Richard & Daniel most watched

We just got through the elections, but if we were to conduct another poll to determine which two male celebrities are on top of everyone’s most-watched list today, it would probably be Daniel Padilla and Richard Yap.

Daniel, who just turned 18, is the son of Rommel Padilla and Karla Estrada. Though he has only been in show business for three years, he is easily today’s most popular young celebrity. Huge crowds follow him wherever he goes. Princess and I, the primetime youth-oriented series he topbilled with Kathryn Bernardo, was a consistent top-rater. Soon after, he co-starred in a movie opposite Kathryn, titled Must Be…Love. Daniel also won big at the Himig Handog P-Pop Love Songs 2013 competition when he interpreted the song Nasa ‘Yo Na Ang Lahat. He has also released two solo albums, both of which turned multi-platinum. Critics may make fun of his singing, but regardless of what they say, the kid has proven he’s a star. His recent birthday concert at the Araneta Coliseum was jam-packed, and his fans’ day at the SM Skydome was also packed with screaming fans, mostly young girls. On top of all that, there is talk that he and Kathryn will soon be returning to TV, a comeback that is hotly-anticipated by their fans.

The other certified heartthrob is as different from Daniel as you could imagine. The 40-something businessman and commercial endorser Richard is mature as Daniel is young. But like Daniel, he has also become the object of adulation by the TV-watching masa. It started with his role as Papa Chen in My Binondo Girl. When that show ended, people weren’t sure of what he was going to do next, much less whether he could repeat the success of his first show. Then along came Be Careful With My Heart and the role of “Ser Chief” and Richard proved that lightning (and luck) can strike twice. The show is a hit, and he became even more popular.

Both Daniel and Richard find themselves in an enviable position right now, but that also comes with a price. Aside from getting bashed by critics, Daniel is also sometimes misunderstood by people. Some have accused him of having an attitude problem, or of ignoring his fans. But the singer-actor simply shrugs off the criticism. Having grown up in a showbiz family with parents and relatives who were — and are — actors, he knows what it’s like. “Alam ko po ‘yung mga ganoon, pero wala tayong magagawa, nasa trabaho po natin ‘yon at sa pag-iwas sa mga negative na puna, hindi naman ako umiiwas, wala po akong pakialam kung ano ang sabihin nila sa akin.”

The success of his birthday concert should quell any doubt that this young boy has arrived in a big way. “Ginawa ko talaga ang lahat para maging successful ang show,” said Daniel a few days after the concert. “Regalo ko kasi ‘yon sa mga fans ko. Gusto kong makabawi sa lahat ng ibinigay nilang suporta sa akin.”

What makes Daniel such a favorite with his fans is that he is humble. In many of his interviews, he’s said that he doesn’t think of himself as a star. “Sinasabi nila sa akin na sobrang sikat na daw ako, pero hindi ko nararamdaman,” he said.  “Ginagawa ko lang ito kasi una, gusto ko ngang makatulong sa pamilya ko at saka siyempre, hindi naman lahat nabibigyan ng ganitong pagkakataon. Nandito ka na, bakit ka tatanggi pa, di ba? Siyempre pagbubutihin mo na lang.”

Unlike Daniel who grew up surrounded by movie stars, Richard boasts of no such background. In fact, nothing about him screamed showbiz until he was in it. But despite that, he has become a big star. He thinks it’s being honest about who he is and his reasons for joining showbiz are what endeared him to the fans. “Maybe just being honest, being frank, transparent, that’s why I accepted it,” he said in a brief interview during the launch of his Amigo Segurado endorsement, which he shares with Daniel. “Even from the start, we already laid our cards on the table. I’m this guy, this is how I am, I came from this industry (business), I have no background in acting.”

In fact, he still considers himself a fan. One of his recent big thrills was taking on a cameo role in Ekstra, an indie film starring Vilma Santos. Richard was positively star-struck, even asking Ate Vi for a photo-op. “She’s a big star.” And he doesn’t consider himself one? “Not like Ate Vi, she’s accomplished so much. I’m just a newcomer. Just because there are crowds following me around, or there are a lot of people admiring me or calling my name, it’s not a ruler by which you judge yourself that you’re a big star,” he said.

With this kind of humility about them, Daniel and Richard will undoubtedly go a long way. Whatever stardom they are enjoying now, these two gentlemen undoubtedly deserve.

And by the way, Daniel can sing.