PAOLO CONTIS considers 2023 a banner year for his career. He started hosting a daily noontime show, “Eat Bulaga”, which is now rating very well.
And he completed a total of several movies: “Pangarap Kong Oscar”, “The Cheating Game”, a yet untitled movie with Patrick Garcia and Kaye Abad partly filmed in Australia, a movie with John Arcilla, “Fuchsia” and “Ikaw at Ako” with Rhian Ramos, directed by Rechie del Carmen, that is showing in theaters starting this Wednesday, December 6.
What is “Ikaw at Ako” all about?
“It is a romantic drama that features three stories depicting the different stages of love.
"The first one is about puppy love between kids Fatima Mislang and James.
"The second story focuses on marriage, with me and Rhian Ramos as a couple about to break up.
"The last story is about an elderly couple in their final days and stars Boots Anson-Roa and Ronaldo Valdez. The movie also stars Phoebe Walker and Andrew Gan.”
Since it’s about a couple breaking up, is he able to relate with it, considering he has had a couple of break ups in his own life?
“Ay oo, sanay na tayo diyan. But seriously, the movie shows about the different processes and struggles a couple goes through in the course of their relationship.
"I play Anton and Rhian plays Marga. We were married in the States but things didn’t go well and she wants a divorce.
"There are similarities between me and Anton, but I’d say that Anton is more refined in how he deals with things.
"There are things I hope I handled differently, but you just hope that you learn from your mistakes para hindi mo na ulitin pa.”
Paolo and Rhian have worked together before, but this is the first time they were paired in a drama.
“I have already worked with her in MKK. In GMA, I usually play villain roles in action series and she does dramas. So there weren’t a lot of opportunities to work with her.
"But this movie something very different because we play full length dramatic roles that are very demanding and it’s so nice to work with her kasi napakagaling niya.”
Paolo considers Rhian a good friend, so they were comfortable on the set from the get-go.
“I feel fortunate to be working with her. Magaan siya katrabaho and is very professional. Maraming married couples na makaka-relate sa experiences ng characters namin in the movie.”
The film is directed by Rechie del Carmen.
“I started working with her in ‘Tabing Ilog’, teenager pa ako, so we go a really long way. I’m glad she’s given a break in directing movies kasi mahusay talaga siya. After this, sana, masundan pa.”
About his colorful lovelife, he was recently linked to Kapuso actress Arra San Agustin who’s his co-host in “Eat Bulaga”.
“But it’s not true, they circulated videos showing us looking so close but we’re just doing our job and it was just maliciously edited. Kami pa rin ni Yen (Santos)”.