Vic's 'Pak! Pak!' 57th B-day gift to fans

MANILA, Philippines - Vic Sotto is turning 57 on April 28 and his new comedy, Pak! Pak! My Dr. Kwak, that opens on Black Saturday serves as his special birthday presentation. After Kristine Hermosa (now his daughter-in-law), he’s getting another young ABS-CBN star as leading lady, Bea Alonzo, who at 23, is even younger than his own kids Danica and Oyo. So how’s Bea considering she’s better known in drama?

“When you’re a good and versatile actress like Bea, it’s not a problem whether you’re doing drama or comedy. Sumabak si Bea rito for the first time in an all-out comedy and she’s good. On cue pati ang pagtulo ng laway niya in one scene. Natural yun and we didn’t have to use special effects,” Vic jokes.

How is it working with Star Cinema this time? “No problem, really, since this is not the first time I’m working with them. I did Hindi Pa Tapos ang Labada,

Darling with Dina (Bonnevie) for them in 1994. Our children then were still very small, ngayon parehong may mga asawa na. I’m definitely glad to be back in

Star Cinema and I will be back for more. I enjoyed working with the other Kapamilya stars like Pokwang and child stars Zaijian Jaranilla and Xyriel Manabat. We all had very good rapport, along with my usual sidekicks, Jose Manalo and Wally Bayola, and my resident director, Tony Reyes.”

How does the story go? “As the title implies, I play a quack doctor, Angelo, who fools people into thinking I can heal them. Zaijian is Angelito, an angel who did some mischief in heaven so he’s sent down to earth with a mission to make me a better person. But I discover he is a miracle boy and I’m the one who uses him to heal my patients. Bea plays Cielo, a new doctor who represents science. As maybe expected, she’s totally against me as I represent faith or fake healing. At the start, we do nothing but fight. It’s Zaijian who mediates between us and we eventually fall for each other.”

Vic has appeared on ABS shows to promote their movies. “Yes, I guested on ASAP and The Buzz while Bea guested on Eat, Bulaga! and played Pinoy Henyo. The movie is really exciting as it’s something different na mapagsama-sama ang various stars from different networks in one movie like this, so I’m sure viewers will enjoy it.”

Bea doesn’t mind if she was just second choice as Vic’s leading lady as the project was first offered to Toni Gonzaga who’s now hosting Happy Yippe Yehey! That’s a direct rival of Vic’s Eat, Bulaga! “It’s really just fine with me kahit pang-ilang choice pa ako as not everyone gets the chance to work with a comedy icon like Bossing Vic. Sabi ko nga, kahit maging dekorasyon lang ako sa movie, okay lang sa’kin basta I’m given the chance to work with him. But as it is, I even got a good role as the doctor who is his foil in the story. Masayang katrabaho ang grupo nila even if they’re Kapuso and we’re kapamilya nina

Pokwang. We enjoyed working with them as it’s really a lot of fun especially for me who’s doing a comedy like this for the first time. At first, I was intimidated. Imagine, I used to just watch him on TV before, now, kapareha ko na. But he proved to be very friendly and accommodating. I found out for myself totoo yung sabing he’s such a gentleman at sobrang maasikaso sa nagiging leading ladies niya.”

She is consistent in saying that she and Zanjoe Marudo are not yet officially on. “But I do admit siya ang nagpapasaya sa akin ngayon. He’s really excited that I got the opportunity to work with Bossing Vic at nanghinayang nga siyang hindi siya nakadalaw sa shooting kahit minsan kasi idol na idol daw niya ito pagdating sa comedy.”