It happens all the time.
Like the mythological character Icarus who burns his wings while trying to fly, wrongly thinking that he can soar on his own, many showbiz denizens start having, ehem, grand illusions when they feel that they have made a “name” for themselves, only to collide with painful reality. Ouch!!!
Let’s hope that the law of gravity doesn’t catch up with Cristine Reyes on whom GMA Network has just slammed its door with a “good riddance” tag stuck at her back.
You see, these past few weeks, Cristine has been blithely showing up in shows on rival channel ABS-CBN, among them Wowowee which is hosted by her “special friend” Willie Revillame, saying that her contract with GMA has expired.
“She is welcome to leave,” according to a statement from the GMA Corporate Communications Dept. (CCD). Meaning, if she wants to go, by all means go!
Here’s the full statement furnished Funfare by GMA’s CCD:
GMA has decided to drop Cristine Reyes from its roster of talents because of her attitude and behavior. She is welcome to leave. The Network has a lot more serious artists to assign important projects to and develop into fine, professional actors. That being said, GMA Network has now closed its doors on Cristine.
Another Fil-Am actress starting to shine in Hollywood
There’s another Fil-Am actress who is making a name in Hollywood. She’s none other than Liza Lapira who is in the cast of Columbia Pictures’ new thriller 21 which opened last week at No. 1 in the US and North American box-office with a $24.1-M gross.
Most recognized in Hollywood for her turn in the Showtime series Huff, Lapira plays Kianna in 21, a key member of a group of M.I.T’s most gifted students that heads to Las Vegas every weekend armed with fake identities and the know-how to turn the odds at blackjack in their favor. By counting cards and employing an intricate system of signals, the team can beat the casinos big time.
Also starring Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth and Jim Sturgess (Across the Universe), 21 is based on the novel Bringing Down the House, the true story of the very brightest young minds in America — and how they took Vegas for millions.
In the film’s production notes, Lapira says that she was astounded by the chance to work with Spacey.
“I was so excited to find out that I got this role with Kevin in the movie. I know it’s a cliché thing to say, but just watching him work, I learned a lot.”
Two weeks prior to filming, Lapira and the other actors who play the M.I.T. team of card counters spent time with card consultant Kyle Morris to learn how to play the game.
Lapira explains, “Before being in this movie, I never thought playing blackjack was fun. But thanks to ‘research,’ we got to go to a lot of cool places. It didn’t feel like we were working!”
Lapira, who pronounces her name Lisa, will next star in Repossession Mambo, opposite Jude Law and Forest Whitaker.
Lapira made her mark in television with a recurring role on Showtime’s Emmy award-winning show Huff. She played Maggie Del Rosario, Oliver Platt’s long-suffering assistant.
Her film credits include Domino, Brown Sugar and LA Blues. Her notable credits on television include guest appearances on Grey’s Anatomy, Monk, The Sopranos and Sex and the City. She has also recurring roles on Law & Order: SVU and NCIS.
She is originally from Queens, New York, and moved to Los Angeles in 2004.
Opening across the Philippines in May, 21 is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.
(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph or at entphilstar@yahoo.com)