Jeffrey’s struggle is over

Jeffrey Quizon is a late bloomer compared to his Kuya Eric, who started acting at 19. Born on Jan. 23, 1973, Epy (Jeffrey’s nickname) was first noticed by the public when he played the young title-roler in Markova, Comfort Gay, for which he won the Metro-Manila Filmfest, Star, Urian and FAMAS Best Supporting Actor awards, and later, the Brussels International Filmfest Best Actor-Best Actress award along with his dad, Dolphy, and Eric. Jeffrey could have scored a grand slam, but the Film Academy of the Philippines did not even nominate him in the FAP Awards since he is not a bonafide member of the actors guild.

Epy is the youngest of Dolphy’s four kids with Alice Elizabeth Smith, a former starlet in the ‘60s who used the screen name Pamela Ponti. The other three are Ronnie, Eric, and Madonna.

Jeffrey confesses he used to be very confused. When he was 12, he tried committing suicide when he saw his mother crying after her separation from his dad. In college, he majored in Humanities at La Salle because of his love for the arts. He also took special courses and specialized on UV (ultra violet) photography.

"I’ve had about 10 solo shows of my work as photographer since 1998. I also dabbled in video and slide projected photos. A Lebanese businessman wanted to buy three art pieces of mine for P100,000 each, at a time when I didn’t have money in my wallet. But I refused to part with them and sell my works, so my friends called me stupid. What I want to do is publish a book collecting all my works. There was a time I felt so low. Then my apartment got flooded and I was so depressed. I was a lost soul. And that’s when Markova came along and it became a turning point in my life. One blessing came after another and I told myself ang kapal na ng mukha ko if I’d still complain to God."

After his work in Markova, Jeffrey got plenty of offers to portray more gay roles.

"Direk Chito Roño got me to play a swishy gay in the mini-series Detour. Then I played Judy Ann Santos’ gay older brother in Bakit Di Totohanin. They’re different from one another. I’m just effeminate in Markova, more flamboyant in Detour and a closet queen in Bakit Di Totohanin as I’m afraid to let our dad, Johnny Delgado, discover I’m gay. He was forcing me to be a boxer, but he later sees me as Reyna Elena in a gay Santakrusan. After that, I got more offers to do gay roles but I rejected them. I was glad when I was offered to do a straight role as a serial killer in Radyo with Rufa Mae Quinto and another straight role in a GMA 7 afternoon show Biglang Sibol, Bayang Impasabol, where the character Epoy was a hyperbolic expression of the real me as Epy. That’s when viewers realized hindi puro gay roles lang ang kaya kong gawin. I then did several fantasy films like Lastikman with Vic Sotto and Captain Barbell with Bong Revilla. I was also in Vic’s Enteng Kabisote."

Last year was a busy one for Jeffrey. He got a regular TV show at ABS-CBN with his dad, Quizon Avenue. He also did a number of digital films like Pepot Artista, where he was paired with Bituin Escalante; Pinoy Blonde with his nephew Boy 2 Quizon and others.

"I like helping young filmmakers. Even if they work on a small budget, I agree to shoot for them. Minsan nga, abonado pa ako. But that’s okay, since I love what I’m doing."

He has now completed another experimental movie, the dark comedy, Nasaan si Francis?, directorial debut of Gabby Fernandez, produced by Tony Gloria of Unitel Films and Christopher de Leon. It stars Paolo Contis as a young man who needs money to get his sweetheart, Tanya Garcia, out of the club where she works as a GRO. Together with friend Rico Blanco, they go to Jeffrey, a drug dealer named Francis, who offers to give them Ecstacy tablets from which they can earn big money. Problem is, Jeffrey dies of drug overdose while they’re talking, so they have to pretend he’s still alive to all those who come looking for him while they’re trying to locate where he (Jeffrey) put the pills.

"It’s a unique role as in about 90 percent of the film, patay na ako," Jeffrey says. "Direk Gabby was offering me the role of Paolo. But I said I want to play Francis because I welcome the challenge of physical comedy. Also, at least, I play the title role of Francis. I thought it would be easy. But it was not. You may have no speaking lines, but the role has a different set of requirements. Every time I go home from shooting, may pasa ako. They put me on a swing then pushed me, so I fell at nabukulan ako. They pushed me down the stairs and into a swimming pool and when my face hit the water. It hurt!

"Direk Gabby wanted to get a double for me but I did all the stunts myself. But the hardest thing is pretending you’re dead when you’re about to burst out laughing. Paolo and Rico have to carry me all the time and I have to trust them that hindi nila ako basta ibabalibag. But there were times when they’d tickle me unintentionally while they were carrying me. So I have to restrain myself from laughing. I can’t help but laugh while listening to them making adlibs with the dialogue. So I just bite my tongue para di ako matawa. I’m also conscious all the time to hold my breathing, as I don’t want viewers saying, ‘Ay, huminga siya’. I don’t want to break the illusion that I’m really dead."

How does he feel now that ex-girlfriend Giselle Tongi has a baby with her American husband?

"I’m happy for her. I have a baby now myself. Mishka is six months old. Her mom, a real estate broker, and I are seriously considering marriage. Aside from her, I have an 11-year-old son, Zandro, who was born when I was only 22 years old. My children have given me a more concrete direction in life. Because of them, I don’t want to commit a mistake in life. Their future is now my most primary concern."