Playing a gay is not new to Pen Medina

MANILA, Philippines – A “new” Pen Medina will greet televiewers in the new GMA fantasy-drama Aso ni San Roque which premieres tonight after 24 Oras. Those used to seeing him in heavy (as in straight) roles in both the small and big screens will be pleasantly surprised to find him with his fingers flying every which way, his hips swinging and his tongue curling wildly with swardspeak in his role as Mother Ben, adoptive grandfather of Mona Louise Rey’s character who keeps a dog as good friend.

“Playing a gay is not new to me,” admits Pen who showed up at the presscon in character, keeping the movie press in stitches with his badingish outfit, manners and way of speaking. “In Death Row, I play the macho-gay prisoner who raped the character of Cogie Domingo. In an episode of Maalaala Mo Kaya, I played the closet-queen father of Bojo Molina.”

He was also cast as a gay character in the indie Mrs. Recto, which stopped production due to financial constraints.

But his Mother Ben character in San Roque is a major, major turnabout altogether.

“This time,” adds Pen, “I play a loud gay.”

It’s a far departure from the reserved gay character played by Eddie Garcia in Bwakaw (still showing in Metro theaters), directed by Jun Robles Lana, which is calendared to compete in several international film festivals (and, hopefully, submitted for consideration in next year’s Oscars’ Best Foreign-Language Film category competition).

In fact, Eddie was the first choice as Mother Ben but the great veteran graciously bowed out due to health reasons. Now into his ‘80s, Manoy Eddie is constrained to cut down on his work load which has been keeping him on various sets until the wee hours of the morning, a punishing schedule for somebody his age.

“I don’t mind being a second choice,” concedes Pen who is a respected tri-media actor who has amply proven his versatility in theater, film and television. “It’s an honor to be a replacement for an Eddie Garcia, my idol and everybody’s idol.”

But, Pen hastens to add that his portrayal of a gay is different from that of Eddie.

“In Bwakaw, medyo mahinhin ang character ni Eddie. In San Roque, todo-bigay ang character ko, talagang out and out bading,” Pen explains in swardspeak.

Directed by Don Michael Perez, San Roque also stars Buboy Garovillo, Rich Asuncion, TJ Trinidad, LJ Reyes, Nova Villa, Gardo Versoza, Paolo Contis, Angelica dela Cruz and Gwen Zamora, plus Anghel as the furry character in the title.

Asked in jest if he’s not worried that he might enjoy playing Mother Ben and, heaven forbid (and woe to his wife and children, one of them actor Ping Medina, if ever!), give way (or, in colloquial Tagalog, bumigay) in the long run, Pen laughs out loud, sweeping his grey hair backward with his swishy fingers, “So far, hindi pa naman ako bumibigay!”