Gabby Concepcion on leading lady Marian Rivera’s primetime comeback: ‘I’m just here to support her’
MANILA, Philippines — Gabby Concepcion teams up with Marian Rivera for the first time in the GMA Prime series, “My Guardian Alien.” It’s a fulfillment of a long-overdue plan to have the actor and the actress headline a Kapuso show.
Gabby and Marian were initially tapped to play Vice President Glenn Acosta and Yaya Melody for “First Yaya.” Since the cast and crew would go on a lock-in taping, she begged off as the pandemic-new-normal work set-up would prevent her from doing her mommy responsibilities.
So, the think tank behind “First Yaya” checked on its list of female stars and had Sanya Lopez as its unanimous choice.
“First Yaya” even had a book two titled “First Lady,” with Gabby’s Glenn as president and Sanya’s Yaya Melody as first lady.
And that was three years ago. As cliché as it may sound, there’s a right time for everything.
Finally, viewers have seen the onscreen tandem of Gabby and Marian and begun to follow it in the family drama, fantasy, and sci-fi “My Guardian Alien,” which airs weeknights at 8:50 on GMA.
As Marian makes her primetime comeback, Gabby is solidifying his enduring leading man and actor status.
“Well, ever since, I’ve been very supportive of the entire cast, kung anong ipagawa sa akin ay gagawin ko (I will do whatever is asked of me),” said he in a recent press conference.
“Ayaw ko ngang umiyak, eh, (pero) pinaiyak ako ni direk (I didn’t want to cry, but director Zig Dulay made me do so). I’m just here to support Marian (sa) pagbalik niya (at) para matuto kay direk sa kagalingan niya at sa kagalingan ng mga cast namin (and I’m also here to learn from the brilliance of direk Zig and my cast members).”
The show’s narrative revolves around the family of Carlos, the husband (Gabby), Katherine, the wife (Marian), and Doy, their son (Raphael Landicho). Theirs is a picture of happiness and stability. But this changes when the young matriarch witnesses a crime that will lead to her demise. Such an inevitable reality brings sadness to those who have been left.
An alien, whose pod has accidentally reached Earth, will, in a way, bring Katherine back to life.
“Masarap kasama yan dahil laging nagpapakain yan,” said Gabby of working with his leading lady. “Marian, maraming salamat sa iyong kabaitan sa aming lahat. Masaya at masarap ka-trabaho (it’s nice to be with her, and she would bring us food. Marian, thanks a lot for your kindness. It’s fun and enjoyable working with her.)”
Gabby also said the same thing during an interview for GMA Regional TV’s Sinulog festival event. He could attest to Marian’s generosity to everybody, including the staff and crew, and her commitment and dedication to work.
Like Gabby, Sparkle GMA Artist Center child star Raphael had only nice words to say about his Ate Yan.
“Bilang nanay (ko) si Ate Yan ay masaya (her being my character’s mother in the show is fun),” said he, who also feels the pressure of sharing the spotlight with established actors like Gabby and Marian. “Basta masaya. Totoo yung sinabi ni Kuya Gabby na lagi kaming inaalagaan ni Ate Yan. Lagi kaming busog sa set siyempre (I agree with what Kuya Gabby has said that she always takes care of us, and of course, she makes sure that we’re all full and well-fed on set).”
“Nung una po (na-pe-pressure) pero nung patagal na nang patagal nung taping, nagiging kumportable na po ako kay Ate Yan (at first, I was pressured, but as I’ve worked with her for a longer time, I’ve become more comfortable with her),” added Raphael.
A GMA Integrated News TV report gave everyone a sneak peek into the family drama’s set by saying that actors and the production people’s favorite forms of bonding were (sharing) food and dancing. Raphael would do TikTok content with his Ate Yan.
Young stars like Raphael may consider the working set as their school, where they can learn valuable lessons on acting and longevity in show business from veteran actors.
In a previous brief virtual one-on-one with The STAR, Gabby shared, “You have to be, I believe, nice to everybody on the set. Like my father used to say, ‘Habang paakyat ka, kaibiganin mo lahat dahil pag-baba mo sila rin ang makikita mo.’”
“You have to be humble all the time. You can’t be perfect. You can’t make everybody love you or like you. But at least try not to, you know, hurt anybody’s feelings, and get along with everybody,” added he. “Do your job, do what is expected of you to do.”
That’s why Gabby remains active and visible these days.
After his stints in “First Yaya” and “First Lady,” he essayed the character Darius Rigor, whose meeting with a woman named Lucy has made him believe in love again in “Stolen Life.”
The afternoon prime drama, which featured Carla Abellana and Beauty Gonzalez as his leading ladies and concluded on a high note in the first week of March, was Gabby’s project before “My Guardian Alien.”
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