John: When it rains, it really pours

MANILA, Philippines - John Lapus has just built a new five-bedroom house for himself, his mom and sister. “After 17 years in showbiz, ngayon lang ako nagkabahay. I owe it to my four years of stay with GMA 7 and to the many movies I did with Mother Lily and Regal.”

Now 37, he joined ABS-CBN as a researcher for Showbiz Lingo in 1993 after graduating from UST. “I really wanted to do on-cam work so when I got the chance, talagang nag-on cam reporter na ’ko. But I also want to act as I did theater work for Teatro Tomasino. I was covering the shooting of Bala at Lipistik ni Kuya Roderick Paulate and a gay extra can’t deliver his line well, so the director, Maryo J. delos Reyes, asked me if I could do it, and so I did, with flying colors. That was my first movie. Now, Mother Lily wants me to remake it as my launching flick at Regal Entertainment.”

He’s very visible on both the small and the big screen this year. “Aside from hosting Showbiz Central, I got to act in several TV shows like Full House, Diva, Bantatay and I even acted on theater at Dulaang UP’s Shock Value. On the big screen, this is really special for me kasi I did Here Comes the Bride and Mamarazzi, and now I have two Metro Manila Filmfest entries, Super Inday and the Golden Bibe and Shake, Rattle and Roll 12. In Super Inday, it’s my first time to do a title role as the Golden Bibe. I play a naughty angel in heaven who is sent to earth to do good. My power is in laying golden eggs that give superpowers to anyone who’d swallow it. I have to look for someone who has a golden heart, ready to help other people and knows how to forgive. I find all these qualities in Marian Rivera as Inday, a simple provinciana who comes to the big city to look for her long lost mom, Cherry Pie Picache. Each golden egg from me gives her a new special power like super strength and the ability to fly. During a climactic fight scene, I throw her a golden egg but it’s the housemaid Pokwang who gets to catch it. Na-swak sa bibig ni Pokwang so she also acquires some power, with hilarious results. Jake Cuenca, a rich guy, also has powers but it comes from high technology like Batman and Ironman. Our mortal enemy is Mylene Dizon as Ingrid, an evil witch who has lived since the 1800s by stealing the souls of children. Our fight scenes here are filmed with mind-boggling special effects. Director Mike Tuviera has come up with an action-filled comedy-fantasy so I’m sure we have a good fighting chance to be one of the topgrossers. Those who say they’re sure they’ll be No. 1, they better watch out as I firmly believe malakas din ang laban namin sa takilya as this is a film for all kinds of viewers. In Internet polls nga, Super Inday ang binobotong No. 1.”

What’s his role in Shake Rattle and Roll 12? “Would you believe I’m not gay here but I play a man? I’m the best friend of Rayver Cruz who helps him look for his wife, Niña Jose, who went missing while they’re on vacation in a remote island. It turns out that the King of Engkantos in the island abducted her. While searching for her, we meet Andi Eigenmann, a broken hearted girl from Manila who also takes a vacation in the island and becomes the Engkanto King’s new object of desire.”

 This is his fourth Shake Rattle and Roll movie. “In 2007, I was eaten alive by a killer Christmas tree in the Christmas Tree episode. In 2008, I was killed by aswang led by Wendell Ramos and Mylene Dizon in the Emergency episode. Last year, I was killed by a haunted wedding gown in the episode starring Ruffa Gutierrez. Now in Isla Engkanto, I won’t tell you if I get killed again or I survive. Mother Lily and Roselle Monteverde told me not to reveal what will happen to my character to keep the viewers in suspense.”