Melissa: Matt or no one

Author: Mario E. Bautista
Column: Freehand

Melissa Ricks feels blessed because her "Underage" in "Your Song" has yet to end but here she is starting a new show, "Kambal Sa Uma," where she plays a rat woman. "It's a difficult role as I have to put on prosthetic makeup all over my face, head and body each taping day, but it's exciting to play a different role like this," she says. "Two hours 'yun to put on and one hour naman para matanggal. "

We're sure she and Shaina will be compared with each other. "Bahala na 'yung magko-compare sa amin but we'll try not to be affected. We already worked together sa 'Rounin' at maganda naman ang working relationship namin. Okay naman 'yung healthy competition as it will challenge us and make us try more to give a better performance. Meron pa ngang nagku-question ng billing but it's only proper na mauna si Shaina kasi mas senior siya as she started as a child actress. Sana, wala na lang ganyang intrigahan. "

She's got Matt Evans again as her partner in "Kambal Sa Uma. " "I'm used to him as my leading man. Hindi ako sanay kapag hindi ko siya kasama. "

It's obvious that Melissa is just waiting for Matt to woo her but the problem is the guy is not even bothered that it's Jake Cuenca who's now openly courting her. "Jake is really nice and sweet. Si Matt hindi naman nanliligaw, but if ever, dahil kami ang mas madalas magkasama sa trabaho, siya ang hinahanap ko kapag wala siya. "

Melissa has something in common with Kris Bernal of GMA-7. When you interview Kris, just like Melissa, she sounds like she's just waiting for her partner, Aljur Abrenica, to woo her seriously and she'd give her nod right away.

At the presscon for "Kambal Sa Uma," Rio Locsin says Melissa is very lucky as she only had to wear the hairy costume on her head. "In my case then, I was wearing a suit made of rubber covered with hair at sobrang init talaga. Tapos, tatakbo-takbo ako in Baguio, where we shot the original movie version, na 'yun lang ang suot. Mas dusa 'yung ginawa ko noon. "

Rio now plays the mom of the twin rats, with Noni Buencamino as the dad. Supporting them are Gina Alajar as the villain Celeste, Lotlot de Leon and Alan Paule as the foster parents of Shaina, and Jordan Castillo, Carlo Guevara, Bangs Garcia, Aldred Gatchalian, JR Siaboc and Eva Darren.

ERIC: ASK THEM, NOT ME

WHAT can Eric Quizon say about the story that Zsa Zsa Padilla has decided not to tie the knot with Dolphy even if her marriage to Dr. Modesto Tatlonghari has been annulled.

"Dapat siya mismo o ang dad ko ang tanungin tungkol diyan," says Eric at the taping of GMA-7's "All About Eve. " "As of now, I think, kasal man sila o hindi, masaya naman sila, so they don't really need to get married. Twenty years na silang nagsasama na ganyan ang relasyon nila even if they didn't get married. Mas matagal pa nga ang pinagsama nila kaysa sa mga nakasal nga, pero naghiwalay naman agad. "

Eric is happy with his role in "All About Eve" as a network tycoon who Jean Garcia will use in her desire to take revenge on Richard Gomez and Eula Valdez. "Maraming magandang eksenang drama that I really appreciate it as it helps me not to get rusty with my acting, lalo 'yung confrontation scenes namin ni Mark Anthony Fernandez who plays my son na malaki ang sama ng loob sa akin. "

Eric is based in Hong Kong and he's now producing the live show of his dad there on April 19 with Zsa Zsa, his brothers Epi and Vandolph, and nephew Boy 2 Quizon. The proceeds from the show will go to Dolphy's scholarship foundation that's sending 15 students who are children of OFWs working in Hong Kong.

MARIAN'S EX BF WANTS TO JOIN SHOWBIZ

Marian Rivera's ex-boyfriend, model Ervic Vijandre has joined the Century Superbods contest and is now a finalist. Someone told us Ervic really wants to join showbiz this time and he's using this as a stepping stone. He's ready to show off his physique in the contest, maybe to show he's got a better one than Marian's current flame (Dingdong D, who else?) Previous winners of Century Superbods who joined showbiz are Jon Avila (now with ABS-CBN Star Magic) and Ram Sagad (who joined Pinoy Fear Factor).

Among the female Century Superbods contestants are Abby Cruz (girlfriend of Paolo Bediones) and Bianca Paz (ex-girlfriend of Polo Ravales). Both Abby and Bianca also joined the recent Bb. Pilipinas pageant and didn't even make it to the semi-finals. Will they be luckier with Century this time? Let's wait and see when the finals are held in Boracay on May 2.

NO COMPETITION

DR. Manny Calayan was grilled in last Sunday's Intriga Crossfire portion on "Showbiz Central," which covered the debut party at Sofitel of his eldest daughter Hannah, who's leaving soon for her college studies in the U. S. Here are the questions. How do you feel about the competition (Dr. Vicki Belo)? "I don't compete with anyone.

I just do my job the best I can. As long as ako'y nakapagpapasaya at nakapagpapaganda, 'yun ang importante. " From Raymond Gutierrez: May sama ka ba ng loob sa pamilya namin? (This is after Ruffa left Dr. Calayan and moved to Dr. Belo. ) "Wala. I know na ganyan lang naman talaga. May lumilipat. It's just business, so okay lang. " Your wife Dr. Pie was absent at the debut of your daughter. Is it because she just underwent more retoke surgery? "She's sick of myalgia affecting various muscles tapos nagkaroon pa ng pneumonia. Diet kasi ng diet. I took her to Los Angeles kasi it's a long treatment, but not because of retoke. Hindi rin muna siya nagki-clinic. "

Dr. Calayan said he has just completed recording an album that's a result of his stint in "Celebrity Duets. " It's called "Duets with the Icons" and will be released in May.

PACMAN SHOULD WIN OR ELSE. ..

READER Myles Perfidia writes us about Manny Pacquiao: "Dapat manalo si Pacman sa laban niya kay Ricky Hatton on May 2 for the sake of Martin Nievera. Kasi kapag natalo siya, baka sabihing si Martin ang jinx dahil first time na may lalaking singer na kumanta ng national anthem natin sa isang laban niya.

Noon pa sinasabing malas daw kapag lalaki ang kumanta sa laban niya, so dapat manalo si Pacman para hindi masisi si Martin at sabihing mabuti pa kung si Lea Salonga na lang ang pinakanta niya. Sa totoo lang, hindi ko naman maintindihan kung ano ang big deal sa pagkanta roon. 'Yung mga naunang kumanta sa mga laban ni Pacman like Kyla, Ciara Sotto at kung sinu-sino pa, bumongga ba ang career nila dahil sa exposure nila roon? Hindi naman, di ba? Aminin!"

RICHARD WANTS THE TRUTH

Annabelle Rama and Eddie Gutierrez plus Ruffa and Raymond showed their support to Richard Gutierrez when he filed a P25 million libel case at the Makati Regional Trial Court last Monday against Philippine Entertainment Portal or PEP for reporting a gun-toting incident involving him. Bubbles Paraiso came as Richard's witness. She was with him the whole time and testified that there was no fight at all between him and Michael Flores at the birthday party of Director Mark Reyes on March 28 on Oceana Restaurant on Macapagal Ave.

"Many stars are victimized by this kind of false journalism," he says. "Nagkataon lang that this happened to me. It's sad na kailangang mangyari ito, but I just want to get to the bottom of this and we want to find out kung sino ang nasa likod nito, that's why we're doing this. We are asking for a retraction, but they apologized for the wrong reason. We gave them a chance to retract. But they made it appear na may nangyari pa rin. Na hindi lang nila ako nakunan ng statement at may nangyari pa ring ganung insidente, which is not true. Hindi kami papayag na ganunin. This is my personal decision to find out the truth. Kung ano ba talaga ang nangyari. I have my whole family behind me. My fans are supporting me. We're very serious with the case. I'm endorsing a lot of products and I don't want any of them to be affected by this malicious report. As of now, we're letting the legal action take its course. PEP said they have a source. They have to reveal their source para malaman natin ang totoo. "

AND THE NOMINEES ARE. ..
THIS year's Golden Screen Awards Night of the Entertainment Press Society will be held on April 30, at Metro Bar in West Avenue. For best drama picture, the nominees are Cinemalaya 2008 entries Boses, Brutus, Concerto, Jay, and 100, the Judy Ann Santos-starrer Ploning and the Cinema One Originals horror-drama standout Yanggaw. For best musical or comedy: the nominees are A Very Special Love, Fuschia, and My Bestfriend's Girlfriend.

For best animated picture, the nominees are "Urduja" and "Dayo. "

For best drama actress, the nominees are Anita Linda as the former radio talent reduced to living in the slums in "Adela," Dawn Zulueta as the supportive wife of a dying man in "Magkaibigan," "Jodi Santama-ria " as the demented heroine in "Sisa," Mylene Dizon as the woman with a bucket list in "100," Sharon Cuneta as the beleaguered OFW wife and mother in "Caregiver" and Judy Ann Santos as the quiet, mysterious spinster in "Ploning. "

For best drama actor, nominated are Baron Geisler as the gaydocumentarist in Jay, Carlo Aquino for "Carnivore," Christopher de Leon as the cancer-stricken friend in "Magkaibigan," Jericho Rosales as the romantic hero in "Baler," Ronnie Lazaro as the father of a vampire daughter in "Yanggaw," Yul Servo as the cuckolded husband in "Torotot" and Jay Aquitania in a refreshing turn as the young man coming of age at a time of war in "Concerto. "

Industry veteran Anita Linda is this year's recipient of the Gawad Lino Brocka Lifetime Achievement award.

Best comedy/musical actress: Ai Ai de las Alas (Ang Tanging Ina Nyong Lahat), Boots Anson Roa (Love Birds), Gloria Romero (Fuschia), Marian Rivera (My Bestfriend's Girlfriend), Ruffa Gutierrez (My Monster Mom), Sarah Geronimo (A Very Special Love), Toni Gonzaga (My Only U).

Best comedy/musical actor: Eddie Garcia (Fuschia), John Lloyd Cruz (A Very Special Love), Robert Arevalo (Fuschia), Sam Milby (My Big Love)

Best supporting actress: Cherry Pie Picache (Boses), Eugene Domingo (100), Flor Salanga (Jay), Mylene Dizon (Ploning), Tessie Tomas (Ploning), Tetchie Agbayani (Yanggaw)

Best supporting actor: Coco Martin (Jay), Emilio Garcia (Walang Kawala), John Estrada (Caregiver), Ricky Davao (Boses), Yul Servo (Brutus).

Best new actress: KC Concepcion (For The First Time), Rhea Medina (Brutus), Chariz Solomon (My Bestfriend's Girlfriend), Yna Asistio (Concerto). Best new actor: Timothy Mabalot (Brutus), Bojong Fernandez (Ploning), Cedric Amit (Ploning), Coke Bolipata (Boses), Fritz Arvhie (Dose), Kenjie Garcia (Ang Lihim Ni Antonio), Julian Duque (Boses).

Best director: Ellen Ongkeko Marfil (Boses), Tara Illenberger (Brutus), Chris Martinez (100), Francis Passion (Jay), Dante Nico Garcia (Ploning), Cathy Garcia Molina (A Very Special Love), Richard Somes (Yanggaw).

Source: People's Journal