2 new faces and a ‘comebacking’ direk

Curtain-raisers:

• Could it be true that this young (semi-retired) actress is a battered wife, that her TV-host-actor husband is having an affair with a sexy TV colleague? The battered actress wants out of the marriage and pick up the pieces of her career so she can start all over again and support their kids. Another (premature?) marriage down the drain!

• Daphne Osena gave birth to her and husband Patrick Paez’s first child, to be named Sophia Rose, last Feb. 6, three weeks ahead of schedule. The baby weighed only 5.15 pounds at birth but, according to the happy mom, ‘she’s perfect!"

• It turned out that, contrary to a Funfare report, Edgar "Bobot" Mortiz didn’t resign as director of the ABS-CBN noontime show MTB which is up for major reformatting anytime this week. "It was management decision and I respect it," said Bobot who will continue directing MTB until Feb. 21. "He loves the show dahil baby niya ’yon," said his wife Millet Santos. "Bobot is ready anytime management needs his (directorial) services again." Meanwhile, Bobot will concentrate on Arriba, Arriba!, the ABS-CBN sitcom of which he’s a cast member and creative consultant.

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One is "bold," the other is not. One is sweet, the other is sexy. Onscreen, one will be fully-clothed, the other will be fully naked.

Newcomers Elizabeth Burton and Belinda Bright are interesting studies in contrast. The former, to be introduced in FLT Films’ You and Me Against the World, topbilling Robin Padilla and Kris Aquino, is not (yet?) daring enough to throw caution and clothes to the wind ("I’m not ready yet," she echoed the same answer given by sweet young things biding time to jump into the bold-wagon); while the latter is, yes,"game na game na!", doing her own version of frontal nudity not just in one but in two scenes in World Arts Films’ Sshhhh…She Walks by Night, first with Ricky Davao (don’t worry, Jackielou Blanco, he had a plaster on) in the bedroom and then with Jay Manalo (in his birthday suit, as usual) in the pool.

Although poles apart, the two girls have one thing in common: Unlike most of the "boldies" who boast only of something between other parts of their anatomy, Elizabeth and Belinda have something also between their ears. In fact, they should qualify for any beauty-and-brains contest – and run away with the title hands down.

Born on Nov. 14, 1985, Elizabeth Grace Burton Mole is one of three children of mixed parentage. Her father, Ronald William Mole, and mother, Evangeline Dominguez (from Tarlac), are such admirers of the British Royal Family that they named their children after them – Elizabeth after the Queen of England, her brother after Prince Charles and her sister after Princess Margaret. The Mole patriarch, a British, is an international project engineer involved with the MRT construction in Metro Manila; the matriarch enjoys being a plain housewife.

Elizabeth was born in London and she came back (with her family) for good three years ago. She had her early education at Northridge (London) before she moved to Brent (Baguio) and then to UP where she’s a BS Psychology sophomore.

It’s not surprising why Elizabeth clicked with her Ate Kris on the set. They’re both well-rounded enough to discuss any topic under the sun and voracious readers. "I read novels (Sydney Sheldon, etc.)," said Elizabeth who’s a deadringer for Dayanara Torres. "I’ve read several volumes of Chicken Soup for the Soul."

Is she as liberated as (some) British girls are reputed to be?

"You’ll be surprised but I’m not," smiled Elizabeth (who might as well have been named also after Elizabeth Taylor-Burton, the Hollywood icon). "Just because I grew up in London, some people might think that I am... what’s the Tagalog term for it?... yes, paka (easy lay). I’m mahinhin, actually, brought up the Filipino way."

She was discovered by FLT boss Rose Flaminiano, a family friend of the Moles.

An Iglesia ni Kristo member, Elizabeth however allows herself to be kissed by Robin (a Muslim, while Kris is Catholic) in one scene, shot underwater. She plays the niece of Kris (as a doctor) who gets in the way of her auntie and her boyfriend (Robin).

Her big dream is to work with Christopher de Leon, her idol.

"Not as his lover," clarified Elizabeth, "but maybe as his daughter."

But if she had her way, Belinda would love to do a torrid love scene (in the buff) with either Christopher de Leon or any of our top actors.

"I know I have a beautiful body," said the 18-year-old La Salle St. Benilde Multi-Media Arts sophomore who plays a con artist in She Walks by Night, "so why should I hide it?"

Also of mixed parentage, Belinda Bright (her screen name and her character in the movie) is Arrianne Decima. Her father, Richard Decima, is from Italy where he owns a vineyard (in the north) and keeps a cozy house (in the south); while her mother, Elizabeth Radoc, is from Pampanga. Belinda was born in San Fernando and lived in Italy since she was two-years old, coming home for good a few years ago.

She was discovered by Jojo Galang (lady boss of World Arts Films) who cast her as the "double" of Maricar de Mesa in one of the episodes (where Maricar played twins) of the World Arts trilogy Bedtime Stories. Standing 5’6" and measuring 35-25-35, Belinda is a cross between Sunshine Cruz and Carmen Soriano. "Every part of me is real," she proudly said. "Nothing has been tampered with."

Night director Elwood Perez, who’s making a comeback after years of inactivity, was impressed not only with Belinda’s derring-do but also with her intelligence. "In-between takes," said direk Elwood, "she read Carl Sagan."

Direk Elwood is one good reason why we should watch Night (and his other movie, Viva Films’ Lupe which launches Andrea del Rosario to "bold" stardom, with Leandro Munoz and Jordan Herrera as leading men). During his absence, Elwood (whose last work, Reputasyon, was shown a few years ago) didn’t just rot; he might have honed his directorial skills even more.

Now, did you know that the late Lino Brocka called Elwood "the Pedro Almodovar of Philippine Movies"? That was when the foremost Spanish director was only, like Brocka, starting to make a name for himself. Almodovar is now a world-famous director whose latest movie, Talk to Her, won as Best Picture in the Golden Globe Awards.

Welcome back, Elwood, and may you live up to your "Pedro Almodovar reputation."

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