What Eric lost for the Markova role

The title "Dolphy’s Fair-Haired Boy" bestowed on him years ago does not sit well with Eric Quizon.He thinks, it smacks of prejudice against his 17 brothers and sisters.

"I don’t want my siblings to think they’re not worthy at all. Let’s just say I’m the one in the limelight right now," the star of Markova: Comfort Gay explains.

But his key role in Quizon family cannot be ignored. Eric describes himself as the "binding force in the clan," and his decisions are usually ones followed.

Still, Fair-Haired Boy or not, Eric is as much his own person as he is his father’s son. Like Dolphy, Eric has invested his earnings on businesses – his film outfit, Kaizz (after his pet name in college) Ventures and a garments firm that he had to give up when the peso-dollar exchange rate got too sky high for comfort.

Unlike his Dad, Eric sets limits on friendship. He won’t think twice about being less than chummy with an old pal if the latter rubs him, or others the wrong way.

"My Dad will do anything for a friend. He doesn’t like to have enemies. He’s a people person. I’m not saying I’m not that way. In Ateneo (where he tucked up a college degree), we were taught to be a "man for others," relates Eric.

This is why Eric also knows when to say enough is enough when it comes to being generous. Unlike his Dad, who will "give till it hurts because he is too trusting," Eric says he knows when it’s time to say no.

"I have to take care of myself, you see," he explains. "Besides," Eric adds, "my Dad has 18 children. I’m single. So I have just myself to look after. I can even be stoic at times."

A self-confessed old soul who thinks like a 50-year-old at age 33, Eric admits having what he describes are "major blues" at this point of his highly-visible life.

"This year is the first time when I didn’t have a movie until the end of the year. And this got me thinking: is it because of the situation in the industry, or because of me? I’m not getting any younger, you see. So I asked myself, "Am I still popular? Should I quit?" says Eric.

He’ll hardly have time to answer that these days, since he’s busy promoting Markova with his Dad and some of his brothers.

The Metro Manila Filmfest has a soft spot in Eric’s heart because it was in the 1991 annual event that he won as Best Actor for Juan Tamad.

This year is different for him since it is Eric’s first time to spend Christmas away from his US-based mother, former actress Pamela Ponti (real name: Alice Smith).

"I told her I’ll surely join her by Easter," Eric says.

Meanwhile, he’ll take advantage of the holidays with his Dad, whom he didn’t celebrate Christmas with for the past eight years. Right after the holidays, Eric will start directing the Judy Ann Drama Special, starring Judy Ann Santos.

Number one in his to-do list next year is more directorial jobs, all the more to make up for his non-output in this department in 2000.

All of Eric’s efforts have been focused on Markova this year. It started as early as January, when his dad’s company, RVQ Productions, Inc., came up with the project and everyone was debating on whether it will be shown during the Filmfest or not.

After he accepted the title role, Eric decided to lose weight for the role of a comfort gay during the Japanese occupation.

"I lost 36 pounds – from 170 to 134 pounds, mostly from May to July," reveals Eric, who plays a gay character for the second time (the first time was in Pusong Mamon).

Whatever he decides when he does his traditional soul-searching in the US ("where I can rest and think things over"), Eric is sure of his heart will forever be in showbiz.

It is the industry he grew up knowing not only vicariously, but first-hand since he was a teenager a talent agent spotted in a shopping center and offered a modelling stint to.

Showbiz is still the industry that continues to teach Eric many lessons. Today, he is a far cry from the teenager whose Dad had to give him a car (his first, a Lancer) to make his first movie, RVQ Productions’ Bata Batuta.

To say that Eric Quizon has no regrets about joining showbiz is an understatement.