Curtain-raisers:
Since Carmina Villarroel admitted that she wouldn’t want to work with a young actress (name not mentioned) because she didn’t know how to respect “older” stars like her, she has been pestered with questions about who that “disrespectful” younger star was. Clue: She will never be a June Bride and maybe somebody should teach her a thing or two about Good Attitude.
Remember the actor and the actress reported in a blind item in Curtain-raisers as expecting a baby? The Funfare DPA (yes, Deep Penetration Agent is alive and kicking!) said that the sweethearts are ready to “come out” now that they are moving-in together in their own house. “I think they will get married before she gives birth,” added the DPA. “I heard that they have just done a prenup pictorial.” The sweethearts’ surnames start with the letter “A”. Best wishes in advance, said the DPA.
Meanwhile, a young couple is going through the “too much, too soon” phase simply because they have been sticking to each other like, ehem, Siamese twins. Obviously, the “nearness of you” doesn’t work for them, together 24/7 spending mostly in bedroom lockdown. The starlet said that her career isn’t going anywhere because of her (rich) actor boyfriend and she wants out. If she did, a queue of girls would form posthaste at the actor’s door.
***
For JC Santos, star of Dito at Doon, the first project of TBA Studios for 2021, 2020 was both a bad year and a good year.
“Bad because jobs were scarce,” admitted JC during a recent Zoom mediacom (with director JP Habac, and JC’s co-stars Janine Gutierrez, Yesh Burce and Victor Anastacio), “so unlike 2019 na ang dami kong projects at ang daming directors at producers na nagtiwala sa akin. At the same time, 2020 was a good year because during the lockdown, I got my wish of spending real time with my baby. It’s only now that I enjoy having a baby. My wish then was to bond with my baby full-time before I would go back to work.”
The baby, named River Aletheia, was born early last year. JC and his wife Shyleena Herrera (whom he described as “my high school crush”) decided to post their baby’s photos on social media in March last year.
Dito at Doon is JC’s second project for TBA and also his second movie with Janine (the first was Babae at Baril for which Janine won an Urian Best Actress). According to direk JP, he was at once nervous and excited about it because the movie required online shooting.
“Dito at Doon is about an online romance,” explained JP. “It is set during the lockdown when everybody is disconnected and yet also connected with everybody else, even strangers. That’s how the characters get to know each other, online. But we were able to pull it off.”
JC plays a delivery rider (a frontliner) and Janine home bound with her mom (played by her real-life mom Lotlot de Leon).
“JC’s character and my character meet during an e-numan,” said Janine. “Naging close online.”
Asked if they have ever experienced an online romance, Janine said she did but it didn’t prosper.
“Not my trip,” said JC. “If I like a girl, I would pursue her personally,” recalling that he would travel miles just to be near her. “One time, I fell in love with a girlfriend who was working in Hong Kong. I pursued her. I applied for a job in Hong Kong just to be with her.”
Reader’s reaction
From Cris Macazo:
Dear Ricky,
I really like your article today about John Lesaca. As a child, I only knew him via TV shows until such time I became active in live gigs as well and eventually worked with the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra for about 12 years.
Your column brought me back in time when I first held my violin, a very cheap one but hard-earned though because I had to save for it back in college (I was a working student that time). I entered the conservatory (UST) as a guitar major student but fell in love with the sound of the violin. Yes, I’m a late beginner on this instrument but I surely proved my detractors wrong.
I recently got my PhD in Music (Film Music) degree from the University of the Philippines, writing articles on local film soundtrack and have been attending international conferences. I’m also a contributor to the CCP Encyclopedia in Music volume. Since I’m a Philippine STAR reader, too, I always turn to your articles. I tell myself, “Where does Ricky get all the facts and information for his articles on the daily basis?” Your dedication to your career is tip-top!
Looking forward to more of your writings, especially about our cinema.
Best regards,
Cris
(E-mail reactions at rickylophilstar@gmail.com. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)