ni Direk Olive Lamasan, malaki ang scope, may political background, may corruption in government, makukulong ako sa Japan for eight years. I play a dancer and we show kung anong nangyayari sa dance group members like Manouevers after their dancing careers, may nag-negosyo, may nag-farming. Big challenge ito for me as I do seven big dance numbers ranging from tango, rhumba to pasadoble and hiphop. Next year pa ang release nito.”
And what about the movie he’s doing with Regine Velasquez for Viva? “We started that August last year, so one year in the making na. Six days na lang yun. If we’d focus on that, we can finish that in two weeks. Ewan ko kung kalian magre-resume, pero sana matapos na namin before her wedding. Kasi after these movies with Regine and Angel, I’m supposed to shoot naman one with Lea Salonga and I’m looking forward to that.”
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RICHARD GUTIERREZ was formally presented to the press last Monday along with 18 castaways of “Survivor Philippines Celebrity Showdown”. The nine women are Michelle Madrigal, Aubrey Miles, Princess Snell, Elma Muros, Sexbomb Aira Bermudez, Karen de los Reyes, Solenn Heussaff, Bubble Gang’s Myka Flores, and Yaya Moi Bien. The guys are Jon Hall, Ahron Villena, Mico Aytona, Ian Batherson, Buwi Meneses, Doc Ferds Recio, Ervic Vijandre, female impersonator Pretty Trizsa and Akihiro Sato.
“I’ve been with GMA-7 for 8 years and I’ve handled a lot of tough action shows but this is my toughest assignment ever,” says host Richard. “We spent 42 days of unpredictable weather, venomous snakes everywhere and very tough conditions. This is the most extreme Survivor yet with extreme challenges. I salute the 18 castaways kasi sila talaga ang naghirap dito. Some of them are my friends but I have to be heartless and really distance myself from them. We lived in two different islands na about ten minutes by boat from each other and during the challenges, we are transported in various other islands off the coast of Thailand and Myanmar. I really missed my friends and family so you need not just physical but also mental and emotional strength here. First time ko to host a reality show like this and I’m thankful to GMA for offering it to me. When they asked me if I could do it, I had no second thoughts at all but I still had to consult my family. My mom (Annabelle Rama) was initially against it kasi nga we don’t know what will happen in the island and I still have a movie to finish and promote, ‘In Your Eyes’. But after a long discussion, my family finally agreed and I’m really thankful na kahit wala ako rito, the movie became a big hit.”
We’re sure he’d be compared to former host Paolo Bediones. “I have so much respect for Paolo as he did a really good job, but I’d like to think that I was able to do it on my own style and this you’ll have to find out when the show starts on Monday night. I did a lot of research and physical training to prepare myself for this to make sure the viewers will not be disappointed. This will be the most exciting Survivor ever.”
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CLAUDINE BARRETTO co-hosted “Showbiz Central” last Sunday while she was at the Kapuso affair in Davao’s Kadayawan Festival. Her special guest was “In Your Eyes” leading man, Richard Gutierrez, and they recalled the good times they had together while filming the movie on location in L.A. They enjoyed working with each other so much that they want to do a movie together again. Both of them thanked the Davaoenos for the very warm reception given to them and wished co-star Anne Curtis was there with them eating mangosteen, lanzones and the famous Davao suha.
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LOVI POE guested in the Don’t Lie to Me Portion. She was first asked if it’s true the group called Glam Girls in Party Pilipinas has been dissolved because of the tiff between Heart Evangelista and Bianca King. She’s then asked if it’s true Mark Anthony Fernandez chose her to be his partner in “Love Bug” but she felt nervous about it so she backed out. The last question asked her if it’s true Rocco Nacino is wooing her. She answered no to all these questions and they all turned out to be lies. Some writers say she’s just being consistent as a liar. Her manager Leo Dominguez should do some damage control as the feedback on Lovi is very negative. She keeps on saying she’s not on with imprisoned Cong. Ronald Singson but no less than Ronald’s dad himself, Gov. Chavit Singson, confirmed that Lovi is his son’s girlfriend. Who’d believe Lovi that they’re not on when she even went to Hongkong during Ronald’s hearing and was reprimanded by the judge for shouting “yes”? Would you do that just for a friend?
As it turned out, it’s true that she’s now taping the “Love Bug” episode pairing her with Mark Anthony entitled “Say I Do”. This will be aired starting this Sunday, ahead of the episode that she had already taped with Rocco in Palawan which is felt to be quite weak when pitted against the Ai Ai de las Alas-Kim Chiu episode now featured in ABS-CBN’s “Your Song”.
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EUGENE DOMINGO told writers who congratulated her at the “Mamarazzi” premiere that she’s the new Comedy Queen to stop comparing her with Ai Ai de las Alas. “Siya pa rin ang Comedy Queen,” she says. “Alalay lang niya ko in her movies before at lagi siyang mauuna sa’kin. Saka huwag na kaming pagtapatin. Namomroblema na nga ang film industry, so tulungan na lang, wag na lang kami pag-awayin kasi friends talaga kami. Mawawala ang kasikatan but in the end, our friendship will remain.”
Is she willing to support Ai Ai again? “Oo naman. Kasama ko sa ‘Tanging Ina Nyo Rin’ sa December. Siyang title role doon, hindi ako.”
“Mamarazzi” opens today nationwide and she’s confident it’ll be a hit for the sake of Mother Lily who believes so much in her.
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MARIAN RIVERA is back to taping “Endless Love” after having food poisoning. She will also start shooting the filmfest entry “Super Inday and the Magic Bibe” this week. “I’m glad that after doing heavy drama in ‘Endless Love’, comedy naman at very light ang ‘Super Inday’,” says Marian who figures prominently as a nun during the People Power Revolution in the GMA “Lupang Hinirang” version extolling our heroes. “Hindi madali ang klase ng drama that I do in ‘Endless Love’ kasi it has to be restrained all the time. Kailangan ikontrol, di mag-over, so tinitimpi mo ang emosyon mo at di basta ibinubulalas lahat. Kasi lagi akong inaapi, e di ako ganun sa totoong buhay. Di ako paaapi kahit kanino. Tapos di ko pa ma-express ang love ko for Dingdong (Dantes) in the story. E in real life, very open kami in what we feel for each other. Sa ‘Endless Love’, sinulat ko lang what I really feel about him at nabasa yung sinulat ko, kaso ikakasal na siya kay Bella Padilla at ako naman, committed na kay Dennis Trillo na ikinagalit naman ng ina niyang si Kuh Ledesma kaya sinugod ako.”
