"On the contrary," Ogie says, "it’s the good, humble guy who wins big in the end. He’s the guy who gets the girl."
Enteng the janitor, his character in the Metro Filmfest entry Captain Barbell, is a case in point. As Enteng, Captain Barbell’s alter ego, Ogie seems the least likely to turn into a superhero.
He is simple, too-good-to-be-true, as harmless as a newborn puppy. But it’s Enteng, who later transforms into Captain Barbell, who saves the day, and gets the fair lady – played by Regine Velasquez as Cielo.
Like Enteng, Ogie looks puny, as compared to the fair-haired boys of showbiz. But his talent is no means lightweight.
This year alone, Ogie filled Araneta Coliseum in his anniversary show, OA at 15. His gag show, Bubble Gang scored a triumph at the Star Awards for TV.
Capping the eventful year is Captain Barbell, where he is not only an actor, but theme song writer as well.
The dreamy Sa Piling Mo, a take on Superman’s well-loved Can You Read My Mind, is, as Ogie puts it, a song with a lot of heart. It transports the viewer to a place far from it all, where even the impossible becomes possible.
Ogie may well be speaking of how 2003 turned out for him. It’s the year of the possible, when many things – even the unexpected – came his way and gave him reasons to feel blessed.
"This year exceeded my expectations," he admits. This, despite the rumor about his failing marriage to Michelle Van Eimeren, mother of his two daughters, Leila and Sarah Cate.
"I’m leaving for Australia right after the traditional Dec. 24 parade to join Michelle and the kids for Christmas," Ogie says, reading everyone’s mind about the rumor on his supposedly shaky marriage.
"Although the Philippines is still my home, home is where the heart is. And it’s where my family is," he adds, quashing speculations that trouble is brewing on the homefront.
Rather than dwell on problems, Ogie looks forward to 2004, which he expects will even be brighter for him. He faces an even tighter schedule ahead, as GMA 7 is preparing a soap where he plays the true-to-life role of a musician.
Ogie is excited about the new project as it casts him with Christopher de Leon and Lorna Tolentino.
Ogie has another reason to jump up and down for joy. A look at his career shows that is uncharted territory for him. Comedy apperances and stints as game show host, he is comfortable in. But soap? The challenge is new and exciting.
It promises to turn Ogie into the guy he has always dreamed to be: the one who makes it big sans the blessings of stunning looks and all the other physical requisites of stardom.
"I want to champion the cause of the simple man," he grins.
And while he’s at it, he’ll also make sure of one thing: rooting for Fernando Poe Jr. as president.
"I will even campaign for him. He represents the hope of the masses," Ogie states categorically.
Maybe it’s because like FPJ, Ogie knows how it feels to be an underdog in the tradition of Ogie da Pogi and his other humble but lovable characters.
It’s this humility that he hopes will see the day, not only for him, but for underrated people who want to stand up and be counted as well.