Entertainment

Richard Yap hopes ‘to be a surprise’ after ‘Be Careful’

Chuck Smith - The Philippine Star

January 22, 2015 | 1:15pm

MANILA, Philippines - After headlining the TV show “Be Careful With My Heart” for two years, Richard Yap wants to show his audience he can do more than just play Ser Chief.

“Hopefully, I’ll be a surprise to a lot of people (this year),” he said in a press conference for Avon on Wednesday.

Richard spoke to the press as the newest celebrity endorser of Avon, which also launched the RY fragrance line inspired by the 47-year-old actor.

The ABS-CBN star said he will work on a new soap opera this February. Although he’s not privy to the details of the show, Richard said it will be “a little more serious” than his previous TV show.

“I mean, I’m hoping to do more things this year. I hope to do things people have never seen me do,” he told Philstar.com and other members of the press.

He hopes to do “a bit more action” projects this year, as well as do a bit more singing. This February, he is set to do a Valentine’s concert with Ai Ai delas Alas titled “Ai (Heart) Papa.” The two first worked together in the ABS-CBN soap opera “My Binondo Girl.”

“We’ll try a little bit of everything,” Richard said when asked on what showbiz projects he wants to do this year.

Is there fear that he might not be able to equal the success of “Be Careful With My Heart”?

“I think ‘Be Careful’ is something really hard to duplicate. So I don’t expect to do another teleserye that will last for that long,” he said.

Richard added, “I think that’s expected because ‘Be Careful’ was really phenomenal. So I don’t think I’d be disappointed if we do a show that’s less than six months.”

But the actor and occasional singer knows he’s still known as Ser Chief by the public.

“In a way, I’m trying to re-image myself so I won’t be called Ser Chief all the time,” he said, noting that being remembered as Ser Chief is an advantage because “people still recognize you for the role that you play.”

“The disadvantage would be if they stereotype, if you’re stereotyped as Ser Chief all the time,” he added.

He is also happy the showbiz careers of his former TV children Janella Salvador and Jerome Ponce are currently on full swing. Janella stars in “Oh My G!,” the regular series that replaced “Be Careful With My Heart” in the timeslot it vacated. Jerome, meanwhile, stars in the afternoon soap opera “Nasaan Ka Nang Kailangan Kita.”

“I’m very proud that they’re able to do their own show,” Richard said.

“We really started with us, we went on the journey together. That was basically their first show. I hope they’ll be more successful in coming years to come.”

There’s a lot on Richard’s plate right now--aside from his showbiz career, he also has a number of business ventures, and he wants further expand Avon’s RY fragrance line.

“But as much as possible I don’t let all these things pressure me," he said. “I just keep on doing what I want to do and try to improve my craft and whatever it is that I do along the way Just keep on doing what you do best and it will follow.”

Richard also said: "You can’t worry about a lot of things all the time... Trust in what you can do. The rest, you leave it up to God. "