MARCO Gumabao plays a magician for the first time in Viva’s pre-Valentine offering, “Spellbound,” an adaptation of a Korean fantasy-romance blockbuster. “It’s a very challenging role for me because I don’t really know anything about magic,” he says. “But for my character, I took a workshop on magic and now, nagagamit ko pa rin ang magic tricks na natutuhan ko.”
He’s a fake magician but when he meets Bela, a girl who can see ghosts, he uses her ability to see spirits in his acts to make his magic act more convincing and it’s a hit. So how is it working with Bela for the first time?
“Kaka-start ko pa lang sa showbiz, nakilala ko na si Bela sa ABS. But now lang kami naging magkapareha. I was nervous at first as she has done several hit movies and she also directs. But in all fairness to her, she never made me feel awkward on the set. It’s not hard to work with her kasi dedicated siya and very focused sa work niya. She’s actually fun to work with, so sana maka-work ko uli siya.”
Their director, Jalz, is also a newcomer. He has produced films like “Huling Chacha ni Anita” and “The Art of Ligaw,” but this is the first time he is directing a full-length movie. So how is Direk Jalz?
“He’s very collaborative. He asks us first kung okay ba gawin namin ang ganito for the scene. He’s very considerate sa actors niya and I think he’s coming up with an impressive first movie.”
We ask Jalz how he adapted the movie from the Korean original.
“Wala kaming masyadong binago, kasi may restrictions ang Koreans about the original,” he says. “But binago namin ito by injecting more Pinoy flavor and making it more relevant to our present time. It took almost three years to complete ‘Spellbound’ because of the lockdowns. When we resumed the shoot after two years, some of the locations we used before are not available anymore, so niremedyuhan na lang namin.”
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‘Finally, last year, I decided na sige nga, subukan ko. No harm naman in trying. – Sofia de Leon’
Photo from Sofia de Leon’s Facebook account
Sofia de Leon is the granddaughter of Joey de Leon and Daria Ramirez from their daughter Cheenee, the sister of Keempee. She is a late bloomer as she has joined showbusiness as an actress only recently.
“I went to college muna kasi and got a degree in culinary management from Treston International College,” she says. “Since I joined showbiz last year, I have finished a movie, ‘Big Boys,’ produced by Daddie Wowie Roxas and directed by Rechie del Carman. I’m also now a mainstay in a sitcom on Net25, ‘Anong Meron Kay Abok’, with Empoy Marquez, directed by Nico Faustino. Our co-stars are Alexa Miro as Juliet, Yuki Takahashi as Jannie, Nico Nicholas as Tisoy, Nicco Loco as Doc Willy, Yow Andrada as Yoyong and Anthony Ocampo as Toni. It’s a very entertaining show and we hope more viewers will watch us.”
She is being managed by Malou Choa-Fagar who has just been appointed as a member of the MTRCB.
“Mama Malou knew me almost my whole life. Maliit pa lang ako, tambay na ko sa ‘Eat Bulaga’ where my grandfather and uncle work. Then nagdalaga ako and kinausap niya ko and she said after elementary and high school, she’ll manage me. But it took me a while before I finally decided to join showbiz. I did a normal job first in Marco Polo Hotel.”
Offers for her to try showbiz continue to come. “Finally, last year, I decided na sige nga, subukan ko. No harm naman in trying. And since then, Mama Malou has been managing me.”
How are Joey de leon and Daria Ramirez as grandparents?
“Well, both of them are very supportive. At first I didn’t tell them that I’m joining the showbiz. But eventually sinabi ko rin and they have been supporting me all throughout naman.”
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Ria Atayde, the new White Castle Whisky calendar girl, is promoting body positivity as Destileria Limtuaco & Co., Inc. marks its 60th anniversary.
The image of the White Castle Girl clad in a red bikini atop a white horse has been immortalized in Philippine pop culture by various sexy stars and beauty queens. But Destileria Limtuaco president and CEO Olivia Limpe-Aw says: “We don’t have to focus on just being thin all the time but on what we can contribute to our family, to society, our country. We felt Ria Atayde best represents all of us. Someone who is full of confidence like her is a beautiful person. Ria is not only a good actress, she also works for her family and is the head of their company that produced Arjo Atayde’s international series, ‘The Cattleya Killer’.”
Ria says she was so surprised when told she’d be their calendar girl. “I never expected it kasi you know naman calendar girls fit a certain mold and big girls like me don’t get to be models for calendars,” she says. “So I was in disbelief. Sabi ko, talaga ba? But I like their concept of instilling body positivity. Kasi I believe one can be sexy and wholesome at the same time. It’s how you embrace your body, flaws and all. So after we did the pictorial for the calendars, sabi ko, ay kaya ko pala. It definitely gave me a lot more confidence about myself.”
White Castle Whisky and Ria Atayde aim to join hand-in-hand in sending out a positive and affirming message on what it truly means to be confident and sexy.
