What’s Richard Gutierrez Made Of?

He’s that refreshing face on that giant Bench billboard on top of a building at the foot of Quezon Bridge in Quiapo, captured as if he’s tumbling or about to stand on his head. He’s a sight to behold, distracting motorists and commuters from the traffic jam in that part of Metro Manila during the rush hours in the morning and in the early evening.

He’s the same face smiling at you from the top of several other buildings all over the city, standing beside Manay Gina de Venecia in another version of the Bench billboard, and when you turn, there he is again, forever smiling at you, this time in the Guwapong Ricky Reyes billboard (with Albert Martinez and Mark Herras).

No wonder Richard Gutierrez has become known as the Poster Boy for Male Glamour and Good Grooming, something the lanky son of Eddie Gutierrez and Annabelle Rama wants to eventually outgrow.

"Of course," Richard told Conversations, "I don’t want to be known only for my looks because looks fade. I want to become a good actor because talent lasts."

Barely three years in the business, Richard is slowly but surely getting there. He has been in some GMA soaps and half a dozen Regal flicks but he said that "it’s not enough" and craves for bigger, more challenging roles. "I can play a villain or a bad guy," he said. "Why not?"

Starting tomorrow evening, Monday through Friday, Richard stars in the new GMA tele-fantasya Mulawin which takes the timeslot of the soap Hanggang Wakas. Mulawin is about the mythical world of winged creatures. The Mulawins, half-bird and half-human, are on the war path against their own kind, protecting their tribe and the human race against the Ravenas, a subversive group of Mulawins seeking revenge against the humans.

Richard plays a noble young Mulawin, Aguiluz who will sacrifice everything, his life and future included, for his undying love for Alwina (played by Angel Locsin).

The all-star Mulawin cast includes, among others, Zoren Legaspi and Ara Mina as Alwina’s parents Bagwis and Veronica, Gary Estrada as Rasmus the wicked leader of the Ravenas, Romnick Sarmenta as Habagat, a traitor to the tribe, Amy Austria as Lourdes (Veronica’s friend who raises Alwina), Karen delos Reyes as Savana, the scheming social climber and Richard’s father Eddie Gutierrez as Dakila, the Mulawin sage to whom everyone turns for guidance.

The following Conversation was done during a shooting break while Richard was still panting from the scene showing him flying. Because he just broke up with Anne Curtis, Conversations first asked him about it.

Did Anne Curtis break your heart?

"No, she did not."

You mean to say that your heart didn’t break when you and Anne split up?

"Not really because it was a mutual decision. Napag-usapan namin ng matino. It was not so painful for me at ganoon din naman siguro sa kanya."

How long did you go steady?

"Almost a year, on and off. Did we fight often? Well, hindi maiiwasan ’yon sa relationship, di ba? It happened when we were into our getting-to-know-you stage. But when we began to understand each other, we fought less and we had a great time."

What did you usually fight about?

"Petty things; mga walang kuwentang bagay. You know, small things na dapat di na pinag-aawayan."

Pang-ilang girlfriend mo na si Anne?

"Madami na, e! I’ve lost count. Most of them noong nasa States ako (He studied at the Beverly Hills High School. – RFL) Here in the Philippines, konti pa lang."

You must have started early...

"...Yeah, yeah! I started at 12. But the first ones were not really serious relationships. Mga puppy love lang. In the States kasi, walang steady-steady girlfriend; it’s more like playing around."

What’s the difference between an American girlfriend and a Filipino girlfriend?

"Sa values. American girls are more liberated; they’re totally different from Filipino girls."

What type of girls do you find attractive?

"’Yung marunong mag-carry ng conversation, with pleasant personality, with long hair and sexy bodies, and beautiful eyes."

How do you deal with aggressive girls?

"Siempre nowadays hindi natin maiiwasan ang ganoong klaseng babae. I don’t take advantage of them, that’s for sure. The truth is that aggressive girls turn me off. Parang walang challenge. I’m intrigued by the challenge. I prefer a girl who’s demure."

Mana ka raw sa dad mo?

"When it comes to girls? Talo ako n’un! From what I heard, mas maraming girls si Daddy – dati. Mas matinik ’yon."

What tips do you get from your dad?

"When it comes to girls? He always reminds me na huwag mawawala ang respeto ko sa lahat ng babae. ‘You should always respect them and show them that you care,’ sabi ng dad ko. ‘Kasi that’s what the girls like – to be respected and taken cared of.’ He also tells me, ‘Huwag aggressive ang attack. Cool ka lang.’ I’ve been keeping that in mind."

How much of you is Annabelle Rama?

"Fifty percent. My being strong-willed is very much like my mom."

And how much of you is Eddie Gutierrez?

"The remaining 50 percent, siempre! Aside from dad’s height (Richard stands six feet. – RFL), nakuha ko sa kanya ’yung pagiging relax, pagiging cool. Always positive, especially in the face of problems. Like dad, I don’t let anybody put me down."

Saan ka ba pinaglihi?

"According to my mom, sa apple."

How long have you been living alone?

"I went back home recently, kasi I missed my family. I worked so hard, I worked everyday, and when I got home I found my pad empty. Ako lang mag-isa, walang kausap, walang maingay. I really missed my family. I missed my brothers so much. I lasted alone for only two months."

What did you learn from that experience?

"That I really need my family around all the time... To support me, to encourage me, to inspire me, to be good at what I’m doing, to become a better person to. They are the ones I confide in about my problems. I realized that it wasn’t the right time for me to move out, to be alone."

You’re sometimes mistaken for your twin brother Raymond, especially now that Raymod has slimmed down. How different are you from and similar to each other?

"Physically, he’s two inches taller than me. He’s chubby and I’m thin."

Don’t you sometimes switch places – you know, one standing in for the other?

"No, we don’t, we cannot. Mahahalata. We are different in attitude; we have different personalities. Raymond grew up in the States."

As a Bench model, how do you take care of your body?

"In my free time, I go to the gym, I play basketball. Sometimes, I go to the beach. I engage in all kinds of sports. I lift weights, too."

You wear Bench from morning till night, anywhere you go, don’t you?

"Oh, yes, I do. I even use Bench gel."

Do you go to bed with Bench?

"Yes of course, I do, in Bench boxer shorts and loose T-shirt."

What do you splurge on?

"Gadgets. Gadgets for anything – for cameras, for laptop, for video cam. I buy all those things. Ako kasi mahilig sa bago; kung ano ang bago, bumibili ako. I bring them to the set. Binubutingting ko. I keep them in my room. It’s a good thing I’m not sharing my room with any of my brothers. Otherwise, it would be a mess."

How many movies have you done so far?

"Five. My first was Bakit Papa? with the Sex Bombs. I played a teener in love with a girl I met at the mall. Then, I did Kuya where I was a varsity player who prefers an atypical girl, the valedictorian of our class, to typical girls. Next came Mano Po 2 where I played the rebellious son of Lorna Tolentino. The latest was I Will Survive, as a pilyong teenager. Now, I’m shooting a horror film called Sigaw, as an independent student who moves out of the house and supports himself. All these movies are by Regal Films."

What role do you think will challenge your acting ability?

"I want to play a really, really bad character, a villain. A killer. A character opposite the real me."

If the Eddie Gutierrez story were to be filmed, would you like to play the title role?

"By all means. I’d love to."

There’d be dozens of leading ladies.

"You bet."

Who do you think should play Annabelle Rama?

"I don’t think they can find any actress who can do justice to her. Nag-iisa lang ang Mommy ko sa mundo."

By the way, how do you study your role?

"I just read the script and get into the character. Sometimes, I watch video tapes of movies, old and new, and get pointers here and there."

Who’s your favorite actor?

"Albert Martinez. I love his acting style. It’s obvious that he really does his homework. I also like his work attitude. I wish I’d be like him."

Away from work, what do you do?

"I go to the beach, usually with my friends or my brothers. It’s the best place to unwind, to have peace of mind. Otherwise, I stay home. Or I go out. I have to be sane, you know. Since I joined showbiz, I’ve been missing out on so many things. Kailangan din naman mag-enjoy paminsan-minsan."

You are clean-living, aren’t you?

"I am."

You don’t do drugs, do you?

"No, I don’t."

Do you smoke?

"I don’t."

Do you drink?

"Just a little."

If you were not in showbiz, where or what would you be?

"I’d be in school, not here in the Philippines but somewhere else, maybe taking up a course in Psychology. Initially, I wanted to enroll in a business course until I realized that it wasn’t my line. Or maybe I’d be taking a film course. Someday, I want to work behind the camera."

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