Chasing American Dream not that easy

The way some local actors sound, it’s as if chasing the American Dream, specifically breaking into Hollywood, is as easy as ordering a quick lunch at a fast-food joint. How many local actors have gone to the States with high hopes only to come back shame-faced with disappointment?

One actor won a Hollywood “audition” in a local talent search, only to discover that it was a scam. To sustain his stay in the US legally, he was forced to enter a fixed marriage before coming back to pick up the pieces of a burgeoning career he had left behind.

Another actor sought out a Hollywood agent who promised him “connections” during a chance meeting in an Asian country and how humiliated he was when the agent was nowhere to be found at his given address in L.A., leaving him seated forlorn and totally ignored (as in dinadaandaanan lang) at the corridor.

And how many other local actors and actresses have tried to attend in audition after audition, only to be thumbed-down at every turn, belatedly realizing that the greener pasture is right at home after all?

Of course, there are exceptions, homegrown talents who belong to the lucky bunch (Arnel Pineda and Charice among them).

“Back home,” said Bernardo Bernardo who has been based in California for almost 10 years, “you call a friend who has connections and the next day, may taping ka na. You can’t do that here. Every person of color competes for the same role, so you have to wait and the waiting takes forever. Not like before when if the role was for a Filipino, if you were passably Filipino, that was it.”

A noted tri-media actor-comedian (theater, TV and film), I met Bernardo at a recent get-together at the P.F. Chang restaurant (which now has a branch at The Fort, Taguig City) in Beverly Hills.

To satisfy their artistic craving, added Bernardo, “Unemployed Filipino actors (in the US) have to invest in doing shows, either plays or online shows. It’s expensive even to just audition. I went through it. I went to New York to audition and I spent for my airfare and hotel booking, pagkatapos wala namang nangyari.”

Bernardo was here for a vacation three years ago and he was mulling about the possibility of guesting in TV shows on his next homecoming.

“But,” he doubted, “is there still room for senior actors? Balita ko ang preference ay young actors at pang-supporting na lang ang may mga edad na.”

Not really, I assured Bernardo. Look at Eddie Garcia, Ronaldo Valdez, Dante Rivero and Eddie Gutierrez who are among those still so in-demand for TV roles.

“No harm in trying,” I told Bernardo.

By the way, after dinner, we had a nightcap at an Urth Café outlet nearby managed by Renato Soriano, a Filipino, who has a collection of photos with the café’s celebrity regulars (including Taylor Swift). “They’re all nice,” said Renato. “Pumapayag magpa-picture.”

Incidentally, that P.F. Chang salu-salo coincided with two others held in a span of one week, one of them hosted by Dr. Vicki Belo at Romulo’s Café (Scout Tuazon corner Scout Lazcano, Quezon City) for select movie-writer friends with Rubby Coyuito as special guest.

Vicki had just come back from a leisure trip to Bhutan (setting of Princess & I, the ABS-CBN teleserye) with Hayden Kho so everybody was curious if they were (are!) back as, ehem, lovers.

“We are friends,” was all that Vicki volunteered.

That same night, Regal Matriarch Mother Lily Monteverde invited The Group to sumptuous lauriat dinner at Choi Garden in Greenhills, San Juan City. It was the heat of the campaign and Susan Roces was regaling the group with anecdotes from the campaign trail. Susan went on selected sorties for daughter Grace Poe who is running for senator.

“I made sure there was a side trip to the market where I bought dried fish as pasalubong,” laughed Susan.

For her part, Mother Lily was busy hosting press conferences for senators and senatoriables from both parties (and independents) whom she is endorsing, 13 in all. Mother Lily is now noted for having a “magic touch,” with those she’s endorsing usually emerging victorious.

“Mga anak ko silang lahat,” she said.

Incidentally, is there a candidate in today’s elections whose surname is Wisely?

“How come everybody is telling everybody to Vote Wisely?” asked a Funfare reader.

That’s another joke, hehehe!!!

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. You may also send your questions to [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on www.twitter/therealrickylo.)