AGA Muhlach is quite happy with the positive comments he got for his acting as Mark Alvarez, the mysterious stranger in “Nuuk,” which had its successful premiere night at SM Megamall last Monday. Those who have seen the movie were also impressed by the mystery in the story and the beauty of the ice-covered locations shot in the capital of Greenland.
Aga is suddenly busy as the year ends with two new movies. “Nuuk” is now showing in theaters and next month, he has an entry in the annual Metro Manila Film Festival, “Miracle in Cell No. 7,” a remake of a Korean blockbuster opening on Christmas Day.
We remember we first saw Aga when he was a ten-year-old boy at the shooting of a movie of his late aunt, Amalia Fuentes, somewhere in Intramuros. He was with his late dad, Cheng Muhlach, and we told his dad that Aga has so much star potential. “I’m just praying that he will grow taller than me,” said Cheng did.
And that, Aga did. He went on to become one of the top matinee idols of his era. Now, he just turned golden boy on August 12 and he says he’s not only older, but also much wiser.
“I’ve definitely learned a lot from my mistakes,” he says. “My wife Charlene is a real good influence on me.”
He feels so happy in his life right now. “I’m just grateful that at my age, I still get a lot of good offers and can still do big movies like ‘Nuuk’ and ‘Miracle at Cell No. 7.’ Personally, I’m very happy with my family. Our twins ni Charlene, Andres and Atasha, turned 18 on November 5 and they are both very good kids. My other son, Iggy Boy (his son with Janice de Belen), is also doing great with his own restaurant and has now also has his own family and has given me grandchildren. Really, I feel so blessed and I want to thank God for all His wonderful blessings in my life.”
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Michelle Dee says she can feel some pressure as our country’s next representative in the Miss World pageant to be held in London next month, as both her mom, Melanie Marquez, and cousin, Winwyn Marquez, are international title-holders. Melanie won as Miss International and Winwyn won as Reina Hispanico Americana.
“May pressure, but I think positively and I promise to do my very best to bring home the crown,” she says at the press con of her very first movie, “Cara X Jagger.” “I do believe in myself. I didn’t grow up dreaming of being a beauty queen, but a lot of people are always telling me I have all the qualifications to be one. Now, I’m really preparing hard for it.”
What’s the advice that her mom gave her? “We’re close and we talk about a lot of things but lagi niyang ini-inject ‘yung preparations for Miss World. She says the best thing is just be yourself and don’t try to be the next Melanie or Winwyn. Just be Michelle Dee, embrace everything about yourself, no pretensions.”
She’ll fly to London on November 19 but the pageant’s coronation night will be on December 14 yet. “Marami pa kasing ibang activities before the pageant proper. We’re now choosing kung anong National Costume that I’ll wear to best represent our beautiful country.”
If she would win, then she and her mom Melanie will be the first mother and daughter team to become international beauty pageant winners.
Meantime, we asked Michelle how it was working with Ruru Madrid and Jasmine Curtis in “Cara X Jagger.”
“We had fun. They’re both easy to work with, including our very young director, Ice Idanan. Most of my scenes are with Ruru kasi best friends kami rito who are both into motorcycles.
Nag-enjoy ako. This is actually the first of two films I’ve done. The other one is ‘GLU, Go La Union,’ a barkada movie which is slated for release next year.”
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Jane Oineza has done two films so far this year, “Finding You” and “Henerasyong Sumuko sa Love.” She has now completed her third film for 2019, “Tayo Muna Habang Hindi Pa Tayo,” an entry in the 15th Cinema One Originals that will be shown from November 7 to 17 in selected cinemas. She is paired for the first time with JC Santos, who was last seen in the Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino entry, “Open.” Why is the title of their movie “Tayo Muna Habang Hindi Pa Tayo”?
“Yes, mapapaisip ka and you’d ask ‘ano raw?’” she laughs. “Pero ganyan talaga ang movie. May kaguluhan talaga siya. It’s about problematic relationships and about compromise.”
How is it working with JC?
“First time naming magkapareha at maganda ang timpla ng movie namin kasi may halong comedy and kilig.”
Do they have love scenes? How did she handle them?
“Nag-jell agad kami so walang awkwardness. Maayos ang rehearsals namin before each take with our director, Denise O’Hara. We became close friends while doing this movie. The name of my character is Alex at si JC naman is Carlo. I’m in love with him but he is not ready to seriously commit to a relationship, so I offered na kami muna habang ‘di pa talagang kami.”
Looks like she’s getting to be more daring after she did “Project Feb, 14” for iWant streaming where she had torrid scenes with McCoy de Leon. Her leading man now, JC, is more used to doing daring roles, just like in “Open” and “Don’t Call Me Tita” where he had butt exposure. How about her?
“May butt exposure din siya rito,” she laughs. “At ako rin, meron. Abangan nyo. Ha ha ha!”
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Jo Berry got a lot of positive reviews for her credible dramatic acting in her first soap, “Onanay,” which is now being shown in some countries abroad like in the Dominican Republic where it’s a big hit with “El Amor Mas Grande” as its Spanish title. She’s now getting more positive comments from netizens for her believable portrayal as Alden Richards’ adoptive mother in GMA-7’s primetime drama, “The Gift.”
Viewers say she’s a standout in that scene where she got mad because Alden as Sep is determined to search for his biological mom and she’s afraid he might just get hurt in the process. Netizens say she looks so convincing as Alden’s foster mom when the truth is that she’s younger than Alden as she’s only 24 and Alden is 27.
“Okay lang naman ‘yun,” she says. “We’re just portraying our respective roles. Ganun din naman ako sa ‘Onanay’ as mother nina Mikee Quintos at Kate Valdez. Masaya lang ako na after ‘Onanay,’ where I got to work with Nora Aunor and Cherie Gil, nasama naman ako ngayon sa ‘The Gift’ and given the chance na makatrabaho naman si Alden, si Tita Beth Oropesa as my mom, Lola Char, and si Miss Jean Garcia as Alden’s real mom. Never in my dreams ko naisip na mabibigyan ako ng pagkakataong makatrabaho ang magagaling na artistang ito.”
She said joining showbusiness changed her life.
“Very much, kasi malaki ang naitulong nito sa aming ng pamilya. Malaki ang ipinagbago ng buhay ko. Ang pinakagusto ko, ‘yung comments ng little people na gaya ko, na sinasabing nagsisilbi raw akong inspirasyon sa kanila para hindi sila mawalan ng pag-asa. Ako kasi, never kong kinonsider ang sarili ko na kawawa ako dahil sa kalagayan ko. Kasi, when you see yourself as kawawa, then magiging kawawa ka nga. Lahat tayo, ginawa ni Lord with a purpose at kailangan lang, hanapin mo ang purpose ni Lord para sa iyo.”
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The Barretto sisters have continued their war after All Saints’ Day. Gretchen Barretto attended a party with both Tonyboy Cojuangco and Atong Ang to show that all is well between them. But Claudine dropped a bomb against Marjorie, posting a video taken while their late dad was still confined in a hospital where you can clearly hear Marjorie saying “Inday is so dramatic, baka masapak ko siya.”
Claudine then asks if this is what Marjorie meant that she’s a “good daughter” to their Mommy Inday. She posted on her social account: “My heart breaks for my mom. Although this didn’t surprise me bcoz she does this all the time. Earlier this year she was going to hurt my mom physically & in so many more times. Now that my Dad is not around I promise on my father’s grave that this will never happen again.”
Marjorie answered this in an official statement: “I don’t refer to my mom as ‘Inday.’ We call her Mom or Mommy. Hindi po ang Mommy ko ang pinag-uusapan namin dito. And hindi sinasapak ang 82-year-old Mother. My Mom is one TOUGH WOMAN, none of us can ever overpower her. Let this be known to all that my mom and I are on good terms. There are far more important matters happening in this country like earthquakes. Enough of the Barretto family problems. I don’t want to take part anymore in their dirty tricks, tactics, and cyberbullying. In the meantime, I hope those who took those videos and continue to spread them online are aware of Republic Act 4200. Ayon po sa batas, it is clearly illegal to record someone (audio and video) without their consent. Siguro po dapat kumuha muna sila ng magaling na legal advice bago nila inilalabas ito maliciously and out of its real context.”
Later on, Marjorie also posted: “PROVE this twisted story of yours in court. Prove that I have ever tried to physically hurt my Mother.
“And prove that it was the argument that my mom and I had about Julia giving 500k in exchange for the Subic home. PROVE it.
“Because it was only when Dad was dead that Julia paid the 500k and so much more than any of us. And how we repeatedly made it clear that Julia was not buying the Subic house, long before Dad died, that was clear to all.
“All siblings knew that, you wrote it down in your paper, and you were recording it from your phone without our consent. I will see you in court, the rest of the family will stand by me as witnesses.”
But their mom herself, Mrs. Inday Barretto, declared in her own social media account: “I am the Inday that Marjorie was referring to after a big fight in the hospital about the Subic home own. I’m shocked and in so much pain as a mother.”
Marjorie sent a message to Claudine but she made a mistake and sent it to herself: “Take you proper medications please. Nahihilo ka na sa kuwento mo.”
To which, Claudine quickly made a reply: “Oh my! What happened? Why did you TAG YOURSELF, Marjorie? Tsk, tsk. Don’t worry, I drank my meds. So should you. Mock me all you want BUT NOT PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS. Don’t your children see a psychiatrist?”
Personally, we really hope they’ll settle their differences soon. (Although gossip outlets will wish the contrary as the public is so fond of feasting on this unabashed display of dirt among celebrities.) Actually, in the end, no one wins in this kind of war between members of the same family. They all lose!