MANILA, Philippines - “I think it’s my personality,” attributes Alex Gonzaga her being bubbly and funny. “Since I was a kid, I’m the ‘class clown’ of the family. I think I’m more comfortable with comedy. (However,) I’m happy to be given kid-oriented shows (like Inday Bote) and a rom-com (movie), which I’ll be doing soon.”
This fun-loving, “no-frills” persona of Alex makes her fit in light romance and child-friendly shows like the ABS-CBN’s Wansapanataym Presents I Heart Kuryente Kid, premiering tonight after Goin’ Bulilit.
“My dream is to make people happy,” says Alex. “It’s not my dream to become a superhero ang payat ko kasi (because I’m thin). A superhero is someone (who is well-toned). I just want to become a normal person. I don’t see myself playing one. A superhero (is usually in a body-hugging outfit) na hindi bagay sa akin (which doesn’t look good on me).”
Wish granted, Alex plays Penelope, an ambitious news desk anchor, to E-Jay Falcon’s The Flash-inspired Tonio/Kuryente Kid character.
“I’m running after his character to get a story and to get promoted as well,” says Alex. “We will fall in love. I’m one of reasons why his (true identity) will be revealed.” Kuryente Kid will probably have some trust issues with Alex’s character that most couples go through. And the young married life of Alex’s sister Toni to direk Paul Soriano has been a subject of rumor.
“I think it’s normal because they were recently married. It’s very easy to make money an issue between married persons,” says Alex. “I wasn’t that surprised (when I heard it a while ago during the Q&A). But I didn’t know that there’s an issue (going on) between them. So far, alam ko na wala. She would share everything with me, like if they have a misunderstanding — wala silang major misunderstanding. What she has shared with me is, when she comes home, Paul is already asleep. Ang bilis daw matulog, eh sanay kami sa puyatan, di ba? Tulog daw agad.”
Alex is the right person to speak on behalf of Toni and Paul because she is a frequent visitor of the Sorianos. “They would ask me to come over,” she recalls. “Madalas ako na ang tumatanggi.”
Asked about the affairs of her heart, Alex answers, “Meron naman akong mga taong kinikilala. I don’t want to rush things. I pray and ask God to give me (a sign if this is the right one for me), (yung) wala ng hesitation, ang bilis kong ibigay yung trust.” The host-actress sounds to be relationship-ready. After all, Alex has been single for more than two years now and thinks her parents will allow her to entertain suitors.
“My parents are very concerned about me since I’m the only one staying in my room,” she says. “They would ask me if I wanted to be accompanied. Hindi na sila pwedeng maging strict, yung point ngayon, naintindihan na namin kung bakit nila ginagawa yun. They don’t have to push it. Kusa na naming sinusunod kasi tama naman yung pagbabawal at pag-re-reprimand nila.”
The last quarter of the year will also see Alex in a Star Cinema movie, (with the working title I’ll Never Get Over You) also starring Edgar Allan Guzman, which is about “new-age” moving on with twists that reflect today’s relationships. “We’ve worked before in another network,” she says. “It’s our first (tandem) for a movie.”
Speaking of relationships, Alex is in good terms with her mother network, clarifying issues on her solo concert and non-participation in The Voice Kids Season 2.
“I think with the concert, everything was already settled,” Alex says. “We started taping (Wansapanataym sometime) in June. I think two weeks or three weeks lang akong di nabigyan ng work, na ASAP lang yung ginagawa ko, which, for me, (turned out to be a) blessing (in disguise) because the last weeks (of that month) were the time (spent) for the preparation of my sister’s wedding, and bonding with family. Walang issue with the executives, sobrang okey kami. With The Voice, it was a choice to make. I was doing three shows at that time. I couldn’t squeeze it in in my schedule. Bakit naman mag-a-adjust yung mga coaches at yung ibang mga hosts para sa akin. Hindi mo naman makukuha lahat, naiintindihan ko naman.”
As for the “sensitivity” of doing shows for kids, Alex says, “I have to edit myself kasi nag-joke ako dati at hindi maganda yung response ng tao, kasi hindi naman lahat ay makakaintindi. With this show, I leave it all to our director, dun ako nahihirapan sa ASAP na walang script, sa mga hosting (stints) na mag-a-adlib ka. Dun ko na apply yung pag-e-edit nang sasabihin ko, na tatanungin ko yung co-hosts ko na tama ba yung sasabihin ko.”
With that, all’s well that ends well.