Dennis Trillo takes an offbeat role for a change

Author: ISAH V. RED
Column: Life & Entertainment

After playing the good guy on prime time drama series like the recently concluded Zaido, Majika, and Darna, and daytime soap operas, among the recent ones include Kung Mahawi Man ang Ulap.

Starting this afternoon, Dennis Trillo whose dalliances with Carlene Aguilar (with whom he has a less-than-a-year old son named Calex) and Christine Reyes (Ara Minas younger sister) had made him a tabloid fodder for some time, will be seen playing a role that is usually reserved for the likes of Mark Anthony Fernandez, Antonio Aquitania, and Neil Ryan Sese.

In the afternoon series Magdusa Ka under the program Sine Novela that features retelling of movies in a serialized format, the actor grew a beard and moustache to hide his pretty boy looks as he plays Rod (played in the movie by Christopher de Leon), the anti-hero who, despite his wealthy background, chooses to live a life among the downtrodden.

For Dennis, this is something he has long wanted to do on screen. I want to play a variety of roles so that I dont get stuck in one kind of character. Rod has offered me the chance to play something out of the box, the actor told me after the press conference for the series last week.

Dennis has cut his hair shorter (not for the series, though, but for his role in I.T.A.L.Y., the movie shot on a ship on a five-day cruise on the Mediterranean. He stars with Jolina Magdangal and Rufa Mae Quinto.

In his first series after Zaido, Dennis plays lover to Katrina Halilis Christine, the StarStruck finalist whose career zoomed past many of her peers when she decided to go sexy and play villain roles. In fact, she has become so effective as a bad girl that audiences now cant think of her as a good girl.

Yet, Katrina wants to prove to herself and the audience that shes got something more than just playing the oppressor of protagonists.

Dennis welcomes this roundabout change in their roles in the series. While Katrina is playing the sweet nice girl, he plays the bad boy with a golden heart.

Its interesting, he said, referring to the switching of images. And I just hope that the audience will accept me in this role and Katrina in hers. We cant be playing the same role forever.

Pablo Gomezs Magdusa Ka! is one of the most celebrated movies having won for its performers awards from the Film Academy of the Philippines, Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences and Urian in 1986. The movie was directed by multi-awarded actor Eddie Garcia and starred Dina Bonnevie, Christopher de Leon, Dindo Fernando, and Nida Blanca.

The TV version of Magdusa Ka promises to keep the viewers tears falling with its heartbreaking story of love, dreams, sacrifices as essayed by todays hottest Kapuso stars Halili, Iwa Moto and Trillo under the direction of Maryo J. Delos Reyes.

Edus got new groove

If youve been watching Pilipinas Game Ka Na Ba? you may have noticed that the show has been revamped and Edu Manzano is strutting his stuff to a new tune.

Its fresh, exciting, catchy and danceable as always. Once again, we will show the whole world how creative Filipinos are, said Edu.

This is the idea of director Bobet Vidanes, with music mixed by DJ Mod and choreography by floor director Mel Feliciano

By now, everyone knows that Papaya took the country by storm with almost everyone dancing and singing the famous tune.

It also caught other countries attention when thousands of people viewed it on the video-sharing Web site YouTube and was even featured on US morning show Good Morning America.

Apart from the new dance, Pilipinas Game KNB? Has as new set, and a new set of mechanics.

The atras-abante panels, are no longer there, but it now goes up and down along with the players.

More than P1 million is still at stake and can be given away everyday and one of the studio contestants can also take home at least P50,000 pot money just by giving five consecutive correct answers.

More fun and more prizes will be given away in this all-new Pilipinas Game KNB?. The rules of the game got even more exciting and questions are more challenging than before so Im sure our avid viewers will enjoy it, said executive producer Mark Rejano.

Cheers to Chiz

Senator Francis Escudero made it to the list of 24 young achievers from South Asia this year. This was announced by the World Economic Forum based in Geneva, Switzerland.

It is a privilege to be representing the Philippines in this community of young achievers, says Chiz. This is good news considering the current political turmoil that certainly has affected the performance of the senate.

This honor is given each year by the World Economic Forum to recognize and acknowledge the top 200-300 young leaders from around the world for their professional accomplishments, commitment to society and potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world.

The Young Global Leaders for 2008 include 121 business leaders, as well as leaders from government, academia, the media and society-at-large from 65 countries.

Along with Escudero in this years list of young achievers are prominent personalities like tennis star Steffi Graf, Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio, CNN news anchor Anderson Cooper, Bhutan King Jigme Wangchuck, Morocco Queen Lala Salma, Harvard Law School director Daniel Shapiro, and Neiman Marcus Group chief executive Brendan Hoffman.

The senator shares the honor with Iliac Diaz, whos no stranger in the showbiz circle as he appeared in a couple of movies, along with cousin Robin da Rosa. His father, artist Ramon Diaz is a brother of former Miss Universe titleholder, now movie actress Gloria Diaz.

Escudeo and Diaz were both named TOYM (Ten Outstanding Young Men) awardees in 2006Escudero for being a progressive government official and Diaz for social entrepreneurship.

Source: Manila Standard Today