Dolphy: A legacy of laughter

MANILA, Philippines –  Comedy is serious business. No one else in the Philippine film industry can prove this better than Dolphy, the country’s King of Comedy. He has been in the industry of making people laugh since 1944 yet the actor still shows no sign that he is retiring from showbiz. At 82, Dolphy is starring in “Father Jejemon,” a contender in this season’s Metro Manila Film Festival.

“I love making people laugh. I have been doing this for the last 66 years,” begins Dolphy, whose real name is Rodolfo Vera Quizon Jr.

In retrospect, Dolphy is still amazed at how he has lasted this long in the business considering that when he was a kid, he was insecure because of his asthma. He admits to have suffered an inferiority complex because of his ailment that rendered him indisposed for about a week every time he would have asthma attack. (At the time of the STARweek interview with Dolphy in early December, he was recuperating from his over-a-month bout with pneumonia yet he still displayed astute interest in the interview. Two industrial sized oxygen tanks are on stand-by in his condominium unit in the event that the King of Comedy finds it hard to breathe.)

“But I guess I have lasted this long in show business because all throughout my career I have remained grounded,” says Dolphy.

Humility is intrinsic in Dolphy’s character. In an industry that gives him almost equal doses of ups and downs, he is buoyed by his capacity to “keep my feet on the ground.”

“Humility is the name of the game. Pirmi akong nakatuntong sa lupa,” he adds.

In fact, eating humble pie, so to speak, was his first lesson in showbiz. He tasted it early on when he was cast as an extra in the comedy film “They Died to Live,”the first movie he did where he played a Japanese soldier. Dolphy was with the production crew for six months in Tiaong, Quezon to shoot the movie. When it was shown in 1944, he was very excited he even brought his father to the movie house to see his “first disastrous starring role.” Towards the end of the film, there still was no Dolphy on the screen, prompting his father to ask: “Are you sure you are in this movie?” Dolphy replied: “Do you see the tip of that rifle, Papang? You don’t see me but I am the one holding that rifle.”

With his part cut from the final version of the movie, Dolphy just joked about it with his father; but perhaps inside him, he must have died of embarrassment. Well, like the title of his first film, Dolphy “died to live” again. He persevered and, in time, found himself alive – in the hearts of the many people whose lives he has touched with his brand of comedy. Ever since his first starring role in “Jack & Jill” in 1953 with Lolita Rodriguez, Dolphy’s career has run on turbo engines.

If humility is Dolphy’s launching pad for his career, dedication is what fuels his longevity in the business.

“Dapat masigasig ka at dedicated ka sa trabaho mo. Huwag na huwag kang malulunod sa tagumpay. Pipilitin ka ng tagumpay mo na ibahin ang ugali mo, huwag kang magpapadala (You should persevere and be dedicated to your job. Don’t let success get to your head. Success will try to change you but don’t be swayed by it),” he says.

The Comedy King receives the Order of the Golden Heart (Rank of Grand Collar) from President Aquino as Zsazsa Padilla looks on.

Humility and dedication, Dolphy says, are two characteristics that he also imparts to his children. He has 18 children, more than 30 grandchildren (“I have lost count of how many apos I have”) and 12 great-grandchildren. When he prays at night, his prayers are dedicated to his family. “I am in the winter of my life. I don’t pray anymore for myself. I pray for my entire family’s welfare. Sana maging matatag ang mga buhay ng mga maiiwan ko (I hope the ones I will leave behind will have a stable life).” Upon waking up, his prayers are: “Thank you, Lord, for protecting us through the night. Thank you for the blessings.”

Dolphy adds: “I know and I feel my children love me. Even if in the past I was not so good a father to them, I feel they love me. Many of my children experienced celebrating Christmas and New Year’s Day without me because I would be abroad working,” referring to the years 1951, 1952 and 1953, the times he was in Japan tap dancing in variety shows to eke out a living.

“I did tap dancing in Japan with Bayani Casimiro. In effect we were the original Japayukis,” he says with a smile. “We also went to Hong Kong to do shows.”

Despite his many human weaknesses, Dolphy believes that he is too blessed to complain. “Mahal ako ng nasa taas. Hindi niya ako pinababayaan (God loves me. He did not abandon me),” Dolphy says.

Days before the showing of his movie “Father Jejemon,” a concerned group had called for a boycott of the movie because of scenes that they insisted were “sacrilegious” – one scene showed Dolphy as a priest giving communion and the host accidentally fell into a woman’s cleavage and, in another scene, getting stuck in the dentures of an old man.

“We will take out the scenes. We will not fight with the priest (Fr. Fernando Suarez) who didn’t like the scenes (even if they were approved by the MTRCB). Takot ako sa Diyos. Sagrado Katoliko ako. Lumaki rin ako sa tito kong pari, marami akong kaibigang pari. Hindi ako makikipag-away sa pari. Tatanggalin yung eksena kung hindi nagustuhan ng simbahan. Pasensya na po kung may na-offend. Mahal ko po ang mga pari (I fear the Lord. I am a devout Catholic. I also grew up under the care of my uncle who was a priest. I have many friends who are priests. I will not fight with a priest. If the church did not like the scenes, we will take them out. I apologize if there were people who were offended. I love priests),” Dolphy tells STARweek.

Yes, Dolphy is a devout Catholic. The King of Comedy goes to church every Sunday and has a devotion to “the Lady” of Baclaran Church every Wednesday.

“I am so blessed kaya hindi ako bumibitiw sa kanya (that’s why I always hold on to Him),” Dolphy says.

Proof that he is indeed blessed is the recent award – Order of the Golden Heart (Rank of Grand Collar) – he received from President Aquino.

“Talagang mabuting tao si Pangulong Aquino. Noong panahon ng eleksyon, binato ko siya ng bato. Pagkatapos ng eleksyon binato niya ako ng tinapay. Hindi ba biyaya ng langit ‘yon (President Aquino is really a good person. During the election campaign, I threw stones at him. After elections, he reciprocated with bread. Isn’t that a blessing)?” Dolphy says, referring to the fact that in the May 10 polls, he campaigned for another presidential bet.

Dolphy, as many industry observers have clamored, should have been named National Artist a long time ago. “I hope I am still alive when that time comes. If it doesn’t come, just give me the National Arthritis award,” he jokes.

Laughter is Dolphy’s legacy. No amount of severe pneumonia can stop him from laughing and from making people laugh. Not even a threat from a religious group to boycott his movie.

“I am always myself. That’s what I tell the people in the industry – always be yourself. Also, I make it a point to do something good every day, something I learned from my parents,” he concludes.