Vhong finds healing in making people laugh

MANILA, Philippines - While he’s very much back to work, his bruises gone and his ongoing legal battles getting “good news,” Vhong Navarro, nevertheless, said the healing process is far from over. 

“I can’t say I’m ‘healed’ because the trauma is still there. Di mawawala yun,” the comedian recently told The STAR in a one-on-one, almost three months after the mauling incident (and the cases filed by him and against him thereafter, which he’s prohibited to comment on) that hogged the headlines.

Vhong said that what happened to him, he thought would only happen in the movies.

The actor-TV host simply wants this episode in his personal life to be over, “malampasan (ko) at ayoko nang maulit sa akin.”

Part of moving on is moving back into the work mode. After the incident, he had to resume shooting the remaining scenes of his new comedy film Da Possessed under Star Cinema and Regal Entertainment, including a scene where he gets beat up.

Even if the scene inadvertently reminded him of his ordeal, he didn’t request his director Joyce Bernal to have the scene scrapped.

“I didn’t request to have it removed because it’s really part of the scene… Yun yung nahirapan (ako) i-shoot kasi medyo alam naman natin na fresh na fresh pa yun at ayokong isipin, ayokong balikan yung nangyari na yun.”

But a man’s got to do what he’s got to do, “kumbaga kailangan ko lang tapusin yung movie at kung para sa character, gagawin ko.”

According to Vhong, whose comedic prowess has been proven by such box-office hits as Mr. Suave (2004), D’Anothers (2005), Agent X44 (2007), all helmed by direk Joyce, when he went back to the set, he felt like he had lost his touch. “I didn’t know how I could make people laugh again after what happened.” He credited the support of his co-stars led by leading lady Solenn Heussaff for helping him regain his confidence.

He could now afford to laugh at the jokes of his co-stars at his expense. During a recent presscon, John “Sweet” Lapus poked fun at the incident, saying: “If what happened to Vhong happened to me, maybe my next movie would be drama or sci-fi.”

Beverly Salviejo, another co-star, related that when Vhong returned, they noticed that he was not himself, “but in the last shooting days, he really got back to his old self.”

Also part of the comedic cast are Joey Marquez, Joy Viado, Smokey Manaloto, Empoy, Lito Pimentel, Matet de Leon and Aaliyah Belmoro.

For Vhong, cliché as it may sound, laughter is the best medicine. He cited his idol, the late Comedy King Dolphy, as an example — he’d like to follow — of someone who used his comedic gifts when it came to taking the rough with the smooth in life.

“(Laughter is the best medicine) sobra, especially kung ikaw yung ‘doctor’ ng pagpapatawa. Sarap gawin yun, gusto ko talaga. Si Tito Dolphy sa gitna ng daming (dinadaanan niya) nung nabubuhay pa siya — alam ko maraming pagsubok ang napagdaanan niya — kinaya niya. Yun ang gusto niya, ang magpatawa, yun ang nagbibigay lakas sa kanya.” 

Vhong is promising a brand-new comedy style in the Da Possessed. “We’ve come up with new antics here. May mga bago kaming ipapauso dito na kalokohan na trip na trip ni director Joyce Bernal. She wanted to challenge me.”

Audiences will also be seeing a different “image” of Vhong, with the changes in his hairstyle, fashion, look and even skin color.

“Also, he has a different (comedic) timing now. Very quick,” said direk Joyce of Vhong.

Vhong, meanwhile, continues to glean lessons from his experience, one of the most important of which is renewing his faith. “Bumalik ako sa pag-simba, sa pagiging madasalin... Ang sarap din kasi nagkaroon ako ng bonding time with my sons by attending Mass every Sunday. I’m Catholic. Before, when I was a young boy, I was always at church, I was a sacristan and I religiously observed (church traditions) like the Way of the Cross. That somewhat changed when I got busy with Streetboys (his former dance group) and showbiz.”

Vhong has also learned to appreciate all the more now his fans and his loved ones. “The support is overwhelming. I want to thank each and everyone. Ang sarap ulit-ulitin ang thank you.”

In Da Possessed, Vhong is Ramon, who ekes out a living by doing landscape art. He falls for his boss Anna (Solenn) who returns the affection because of Ramon’s wicked sense of humor. But a series of bizarre and hilarious events arises when three spirits start to “possess” Ramon.

(Da Possessed opens on April 19 in theaters nationwide.)