Body Talk with Cesar Montano

First thing first.

"No," stressed Cesar Montano, reacting to persistent rumors that he’s being wooed as runningmate of Sen. Ping Lacson in the Manila mayoralty race in next May’s elections. "I want to make it clear again and again that I’m not running for any position. Sen. Lacson hasn’t talked to me about anything."

But in this month’s 2006 Metro Manila Filmfest, Cesar will make moviegoers’ pulse run wild with his suspense-thriller entry, Ligalig, which he himself wrote (with Willy Laconsay), directed and stars in for his own CM Films (along with wife Sunshine Cruz, Celia Rodriguez, Johnny Delgado, Katya Santos, Rebecca Lusterio, Rommel Montano, Gwen Garci, Alvin Anson and Bayani Agbayani, Cesar’s co-producer).

The whodunit about a serial killer is low-budgetted, whose production cost is, well, a drop in the bucket compared to Cesar’s previous Metro Filmfest starrers – Rizal, Muro-Ami and Bagong Buwan, all directed by Marilou Diaz-Abaya; and Panaghoy sa Suba, also written, produced and directed by Cesar who also starred in it.

"This time, I want to find out if I could scare the moviegoers who will be kept guessing until the end of the movie who the killer is (identity never revealed in the presscon)," said Cesar. "It’s a welcome breather before my next big project, referring to the Ninoy Aquino bioflick to which former Pres. Cory Aquino has already given her nod. "The scope of the Ninoy movie is staggering, and the budget, too. It needs a long preparation."

An actor who puts heart and soul into his craft, Cesar sometimes goes beyond the limits in preparing for a role. For Rizal, he learned how to speak Spanish, delivering kilometric dialogue as if he was to the tongue born. For Muro-Ami, he spent weeks with the divers in his native Bohol. For Bagong Buwan, he did a thorough research on Muslim customs and tradition. And for Panaghoy sa Suba, he dug into the history of Bohol.

For Ligalig, Cesar conditioned himself by watching suspense-thrillers. He didn’t have to go through the rigorous routine he did for his previous "big" films and which he’s doing for the next "big one."

How do you keep fit? What kind of diet do you follow?

"I eat mostly vegetables. Instead of rice and bread, I take lettuce for carbo and mostly salads. Sometimes, all I take is a glass of juice and that’s already a meal for me."

Food that you avoid...

"...Pork and beef. I haven’t been eating them for more than 10 years now."

Do you take three square meals per day?

"Actually, I take five to six meals a day, but in small servings. An apple is already a meal for me. Or fruit shakes."

What about water? How much do you drink every day?

"More than eight glasses a day, mostly Nature’s Spring Water (which he is endorsing). I sweat a lot. My metabolism is fast."

What about soft drinks?

"I don’t take soft drinks. Coffee, yes. Nescafé with Coffee-Mate (which he’s also endorsing with his daughter Angelina Isabel)."

Angelina Isabel (five years old) is a good actress.

"Would you believe that she was always ‘Take 1’ during the shooting of that commercial? I was always ‘Take 2’."

How are you as a father? (He and Sunshine have two other daughters, Samantha, five, and Francesca, one. Cesar has two grown children with his late first wife, Angelo and Angela. – RFL)

"It’s hard to be a referee when they fight over toys. They must have the same sets. I’m still learning a lot as a father and as a yayo (nanny) but I’m enjoying it. They are all girls, so I could just imagine when they grow older. I think I’ll be a stage father."

What vitamins do you take?

"Energy-C. That’s why I’m a taong-happy." (He also endorses Enervon-C, together with Pia Guanio and Michael V.)

How often do you work out?

"Three times a week, at the Planet Infinity gym, one hour each time."

What part of your body do you think needs some improvement?

"My abs. That’s why I do a lot of abdominals – sit-ups, etc."

What part is your favorite?

"My legs. According to my mother, ang legs ko parang sa baka. They are strong and sturdy, conditioned by sports like Korean martial arts. In fact, my whole body is strong and sturdy. Matigas ang buong katawan ko."

Aside from martial arts, what other sports do you dabble in?

"Boxing...competitive boxing...and biking, basketball."

What part of your body is most vulnerable?

"My toes. Too much training, that’s why I have dead nails."

And what part of a woman’s body do you notice first?

"Legs."

What’s your favorite fantasy?

"To be stranded in an island with a supermodel for three days. Which supermodel? Whoever is the current winner."

What part of Sunshine’s body do you like most?

"Her lips. They are original. Every part of her body is original. Wala siyang ipina-retoke."

How much sleep do you get per night?

"Five hours at most. Less than that, I refrain from working out."

What’s your favorite sleeping wear?

"Boxer shorts."

Which side of the bed do you sleep on?

"Right side."

What’s the last thing that you do before you go to sleep?

"I pray and read myself to sleep. I read Michael Crichton novels and inspirational books like Chicken Soup for the Soul."

And the first thing that you do when you wake up?

"I pray."

How do you unwind?

"I paint. Or watch two suspense movies (on DVD) in a row. I also listen to classical and pop-rock music."

What about massage?

"Every now and then, I get a full-body massage...with a ‘happy ending’."

Do you have any favorite city?

"Tagbilaran. I have a vacation house there, in Baclayon town. There, I spend most of my time on the beach. Sometimes, I spend weekends with my family in our resthouse in Bulacan. There, we have a swimming pool. And we go fishing in the river nearby."

What’s your outlook in life?

"I’m an optimist. I don’t worry. No matter how dark the clouds are, I always scan them for the silver lining."

Name three women you think have nice bodies.

"Aside from Sunshine? Well, there’s Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron and Katrina Halili."

And three men...

"Diether Ocampo. Jericho Rosales. Christian Vasquez."

Using only body language, how would you make a woman know that you admire her?

"I’m careful not to offend women. I do it in a subtle way, through eye contact."

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