Bossing bets on his child wonders

CEBU, Philippines – In a press conference with two precocious kids in the panel, it’s anything goes.

You have Niño Muhlach suddenly leaping from his seat mid-answer after Ryzza Mae Dizon bites his arm (“Aray ko! Aray ko! Kinagat ako!”). You have Vic Sotto startled, again, mid-answer, as his seatmate Alonzo Muhlach suddenly screams in glee at seeing his nanny (“There’s my yaya!” –Alonzo; “Ano bang hinithit ng batang ito?” –Vic). And you have media spectators applauding in amusement as Ryzza, asked where exactly in Carcar her mother hails from, would retort, “I want to keep my private life private.”

Such was the riot afternoon we had during the “My Big Bossing” cast interview held recently at the Radisson Blu Hotel, attended by Vic, Niño, Ryzza Mae, Alonzo and Pauleen Luna.

Niño Muhlach’s mini-me

If last year’s “My Little Bossing” MMFF entry had child sensation Ryzza paired with Bimby Aquino-Yap, this three-episode comedy sees the nine-year-old in cahoots with another emerging wonder kid – undoubtedly (in looks, charm and talent) the son of Niño, himself a former phenomenal child star.

Vic shared they were casting for the “Prinsesa” episode when Alonzo appeared on ABS-CBN’s “Pinoy Big Brother.” The tot was cute and seemed smart, so the comedian wasted no time in having him sent over to audition in the “Eat Bulaga” studio.

“Pagdating sa ‘Eat Bulaga,’ nagpasikat na,” he narrated. “Pag kailangang umiyak, iiyak kunwari. Pakakantahin mo, kakanta naman. Pag pinasayaw, sasayaw. Very bibo. Saktong-sakto sa role niya. Hindi na kami nagdalawang salita sa tatay kasi nagustuhan naman niya.”

“My Big Bossing” is Alonzo’s first acting foray, yet Vic declared with confidence that the four-year-old has a long way to go in the biz.

“Umpisa pa lang, makikita mo na kung may paroroonan ba. Just like Ryzza – noong bigyan namin siya ng break last year for ‘My Little Bossings,’ sabi ko malayo ang mararating nito,” the well-loved noontime show host said.

The vivacious Alonzo is Niño’s son with his second wife. His firstborn from his first marriage is now 14 and dabbles in theater.

“As a child star, I didn’t have any bad experiences. It became an advantage, because my parents were able to save up for me,” said Niño. “So I will not deprive my kid to experience the same things that I did. And in this day and age, child actors are treated way better. During my time, child labor laws did not exist. If my scene required that I be submerged in mud, they would use real mud. For Ryzza and Alonzo, their mud was was Milo. So I know my son will be in good hands.”

Niño said Alonzo has seen some of his films. The tot would think it was himself on screen, as the young Niño and Alonzo look like two peas in a pod. “He would say, ‘That’s me!’ kapag nakikita niya yung dati kung mga pelikula,” said the proud dad with a laugh.

When asked if he feels Alonzo will make the same splash that he did, Niño said, “If it happens, well and good. But I don’t want him constantly compared to me. I want him to make a mark on his own. If he surpasses what I’ve achieved, well and good also. If not, at least he tried.”

Better actress

With Ryzza, who just won Best Child Performer during Saturday night’s MMFF 2014 Awards Night, Vic said that he witnessed a much-improved performance from his adorable protégé.

“Sa ‘My Little Bossings,’ puro pa-cute lang, puro tsamba-tsamba lang yung mga acting. Di sinasadya, nahuhuli lang sa camera, nadadaan sa editing. Pero with ‘My Big Bossing,’ she has gone definitely bigger as an actress,” remarked Vic, adding, “And I see the same with this little boy here. Nanalaytay ang dugo ni Niño Muhlach, and we all know how good an actor Niño is.”

The Little Miss Philippines winner said that among the three episodes, she enjoyed the “Sirena” part the most because it had her swimming to her heart’s content. For her mermaid role, Ryzza took scuba diving lessons, and proudly shared that she now owns a scuba diving license (“Pwede na akong mag-drive.” – Ryzza; ‘Anong drive?? Dive! Ginawa mo namang LTO!” –Vic).

Pauleen also revealed that it was Ryzza who thought up some of the details in the first storyline, such as her mermaid character being placed in a basin filled with soy sauce to preserve her fish scales. The “Eat Bulaga” host appears in the opening episode as Tandang Wishy, an old crone who feeds on the desires of children. Her witch prosthetics took two hours to apply, adds Pauleen.

Three episodes, triple budget

Unlike the rest in the cast who only appear in one episode each, Vic and Ryzza had to do triple work as they star in all three episodes.

Each episode has its own storyline, helmed by three directors namely, Tony Y. Reyes, Marlon N. Rivera and Bb. Joyce Bernal. No expense was spared in the overall production, particularly in the fantastical final episode.

This meant the budget also surged three times over.

Urged to comment on criticism that “My Little Bossings” had too much ad placements, with unnecessary scenes inserted just to showcase product sponsors, Vic had this to say: “I don’t listen to that, because I don’t earn from them. Product placements help a lot in our budget. Hollywood does that too. Product intrusions are necessary. Why? Because it’s no joke to produce a film. We’re talking of millions. This film has three episodes, so the budget was also multiplied three times. It’s like producing three movies. But we feel it’s all worth it.”

He adds, “For us producers, we want our return of investment, so that we can invest again for another movie. Sometimes, we don’t seek out the product placements; it’s the brand that approaches us, especially if someone in the cast is endorsing a certain product. Of course, we don’t ignore criticisms, especially those that are constructive. Pero yung iba, sa inggit lang kasi.”