Piolo Pascual is thankful to Eugene Domingo for saying "yes" to him

"I'm very thankful na pumayag si Uge kasi marami na ang lumalapit sa kanya para i-launch. Pero ipinagkatiwala niya sa akin, maybe because kaibigan niya kami. And at the same time, naniniwala siya sa project. At napaka-broad ng talent ni Uge na makikita n'

Author: Rose Garcia

Present sa pictorial ng Kimmy Dora: Kambal sa Kiyeme noong Sabado ng gabi, July 11, ang isa sa producer ng pelikula na si Piolo Pascual with his Spring Films. Ginanap ang pictorial sa studio ng photographer na si Edward dela Cuesta.

Although he will not be part of the movie as an actor, kasama pa rin si Piolo sa pictorial bilang producer. Nakasama niya sa pictorial ang director ng movie na si Joyce Bernal, ang leading man na si Dingdong Dantes, and Kimmy Dora herself--Eugene Domingo.

MOVIE PRODUCER. Paano nga ba nabuo ang Kimmy Dora?

"It's a collaboration among friends itong Kimmy Dora. Napag-isipan lang namin nina Direk Joyce, sina Ericson, si Shayne Sarte. Then, noong inilapit sa akin ang script and then I got interested. Si Chris Martinez yung gumawa ng script, director of 100. So when they told me about it, binasa ko ang script at sabi ko, may potential naman. Maganda.

"Tapos sabi nila, 'Why not produce it? Since magkakaibigan naman kayo.' Meron kayong director na kaibigan, cinematographer, tapos ako yung business side of things. Then, we got different investors. So, yun na," lahad ni Piolo sa PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal).

Hindi ang Kimmy Dora ang unang venture ni Piolo sa pag-produce ng pelikula. Ang una ay ang Manila, kung saan siya rin ang bida, na ipinalabas sa Cannes Film Festival this year. Nararanasan na rin ba niya ang hirap ng pagiging film producer?

"Siguro kasi, nagkasunod lang sila from Manila, tapos Kimmy Dora. Sabi ko, grabe ang blessing. Hindi ko naman inisip ito na magagawa ko in such a short time na nasa industriya ako. Siguro, it's part of growing up as well as a businessman and being my own product, parang gusto mo rin na may ibang magawa. Explore mo pa ang ibang puwede mong gawin sa industriya, which is moviemaking. Yun din naman ang trabaho ko other than producing album, concert. Ako naman, movies," paliwanag ng actor-producer.

Seryoso na nga ba siya sa pagpo-produce?

"If the right project comes along and right people to work with. That's why we put up Spring Films. I'm also thankful, of course, kay Tita Malou Santos of Star Cinema who has been mentoring me. Inilapit namin sa kanya ang pelikula to be distributed by Star Cinema, hindi siya nagdalawang-isip. And now that she's helping me out, I've been going to Star Cinema almost every week just to sit down and talk with her kung ano pa ang puwede kong malaman dahil, siyempre, bagito tayo sa ganitong field. She tells me, she teaches me kung ano ang dapat kong pag-aralan in terms of budgeting, in terms of promo and things na kailangan kong malaman pa with regards to filmmaking," lahad ni Piolo.

EUGENE'S FAN. Ayon kay Piolo, ever since daw ay fan siya ni Eugene.

"I've always been a fan of Uge. Before pa, noong napapanood ko pa lang siya. If I remember right, my last movie with her, yung Paano Kita Iibigin actually, she almost stole all the scenes from me and Reg [Regine Velasquez] sa sobrang galing niya. Kami ni Reg, pinapanood na lang namin siya.

"Kaya sabi ko, it was apt lang na siya ang gawin namin for our maiden project. Because we believe in her talent and it's about time for her to do her launching movie."

Si Direk Chris raw ang nag-create ng character na Kimmy Dora since Uge and the director are real friends in real life. At si Direk Joyce naman daw, kilalang-kilala ang comedy style ni Uge.

Bakit si Dingdong ang napili nilang maging leading man ni Uge?

"Si Dong was supposed to be on the production as one of the producers," sabi ni Piolo. "When we were talking about the project, that was the time when we did Ponds din. Tapos, pinag-usapan din namin kasi at that time din, gumagawa sila ni Direk Joyce ng soap [Ang Babaeng Hinugot Sa Aking Tadyang].

"So, 'Siguro, Pare, if there's a right material, i-co-produce natin. Tayo, tayong magkakaibigan.' It just so happened at that time, hindi siya naka-ano kasi may conflict sa trabaho. He just committed to be part of the project as an actor, which I really appreciate. Kasi, kumbaga, he's really true to his word that he'll be part of the project."

Dapat sana, bukod kay Dingdong, ay isa rin si Piolo sa magiging leading man ni Eugene sa Kimmy Dora. How come hindi ito natuloy?

"It's because I'm taping Lovers in Paris [Piolo's soap with KC Concepcion] and most of the time, nasa Amerika ako. So, yung schedule namin ni Uge, hindi kami magtugma. From the time na yung script, ready na, yung production ready na, nagpupunta ako ng States. So no chance for me to do the film.

"And we have deadlines, of course. Plinano na namin kung kailan ang release niya. Kung sasali ako, baka hindi namin maabot ang deadlines," paliwanag niya.

Hindi ba siya nanghinayang na hindi makasama sa pelikula?

Source: Philippine Entertainment Portal