Cesar Montano On Working With Nora Aunor In 'Never Say Goodbye'

CESAR MONTANO is the only actor who can claim that he has played both our national heroes, Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio, and won best actor and best supporting actor awards for it. We told him Jorge ER Estregan must have been very sad as it’s him as Bonifacio who won an acting award in the filmfest and not ER as the title roler “El Presidente”.

“I think mas masakit yung for the second time, tinalo siya ni Dingdong Dantes as best actor,” says Cesar on the set of “Never Say Goodbye” in Baguio. “Pero baka manalo pa naman siya as Aguinaldo sa ibang award-giving bodies. As for me, wala akong expectations na mananalo ko. Bale second time ko nang maging best supporting actor sa Metro filmfest. Ang first acting award ko was also from them nang manalo kong best supporting actor for ‘Ang Bukas ay Akin’ in 1989, directed by Laurice Guillen. Kontrabida ko kay Gretchen Barretto.”

How’s it working with Nora Aunor in “Never Say Goodbye”? “You know, my mom is an avid Noranian. Hindi pa ko artista, pag Sunday, nag-aaway ang mom ko’t mga kapatid ko. Kasi mom wants to watch ‘Superstar’, gusto naman ng mga kapatid ko, PBA. E, iisa lang ang TV sa bahay namin. Siempre, win ang nanay namin kasi siya ang bumili ng TV. Now, it’s a great honor for me as an actor na makasama ang nag-iisang superstar. Kaya lang, wala pa kaming scenes shot together. Puro si Alice Dixson pa lang ang kaeksena ko. Eventually, magmi-meet kami at marami siyang sama ng loob sa’kin kasi iniwan ko siya rito in favor of Alice. Naging anak nga niya sa’kin si Vin Abrenica.”

When not taping for ‘Never Say Goodbye’, Cesar is directing and also acting in “The Turning Cradle” The Untold Story of Mayor Fred Lim”. “Nagkaroon na ng film versions si Eddie Garcia and the late Rudy Fernandez, pero ngayon lang ipakikita ang buong kuwento ng buhay niya. Iniwan siya sa turning cradle ng Hospicio de San Jose, kunsaan iniiwan ang mga sanggol na pinaaampon. So dito sa version ko, from birth up to now talaga ang story. Gina Pareno plays his mom. Nagkita sila noong malaki na siya. Nakunan ko na yung scene namin ni Gina at iyakan kami sa eksena while she’s telling me kung bakit niya ko pinaampon. Napakagaling ni Gina.”