Reminder from Matteo: Don’t shoot!

Curtain-raisers:

• When a young actress got married (date not specified to avoid identification) to her model-boyfriend, she “banned” her own mother from attending…for a good reason: her mom left for abroad a few years ago and never came back. It turned out that she divorced the actress’ father so she could marry another man. The actress was hurting for her father.
• Which brings to mind another showbiz wedding (date also not specified for the same reason) to which the father of the bride was not invited. Of course, the father (based abroad) was hurt. It was “un-Christian” for the couple to have done that, wasn’t it? (Hopefully, time shall have healed whatever wounds there were between the father and his daughter and son-in-law.)
• Airport authorities both here and abroad are puzzled why a bold actor sets off the alarm every time he passes through the x-ray machine, even if he has taken off his belt, jewelry and whatever it is that should be placed on the tray. Still, he sets off the alarm until the authorities discover…to their amusement…what the cause is. Yes, the actor has planted bulitas (tiny bullets) around his private part. 

* * *

By “don’t shoot!,” Matteo Guidicelli doesn’t mean shoot with a gun but with a camera (especially video).

At the presscon for Tupang Ligaw, his latest indie starrer directed by novelist Rod Santiago for Baby Go (BG) Productions, Matteo was asked what he had to say about actors in sex videos (“solo flight”) that have gone viral at the start of the year. (Sources surmised that those sex videos must have been shot way, way before and have surfaced on social media only lately.)

Asked if he has one, Matteo answered in jest, “Mayroon ba? Hahahaha!,” adding, “Delikado ang social media so everybody and not just actors should be careful with what we post, not just what we do but what we say because the whole world sees it. Social media is open to everybody.”

It doesn’t mean that Matteo is not active on social media.

“I do have Twitter and Instagram,” he said, “but I’m careful about whatever I post. The thing is don’t shoot na lang, huwag na mag-selfie ng mga private activity.”

He and his girlfriend Sarah Geronimo do exchange tweets but only “innocent” ones. If ever he has something personal to tell Sarah, Matteo said he’d rather do it, yes, personally. “Harap-harapan na lang.”

Just done with one season of Single/Single with Shaina Magdayao, the Cinema One series co-produced by Philippine STAR (Season 2 is coming soon), Matteo is re-inventing himself into an action star in Tupang Ligaw in which he plays a soldier looking for his missing brother (played by Pinoy Big Brother discovery Rico Barrera). The search leads him to Barrio Paraiso ruled by El Diablo (played by Paolo Contis). That’s where the soldier uncovers the truth about his brother’s fate.

Determined to prove himself in the action genre and to justify his being a third choice (after JM de Guzman who bowed out due to personal reasons and Xian Lim who was busy shooting Everything About Her, his Star Cinema movie with Vilma Santos), Matteo refused any “double” for the risky scenes.

“He’s daring,” said Dennis Evangelista who is helping BG Productions. “Matteo is also good in the dramatic scenes. Remember, he is a Best Actor winner for the Cinema One film Saturday Night Chills in 2013. One memorable scene shows him revealing to his mother (played by Suzette Ranillo) the painful truth that his brother is dead.”

Baby Go is so impressed with Matteo’s work on Tupang Ligaw that she’s thinking of casting him in a Visayan movie (90 percent of the dialogue in Cebuano) to be shot in Cebu, Matteo’s hometown.

“They told me that I would be playing a poor fisherman,” disclosed Matteo who must find it challenging to be credible as one because he comes from a well-to-do, influential clan in Cebu (former Chief Justice and Senate President Marcelo Fernan was his grandfather). “I won’t have any problem with the dialogue because I speak fluent Cebuano.”

He also dreams to play a Tarzan-like character. Is he willing to wear only a loincloth?

“Why not?” laughed Matteo who is active in sport, fit and fabulous. After all, he has the body for it. “I’ve already done more daring scenes in the teleserye Paraiso, especially those shot in the sea. Marami ring bed scenes d’un.”

Meanwhile, he’s shooting for Regal Films’ Love Is Blind with co-stars Derek Ramsay and Kiray Celis.

Incidentally, Matteo admitted that he and Sarah have no plans yet for Valentine’s.

“We haven’t thought about it. She’s busy promoting her album and I’m also busy promoting my own album, aside from this movie.”

What’s up?

• From reader Manuel P. Calauan (of #73-A, J Bugallon St., Project 4, Quezon City): Kuya Germs had his big break in Eddie Ilarde’s radio program Ngayon Naman on CBN in the ’50s. Everybody knows that Kuya Germs was a janitor/curtain-raiser at the then Clover Theater in Manila. Unfortunately, this showbiz tidbit has been overlooked by the media.
• From Mona Gonzalez (formerly with The STAR), addressing Joey Albert: I know you don’t remember me because I interviewed you decades ago. I read about your story in Funfare and I want to tell you to keep strong and keep the faith even stronger. I am including you in my daily prayers. I pray that God holds you and embraces you and keeps you in His arms through this difficult time.
• Congratulations to Alice Reyes who was reelected president of Aliw Awards Foundation, Inc. which held its 28th awards last year. Other officers: Brian Lu, first vice president; Frank Rivera, second vice president; Tess Tan, secretary; Francis Conrado, treasurer; and Sonny Valencia, PRO. Also reelected were trustees Dennis Aguilar, Efren Montano, Angelo Eloy Padua, Len Santos and Art Tapalla. Incidentally, the 28th Aliw Awards will be aired on Feb. 14, 8 to 10 p.m. on Net 25.

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