Tirso in full circle

MANILA, Philippines - Whoever will write a book on Tirso Cruz III  authorized or not  will certainly devote an entire chapter on his loveteam with superstar Nora Aunor. They were fondly called by fans as “Guy & Pip.” This is where it all began and the former El Bodegon talent not only remembers but also considers it a most cherished phase of his movie career.

“I enjoyed every moment of it because at the same time I was doing something that I love most which is singing. The best part (was) I became a Vicor recording artist and singing love songs (on the screen) to a phenomenal star like Guy,” Tirso waxed nostalgic.

While most actors after a loveteam has dissolved, either slowly fade into oblivion or get qualified to join the Biggest Loser, Tirso has remained fit and handsome in the passing of years. He has become even more visible playing character roles that fit his age.

On Primetime Bida’s Kailangan Ko’y Ikaw, Tirso plays the character of Rodrigo, strict father to Ruth, Roxanne and Red portrayed by Kris Aquino, Anne Curtis and Ian Veneracion, respectively.

“I’m overly strict but it doesn’t mean that I love my children less in this teleserye about two women falling in love with the same man. That man happens to be Robin Padilla who is a joy to work with. In real life, however, I deal with my two sons like they are my barkada. I try to raise them the way my parents raised us.

“Where my showbiz career is concerned, (my father) is a stage father alright pero hindi kinaiinisan si dad dahil sobra siyang ma-PR. For a number of years, he was a headwaiter in a hotel along M.H. del Pilar that’s why he knows how to charm people. Sobrang malapit siya sa press people,” he shared.

Another father role which Tirso enjoyed doing was seen in the stage musical Katy mounted recently at the Cultural Center of the Philippines with Isay Alvarez playing Katy dela Cruz, the Bodabil Queen in the ‘40s. 

“I played a strict Tatay to Katy na medyo stubborn dahil ang kagustuhan din niya ang nasusunod at hindi ako. The highlight of my appearance was singing the song titled Tingnan Mo Nga Naman, which gave me goose pimples. Makabagbag damdamin kasi ang lyrics ng kanta,” he said.

The former matinee idol feels fortunate that he is given the opportunity to work with the best people in the industry and appear in well-conceived projects.

“What I am most thankful though ay ang pagiging maamo sa akin ng trabaho. Everyone knows that the state of the movie industry as a whole is not that good and a lot of my colleagues are jobless. Napakalaking tulong ang dulot ng mga teleseryes aside from their entertainment value. I feel blessed that TV producers still trust me with their projects,” he divulged.

It’s also the popularity of the teleserye that ushered the return of Nora Aunor to acting, thanks to TV5 who signed the Superstar to an exclusive contract in 2011. Her comeback project, a soap series titled Sa Ngalan ng Ina, afforded us the rare opportunity of watching two acting greats (the other in the person of Christopher de Leon) in a performance worth remembering.

On the other hand, Nora and Tirso did a string of successful movies, which made them the country’s unbeatable loveteam during their era. There were a few serious films in between and we single out Bilangin Mo ang Bituin sa Langit (directed by Elwood Perez) as the most memorable. In the movie, they played dual roles and had to age like Rock Hudson and Elizabeth Taylor did in the epic drama Giant.

Both Nora and Tirso are very active today and we wonder why no producer has made an effort to cast them in a relevant project to solidify the contribution they made to the local movie industry.