Gerald Anderson's dream co-stars

CEBU, Philippines - If Gerald Anderson were to draw up a wish list of female co-stars, the young actor said former soap opera queens Judy Ann Santos and Claudine Barreto would top his choices.

Not necessarily as leading ladies because of the age gap, but as co-actors in a project that will again challenge his dramatic chops, the same way that his last television starrer where he portrayed an autistic child did.

When it comes to his next on-screen romantic interest though, he doesn’t have an immediate preference.

“Foremost in my mind is the kind of project and the concept behind it. As a leading lady, as long as we have good chemistry and we fit the part, then I’m all for it,” Gerald, 23, told The FREEMAN.

He was last paired on TV with Jessy Mendiola in ABS-CBN’s Budoy, and with Sarah Geronimo in his most recent Star Cinema movie Won’t Last a Day Without You.

While the Fil-Am heartthrob is currently played up with singer-actress Sarah Geronimo, his long-time love team Kim Chiu is likewise heavily linked to her My Binondo Girl castmate Xian Lim. Does he miss his tried-and-tested team-up with the Cebuana chinita?

Gerald, whose ticket to tinsel town was through joining the Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition in 2006, said, “Me and Kim started together and we were a love team for four years, so we became each other’s comfort zone. If I say something in a scene, I already know what her reaction will be, and vice-versa. It’s good to be partnered with different actresses, so that when time comes that we’ll be working together again, we already have experiences outside of each other.”

One of those successful projects he had outside of the Kimerald mold was the recently ended primetime series Budoy, where he was seen in the offbeat role of a person with Angelman syndrome who had flashes of genius. For the part, he willingly shed weight, grew his hair (later shaved it bald), used brow extensions and wore false teeth.

His efforts were worth it, Gerald said, because of the feedback from viewers who understood the drama’s underlying message. “There were parents who came up to me to say thank you because they also had ‘Budoys’ of their own. Which is good because we had a saying in the show ‘Be happy, be Budoy.’ My character became a symbol of happiness. I’m happy that we were able to bring that across to viewers, and that we were able to inspire them, even those families who have no special children in their brood,” expressed Gerald.

He added that playing a mentally challenged individual also opened opportunities for him to help others. “Aside from the basketball charities I participated in to help typhoon victims, I also gave a cash donation for a school, where I did my immersion with special children. It was in that school where I observed their mannerisms, habits, their interaction with other children and adults.”

With no soap or film tying him up at the moment, Gerald will fly to the United States today for the Star Magic US Tour and for a Teleserye Bida 2012 Tour on March 31. (FREEMAN)