How about a John Lloyd and Marian movie?

Author: Mario E. Bautista
Column: Dream Factory

Richard Gutierrez is one busy bee. He shoots the movie "For the First Time" on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, and tapes for "Codename: Asero" on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. No day off. "Kung walang shooting, I do dubbing for the movie," he says. "Kaya ako na talaga ang lalaking walang pahinga. Meron pa kaming extra tapings para sa promo ng show, like interviews sa show ni Korina Sanchez at ni Ma'am Sharon Cuneta."

Most senior writers are especially fond of Richard as he reminds them of the heydays of local films in the '60s and '70s when his parents, Eddie Gutierrez and Annabelle Rama, started their showbiz careers. Eddie was then a top matinee idol and he'd later become an award-winning actor. Annabelle made a splash as a sex symbol but opted to be a full-time wife and mom, saying: "Day, 'di ako marunong umarte."

Both Eddie and Annabelle are amiable and have developed deep friendship with many writers. No wonder many senior writers are supportive of the Gutierrez children in showbiz, from Ruffa to Raymond and to Richard, who's now the country's hottest young actor, "Primetime King" and top Box Office Star. Their kids are reaping the goodwill planted by their parents. In all fairness, Ruffa, Raymond and Richard have winning qualities of their own, being well-bred, articulate and talented. On this aspect, both senior and junior writers heartily agree.

Some folks think success was served to Richard on a silver platter, but he wants to remind them: "I work hard to attain whatever success I'm enjoying now. I didn't achieve it overnight. I started as a child actor, then I returned as a teen introduced in 'Click.' Slowly, I was able to get the trust of producers and directors and I started to get notice in movies also, like in 'Mano Po 2', where I played the suicidal son of Lorna Tolentino."

He finished high school at La Salle Zobel and wanted to enter college but his schedule became so hectic that he had to make a choice: to devote full concentration on his showbiz career. And it paid off. His latest hit show, "Codename: Asero," is his own concept. As an action star, he's not scared to do new stunts. As Asero, he's now into car drifting. GMA-7 got professional drifters to teach him how to do it on the race track in Subic. It's a big scene and costs so much but in the end, it's all worth it as it's something that will be shown on local TV for the first time. As Richard says: "Astig!"

It's apparent he's so inspired these days. Is it because of KC Concepcion, his leading lady in "For the First Time"?

"Definitely. Kahit puyat ako o pagod galing sa taping, when I remember that I'd be seeing her on the set, bumabalik ang energyko," he laughs.

Although they deny that they're on, those around them insist their action speaks louder than their words.

"As of now, we're still enjoying 'yung pagiging closernamin because of the movie. Pero kung ayaw nyong maniwala, then, what you see is what you good."

What would his mom say about this?

"'Wag muna," says Annabelle. "Okay na okay sa'kin si KC, but Richard is so busy with work. Marami pa siyang pinag-aaral na mga pamangkin, kaya priority pa rin niya ang trabaho dahil sa dami ng kanyang tinutulungan."

***

Jenny Miller is being accused of using Valerie Concepcion to be written about and gain sympathy from the public. When Jenny got to Dr. Vicki Belo's 18th anniversary ball at Makati Shangrila (this was three weeks ago yet), there were no seats available for her so Elize Estrada, who works with Belo Clinic, accompanied her to the table of Valerie where a seat was still vacant. They requested Valerie to let Jenny sit there first while they're looking for a place for her. Valerie allegedly rejected her twice, saying the seat is reserved for her friend Angel Locsin.

Jenny got embarrassed and went away but Elize informed Valerie about it and she approached Jenny to say sorry, to which Jenny said, "Sanabe more careful next time at huwag mo nang gawin sa iba."

Valerie now denies that she rejected Jenny, saying that she couldn't give up the seat as Angel just sent her a text message saying that she's about to arrive. But when she was told Jenny was offended, she quickly apologized to her.

Jenny is still smarting but she says she doesn't want to be accused of using Valerie for her own gain.

Well, talk about making a mountain out of a molehill. But now, things have taken on a new dimension. The latest development is that Valerie allegedly turned down Jenny as she is a good friend of Claudine Barretto, who as everyone knows, is the arch enemy of Angel Locsin. One Valerie defender asks: "Teka, bakit nagkaroon ng ganung factor?"

If this were true, maybe ABS-CBN should step in again and make another move to try patching things up between Angel and Claudine to prevent the small bonfire from turning into a conflagration now that even their respective friends are said to be involved.

***

We were able to interview the mother and daughter team of Laurice Guillen and Ina Feleo at the TV 5 presscon for their intriguing drama series, "Hush Hush," about showbiz, aired Wednesdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 1 p.m.

"The show centers on the Spotlight Talent Agency that handles the careers of several young celebrities," says Laurice. "It was Tonyboy Cojuangco himself who asked me to pitch an idea for a new show. I gave them several story concepts and they chose this one about showbiz, which is actually conceived by Ina. I now act as the line producer. I also co-wrote and co-directed the pilot and second episodes with Jade Castro (of Cinemalaya's 'Endo'). The third episode was directed by Jade and the fourth, by Jay Abello (of Cinemalaya's 'Ligaw Liham' and 'Namets'). We pegged the characters on real-life celebrities, pero siempre, naiba na from their sources. Then we held an audition to get the cast. Tapos, I conducted a workshop and we determined who'd be best to play which character. I think it'd click kasi Pinoys love showbiz chismis so much and this one is really about artistas, showing what happens to them in real-life and what goes on behind the scenes. All the incidents we portray, based on stories na nangyari sa totoong buhay. The narrator is played by Cheska Inigo, a former starlet who's bitter kasi hindi siya sumikat. She now acts as the publicist of the agency and she knows all the inside stories of the stars working for them.

"As a line producer, mahirap gawin ito sa laki ng cast as we have 10 mainstays, pero okay lang. It's a good opportunity for me to learn the ropes of how to work as a producer. I'm renting the entire 4th floor of Mowelfund at doon ang set namin. 'Hush Hush' angtitle kasi ganun naman talaga sa showbiz kapag may gustong ilihim, 'di ba? O, hush hush 'yan, sa atin na lang ito."

***

Ina Feleo is glad to be nominated as best actress in the Urian Awards for her acting in "Endo," which already won her the 2007 Cinemalaya best actress award. She's the one who conceived of "Hush Hush" but she still had to audition to be a cast member.

"Matagal ang deliberations nila to get the right mix for the characters. I play Sarah, galing sa mahirap pero sumikat bilang artista at lumaki ang ulo," she says. "Sarah is very insecure kayashe's manipulative, scheming, maldita. Mahirap for me to play her as I'm not like her in real life na naninira ng ibang tao."

Is it difficult to be directed by her own mom?

"No. Masarap nga kapag mommy ko ang nagdidirek sa'kin. Kasi I already took two acting workshops under her, kaya familiar na sa'kin ang style niya. Naninibago lang ako sa blockingniya when we use just one camera, kasi parang theater ang style."

The big cast includes Krista Ranillo, Valeen Montenegro, Bernard Palanca, Dominic Ochoa, Joem Bascon and Brazilian actor Bruno Folster. How is it working with them?

"Ngayon ko lang sila nakatrabaho at masaya kami sa cast dahil nag-bonding kami agad. Lahat kami, enjoy at excited magtrabaho."

Ina used to be a champion ice skater and she was once featured in "Tanging Yaman" doing ice skating.

"I don't do that anymore, pero puede pa rin siguro."

She is also in the cast of Judy Ann Santos' new teleseryefor ABS-CBN about nurses. "I play a nursing student and Juday is our trainer."

***

Bruno Folster currently sings in "SOP." "Hush Hush" is his first regular drama. His mom is Brazilian and his dad is Italian. He grew up in Sao Paolo, Brazil. How did he get to Manila?

"I've been modeling in Hong Kong, Japan and Thailand and all my co-models tell me, 'Go to Manila, maganda doon,' and so I did," he says. "I fell in love with the Philippines and with show business. Now, I'm trying my best to learn Tagalog. I have a teacher but I learn more by studying at home with a book and a tape."

Born on May 7, 1987, he was taking up business administration in Brazil when he decided to go into modeling.

"I've also done some acting in Brazil, but in Portuguese. I only learned how to speak in English when I started working abroad. I guested in 'Marimar' and now I play a bigger role in 'Hush Hush' as a foreigner who's trying to make it in local show business."

Laurice says they don't know Bruno at all when he came to the auditions.

"Pero nang magsalita na siya, sabi ko, kunin natin ito kasi naiiba siya, walang katulad," she says. "We adjusted one role to accommodate him and so far, okay naman siya."

Doesn't he get homesick?

"No. I live alone in a condo but I have many friends here now so I don't feel lonely at all." Watch Bruno in "Hush Hush" this Wednesday at 7 p.m.

***

Last week, the scholars of "Pinoy Dream Academy 2" got a big surprise when the Comedy Concert Queen Ai Ai de las Alas visited them to teach them how to effectively handle themselves while performing on stage. The scholars learned how to cope with limitations and compensate for production shortcomings with projection. This was in line with the mini-concert that the scholars did, where a lot of technical troubles happened, like mikes that don't work and their voices being distorted. Fortunately, the scholars weren't unnerved and just used what they learned from Ai-Ai to pull it off.

Their voice mentor Monet Silvestre got confined in the hospital due to infection but is now back inside the Academy after a week. Cris and Sen had a squabble after Cris chose Miguel over Sen when the scholars had to choose who between them should be saved from expulsion. Sen was hurt by what Cris did and ignored Cris for a day. But they soon reconciled and fans are now thrilled that they are sweeter than ever!

Probee scholars Sen and Bunny were allowed to talk on the phone with a loved one, Sen with twin brother Jansen, while Bunny with her dad, Johnson Gayo. Last Saturday night, Sen got 60.35% of the votes while Bunny got only 39.65%, so she had to go. Her husband Chivas was there to fetch her.

Last Saturday was one of the best performance nights in PDA ever. Two scholars sang together singing different songs for counterpoint. The best pair for us was Poy (Sarah Geronimo's "Forever's Not Enough") and Van (Peabo Bryson's "Maybe"). Laarni also did well with "On the Wings of Love," paired with Bugoy, no wonder she became the Star Scholar of the week. Bugoy was again in the top 3. We notice he's a favorite of the jurors. But let's face it, even if he'd win, we don't think he'd really make it big as (like we've said before) TV is a very visual medium. He'd just be like Ruben of Davao who won in the PBB Celebrity Edition 2 but just went back to oblivion. When we look at Bugoy, he reminds us of the late Carding of the Reycards, so probably, he should look for his own Rey.

The four scholars with the lowest scores were Sen, Inaki, Cris and Miguel. Sen was saved by the mentors. Honestly, we don't know why Miguel was included in the bottom four when he did quite well that night.

***

1979 Miss International Melanie Marquez is tonight's special guest in "Kapamilya Deal or No Deal." It will be recalled that Melanie and host Kris Aquino were once "sisters-in-law" of sorts when Kris was still in a relationship with Melanie's brother, Joey Marquez. But they've kept their friendship through the years and remain in good terms. Now that Kris is back from her vacation in the US with husband James Yap, she resumes taping for the show and her first guest is Cristine Reyes.

"Singing Bee" champs Aiza Seguerra (who won P2million) and Rachel Alejandro (who won P1 million plus) get to confront each other on a face-off not as contestants but as guest singers this week. This will be a special edition of the show that will say farewell on Friday, with the Streetboys doing the fabulous opening number, music provided by DJ Mod players. The contestants will be Jay R, RR of "Wowowee," comedian Kitkat, and singers Alynna, Archie and Matt. Tomorrow, the special guests are Maja Salvador and Rayver Cruz, singers Duncan Ramos and Luke Mejares (both formerly from South Border), Mariel and Tryzha.

***

Jean Garcia will celebrate her 38th birthday on August 22 and her birthday wish is for their movie, "Loving You," to hit it big at the box office when it opens today nationwide, August 20.

"Hindi naman kami mapapahiya as it's a really good romantic movie," she says. "It offers not just one but four different kinds of love stories na for sure, viewers can identify with. It also has four different sets of love teams"

Jean may be 38 but she looks so much younger as she has maintained her youthful slender looks. No wonder she's linked to younger guys, like Polo Ravales now and John Lloyd Cruz before him.

"'Bagets Killer' nga ang tawag sa akin," she laughs. "When those guys are just my friends. Twenty-six si Polo at 25 naman si John Lloyd, so mas bata talaga sila sa'kin. Pero hindi pa nila ko puedeng maging ina, 'no? No, more like their Ate lang naman. When John Lloyd and I were doing 'It Might Be You,' nagkakasama kami sa gimikan,the same with Polo, kaya kami nali-link. Masaya kasing barkada ang mga bagets kaya enjoy akong kasama sila. E, alam nyo naman sa showbiz, makita lang kayong magkasama, kayo na raw agad."

In "Loving You," she plays Polo's former teacher who he meets again after college and they have an affair.

"Sa story, ako ang nako-conscious and uncomfortable sa relasyon namin kapag lumalabas kaming magkasama and people look at us kasi mas bata nga siya sa'kin. But in real life, wala akong pakialam sa sasabihin ng ibang tao kundi talagang magkakagusto akoto someone younger than me. In the last analysis, you're only answerable to your own happiness at hindi sa ibang tao."

What is Polo's birthday gift to Jean?

"Myself, ang sarili ko," he says.

And what can Jean say about this?

"Mas gusto ko si David Beckham, pero imposible, so I will just settle for someone else na lang na malapit-lapit ang qualities sa kanya. Ewan ko kung si Polo 'yun."

***

At the presscon of "Loving You," Mother Lily Monteverde says she's glad the pairing of John Lloyd Cruz and Sarah Geronimo in "Very Special Love" did well at the tills. Since Star Cinema borrowed Richard Gutierrez from GMA-7 to be paired with KC Concepcion in "For the First Time," she expressed the idea of borrowing John Lloyd and pairing him with GMA's hottest female star, Marian Rivera.

But we heard even a top ABS-CBN executive is already toying with this concept. In which case, they'll have to deal with Mother Lily as Marian has a contract with Regal. In fact, she's supposed to do "Desperadas 2" for them as a Metro Manila Film Festival entry. Mother Lily might then agree to make the John Lloyd-Marian movie a Regal-Star co-production, just like "Very Special Love" which is a Star-Viva co-prod venture.

In that case, the Regal producer might also be persuaded not to run after Angel Locsin anymore, who she insists is still legally tied up with them. Angel is supposed to start shooting her movie with Piolo Pascual soon and Mother Lily has earlier threatened to sue her. But with Mother Lily willing to work with Star for the John Lloyd-Marian pairing, she may now junk the idea of still pursuing Angel.

Source: Malaya

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