How come GMA-7 loves him so much? Right after “Darna”, he was cast in “Pilyang Kerubin”, and now that it has just ended, he’s in “Bantatay”. “E, mahal ko rin naman sila, a. But honestly, nagulat akong may kasunod na agad. So I’m really thankful for their trust in me.”
He’s paired in “Bantatay” with Gelli de Belen and we reminded him that she’s his first showbiz girlfriend. “Ang tagal na noon, a. Our first movie together was ‘Estudyante Blues’ in 1989. 21 years ago na. Tapos we were paired for the first time in ‘Magnong Rehas’. Ngayon lang uli kami nagkatrabaho and first time namin to play husband and wife. Wag nyo na itatanong kung may nanariwa, ha, dahil wala. May kanya-kanya na kaming pamilya at pareho kaming maligaya so yun na yon.”
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SHARON CUNETA lost her long-running “Sharon” on Sundays but she got the surprise of her life when she wass given three new shows in return. First is “Sharon At Home” that starts on Saturday, 6:30 PM, at the Lifestyle Network. It will show her as passionate homemaker and premiere lifestyle authority for women. Next is “StarPower, the Search for the Next Female Pop Superstar” that starts on October 10 on ABS-CBN. She will act as mentor to female hopefuls aged 15-21recruited from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Third is “The Biggest Loser Pinoy Edition” that’s scheduled for next year where she’ll be an emphatizing adviser to overweight Pinoys who will try to lose their excess pounds in this local version of the popular reality show about the battle with the bulge. She herself is serious in her own weight reduction program and has so far lost 20 lbs. “Timing nga ang pagdating nito kasi pumapayat na rin ako,” she says. “I understand what the contestants feel, although hindi naman ako umabot sa point na naging kasinlaki nila ko. I have a responsibility to the public to look more presentable and to my family para maging mas maayos ang health ko. Kasi, what’s the point of working so hard and saving so much kung pambabayad mo rin lang pala sa ospital due to diseases caused by obesity, di ba? Kaya I really vowed that by the time this airs, nobody’s gonna laugh at me na. Talagang God is so good to me.”
What’s the score between her daughter KC Cocepcion and Piolo Pascual? “They see each other but, KC has not confided anything to me. She doesn’t hide stuff like that from me. Good influence si Piolo kay KC kaya natutuwa ako sa kanya. Kung on man sila o friends lang, it doesn’t matter basta mabuting magkasama sila kasi they’re very Christian about it and go to church together. With Piolo, I feel she’s very safe.”
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RICKY DAVAO IS the second unit director of “Grazilda”, his first for GMA-7, and he’s glad as the fairytaleserye is rating very well since it started on Monday with 14.5% beating competition and even other series on GMA-7 like “Ilumina” and “Endless Love”. Title-roler Glaiza de Castro is also jubilant about it. “Talaga naman kasing sinuportahan ng GMA ang budget nito,” says Ricky. “We’re taping the palace scenes on location sa Palacio Royal in Pampanga and the other scenes are in the Acuzar period homes in Bagac, Bataan. Sa rent pa lang ng locations, P150,000 a day na ang gastos. Very expensive talaga pati ang costumes, props, and overall production design. We’re all glad it paid off and the viewers support it now. Kita naman kasi on TV ang efforts naming mapaganda talaga ang show.”
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RUFFA GUTIERREZ is happy over the warm public reception given to TV5’s “Star Factor”, the artista search she’s hosting on Sundays at 5:30 PM. We saw its pilot and there are really many promising hopefuls in the batches recruited from Manila, Cebu and Davao. But her mom, Annabelle Rama, says she’s now regretting being one of the show’s judges. “Inaabot kasi ng madaling araw ang taping namin,” she sighs. “Imagine, hanggang 3 AM. Naloka ako kasi di ako sanay mapuyat kaya pinipigilan ko when I yawn at baka makunan sa kamera. Tuloy, hindi na ako nakasimba that morning like I always do dahil ngarag-ngarag ang pakiramdam ko. At saka ang hirap mag-judge. Naaawa rin ako sa mga bata kapag pinipintasan namin even if hindi ako basta nagtataray and I’m just telling the truth. Parang ayoko na nga, kaya lang, I signed a contract with TV 5 so hindi ako puede basta mag-quit at baka mademanda pa ang beauty ko.”
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JAY AQUITANIA has signed up with Annabelle Rama to be one of her talents in Royale Era Entertainment. He used to be managed by the late Douglas Quijano along with his kuya, Antonio Aquitania. “It’s Tita Nadia Montenegro who recommended me kay Tita Annabelle,” he says. “Pinag-workshop niya ako agad kay Direk Laurice Guillen and it’s very helpful.”
He has done several indie films: “Roxanne” directed by Jun Lana, Cinemalaya’s “Concerto”, and “Padyak” by Aloy Adlawan. Now 22, he started on TV as a teener in “Kool Ka Lang”. He has played a gay role in “All My Life” and is now Heart Eangelista’s rebellious brother in “Langit sa Piling Mo” that ends tonight. “I love my role in ‘Langit’ kasi maangas, bad boy siya, pero may pinanggagalingan ang behavior niya. Sayang nga, patapos na. I really enjoyed doing ‘Langit’ kasi puro magagaling ang kasama ko, lalo na si Heart.”
He’s optimistic his career will prosper even more now that Annabelle Rama is managing him.
