10 Things You Should Know About Dawn Zulueta

A new Dawn rises

Dawn Zulueta on the power of prayer: “I prayed for children, I got it. I prayed to be financially independent, I got it. I prayed for a good husband, I got it. Career, I have.”

Hailed as the most beautiful, most fashionable and best actress time and time again, this 44-year-old still attracts screaming fans in their tweens, and even outshine beauty queens. How does someone beautiful since birth make life decisions, find love, and defy aging? Here are 10 things you should know about Dawn Zulueta.

1. She is a perfectionist, both at work and as much as possible, in her home. “It’s my wanting to be in control.”

 “I don’t like that there is a stone that is left unturned,” she says about her habit of wanting to know every little detail when it comes to her shoots. “I want to know exactly the ins and outs. I’m also a producer, and I want to be able to help solve if there is any hitch anywhere.” She says it also extends to her home, where she is all about cleanliness, organizing and labeling things. “In the cupboard, I want to see everything. Taller and heavier things at the back and the smaller ones in front!”

2. She admits to having been a “mean girl” in her younger years in school.

She attended grade school in Carilagan, moved to Assumption Antipolo, and attended high school in Colegio Sta. Rosa. “I was always a class officer. President, treasurer, palit palit lang, including muse! That was funny,” she laughs. “I would hold these caucuses with my friends, whenever there was a new student we would assess her. I was the leader of the pack, ‘Okay, is she cool?’ I was the first to approach and introduce myself, we’d try her out, then I’m the one that would ask, ‘What do you think?’ It’s kind of bad! Everyone goes through that phase.” She has one brother, whom she was very protective of. “If I heard that he got into a fight or someone bullied him, I’m there! ‘Who is heeee? Bring him oooout!’” she says with a grumble. “I was like that! Parang hindi diba? Well, I’m not like that anymore.”

Dawn did not continue on to college. If she knew back then what she now knows, would she have balanced her work and college? “Yes,” she says forcefully. During that time, she wasn’t really sure of what she wanted to get into — maybe become a fashion designer (“But back then there were no schools for that”) or a biologist (“But I wasn’t into math, show me numbers naduduling na ako”). When she was accepted in UP, she had already signed a contract with Viva Films. “I was 18, I was already independent, my concern was how to survive, how to pay the rent. If you have concerns like that, immediately you have to prioritize.”

3. She has one big regret in her career: declining doing a movie with the late, great director Lino Brocka.

“He even called me on the phone, almost parang begging, saying ‘You know, I’ll take care of you, you just have to trust me. This is the role, you are going to be a mistress and it’s Eddie Garcia who is playing the part. I understand your reservations but I know you can do the role. This is the thing. There is this kissing scene.’ Ay! Wait! Talagang I was so torn. I just could not imagine myself. I was 18. I was so prudish. I can’t believe I turned him down. I actually turned him down,” she recalls. “You know a few months later, he died, he got into that fatal accident. That is one of my regrets, that I didn’t get to work with that masterpiece of a man.”

On being a reluctant celebrity: “I only started to appreciate it when I got commendations. It was only then I started to feel, ‘Maybe there is something more to this than just the money. They see something in me that I don’t even realize. I should think about this.’”

On whether she regrets any role she took on: “Every time I look back, I think sana I paid more attention to the kinds of roles I took on. I don’t regret that I took on certain roles, but sana I thought better about how to portray it. Sana I was more interested in what I was doing.”

4. Dawn Zulueta in numbers:

29: Number of years in the industry

8: Number of awards won, including 1992 Famas Best Actress for the classic film Hihintayin Kita Sa Langit. Dawn has done 38 films, plus numerous TV shows and musicals.

7,000: Number of pesos paid as her talent fee for the Close-Up commercial that launched her showbiz career when she was 17.

31: Her waistline in inches. “I have tried all the treatments in Marie France kaya I know they work. It all depends on what your body needs, just consult with their doctors.”

17,619: Number of fans on the Facebook fan page of the official CharDawns, the nickname for her love team with Richard Gomez.

5. On the undying magic of the Richard-Dawn love team: “I suppose it really has a lot to do with the fact that we’ve had a past, and it was a serious relationship what we had before.”

She shares that after they broke up, it was around two years of no communication before they were able to be friends again. “Aside from being able to pick up a little from that past, there is also all this time that he and I have been able to evolve separately. I feel excited to work, with him particularly. Sa dami na ng pinagdaanan namin together, all the experiences we’ve had in the last 15 years, we had separate lives na, got married, had children, we are able now to collaborate and use all these experiences to enrich our characters,” she explains.

On their die-hard fans: “We started to see this new breed of fans, kasi they’re young, they are already the kids of our fans, let’s put it that way! It was really clear when we did the Walang Hanggang Pasasalamat show in Araneta. Before pa coming out onstage, we could really hear the people. And when he and I came out, just the way the crowd reacted, I turned to him and said, ‘Can you believe this?’ ‘I can’t.’ ‘I can’t either. I don’t know how this happened.’” She compares it to the fans they encountered before and adds, with a laugh, “Hindi mo na ine-expect kung gurangers ka na diba?!”

“I approach my work differently now. Unlike before ang dami kong insecurities. What are people going to think if I do this? If I say that? I was so concerned. Now I just want to be myself, there’s nothing wrong with being myself. I’m secure in that thought, and that’s the thing that I wish I learned earlier.” She declares: “I’m open na now, I have no fear.”

6. Before they got married, she actually told her husband Congressman Anton Lagdameo: “I don’t want to be a politician’s wife.”

“I remember before we got married, it was one of my considerations. I told him, ‘You better promise me you won’t enter politics.’ His uncles were already in it, baka mamaya siya na ang patakbuhin. Ayoko. I really don’t like. So yeah, he promised me. But of course we all know now that that promise is broken,” Dawn laughs. “I could not naman be selfish. I couldn’t say, ‘No, because you promised me.’ I saw that he’s perfect for the job. He is a people person, community-oriented, he really wants to help. I’m proud of his achievements. And now it’s already his third term, landslide win pa din.”

It was actually when Dawn had decided to give up on dating that she realized Anton was “the one.” “I was tired already of partying, I was tired of the single life. You’re always on the lookout, who’s my next date, who’s the prospective boyfriend. I didn’t want that anymore. I felt, if nothing na talaga, I don’t mind growing old this way. I’ll just work and work, okay lang, magpapayaman na lang ako! If there is really somebody out there for me that God has planned, then you just plop him here in front of me. I don’t want to go searching anymore I’m tired na,” she recalls. They’d been friends for some time, until one day, Anton set up Dawn to spend “alone time” with him. “I liked what I saw, we kept dating. And that was it.”

7. On exposing her kids to showbiz and politics: “I want them to get to know my work and understand it better and have an appreciation for it, same with their dad’s work.”

Colleagues in the industry attest to how Jacobo, 7, and Ayisha 3, are often spotted on set with Dawn. “As much as possible I take them around with me, if the whole week is work, they just come to my set, or even to Congress,” she shares. “The time I am not working, I am just with them. I really just try to stay with them, even if it’s just to lie down and sleep, or even if we are not talking and we are all on the iPad. Basta we are together,” she laughs.

“I’m especially proud when they have achievements. When Ayisha uses big words when she’s talking, like the other day she used the expression, ‘What the?!’ Ha? Anong ‘What the?!’ And Jacobo, he’d come home with a (soccer) trophy kasi daw naka-three strikes siya!”

8. Dawn’s five most treasured fashion items:

1- Black mink fur coat: “I really love it talaga but I can only wear it when I’m traveling. I tell Anton, ‘Can we go to the opera? Broadway? I just wanna wear this.’ He got it for me last December. I am lucky my husband loves to shop.”

2 - YSL Tributes: “They are so comfy even if they are so high, you can be on them the whole day!”

3 – Let’s-go-anywhere bags: “Right now I am loving my Loewe. I try not to have too many bags that are only for a certain outfit or occasion. I like these dump-anything-inside-and-go kinds of bags.”

4 - Large sunglasses: “I have a collection of all these bubuyog sunglasses. Especially in our weather. My dream is to find the perfect big one that is also polarized.”

5 – Jewelry: “I am really a collector. As a matter of fact, I collect it more than real estate. I’ve always believed that it’s about the only kind of investment that really grows.”

9. The four bad habits Dawn broke in the name of beauty.

1 - Baking under the sun: “I was a child of the ‘70s. We didn’t have sunblock. Back in our time, nagpapasunog talaga kami! I would bathe in beer or Coca-Cola and lie down in the hopes of getting roasted. Bad talaga yun! People think nagpa-glutathione ako. No, I just really stay out of the sun. Now, just from the door to the car, nagtataklob pa ako.”

2 - Not paying attention to skin types: “For many years in my adolescent years, I suffered through acne. Not only my face, my chest, my back. I used to wonder why, until about 15 years ago when I met this derma friend of mine, she said, ‘i-skin test kita.’ I discovered after, I was allergic to perfume! And here I was with my pabango (she motions spraying all around) Yun lang pala. Just find out what you are allergic to, don’t be tempted to buy all these expensive things.”

3 - Lack of sleep: “Sleeping for me is important talaga. But sometimes with our work you cannot help it. I really need eight hours.”

4 - Sleeping on her side: “Never sleep like this! (she motions her hands on the side of her cheek) Your lines will become deeper! How do you do it? You have a pillow wedged here (she points to the front) and wedged here (points to the back) That way you will never slide too much burying your face in the pillow. I have a hundred pillows on my bed!”

10. Dawn admits to having gotten pretty much everything she wanted in life: “I’m very positive kasi when I think about my dreams. When I think about what I want, I can really see it in the future.”

“I prayed for children, I got it. I prayed to be financially independent, I got it. I prayed for a good husband, I got it. Career, I have. There are other things I am praying for, but I know I am going to get it later on. Even if it doesn’t look like it is doable, I believe in it,” she says. She does reveal one thing she really wanted but didn’t get: “When I was younger, there was this guy that I really had the biggest, biggest crush on. I prayed so hard sana he’s the one I’m going to marry. But I didn’t marry him. I would’ve still been happier now than if I had gotten my wish!”

Other things she wishes for? “I envision that my children go to Ivy League schools, or maybe in Europe, and that I will be traveling when I am older to visit them. And I have a home somewhere in Europe, it’s a dream talaga for me!”

* * *

“How does it feel? I’ll give you a hint of what it feels like,” she gets close when asked what 44 feels like, as opposed to when she first hit the peak of her career in her 20s. “Honestly, you know what, I still feel like I’m 24. Here (points to her mind) and here (points to her heart). When I was in my 20s I used to look at 40s as so old. But now I realize, this is what it feels like pala. There really is no difference! You’re just coughing a bit more, you have back pains, but that’s all. As long as I take care of my body I think I’ll enjoy myself ‘til I’m 70 or 80.”

http://www.philstar.com/sunday-life/2013/05/26/946198/new-dawn-rises 

10 Things You Should Know About Anthony Taberna

On the air with the fearless Anthony Taberna

Anthony Taberna once pretended to be a seminarian to get a scoop — ‘the mother lf all tapes’ — the Garci tapes in 2005.

Known for breaking down the biggest national issues on morning TV and for his hilarious, hard-hitting commentary on AM radio, “Ka Tunying” has an undeniable, unconventional charm. Making the most serious issues easy (and fun) for all of us to understand, what makes him the new generation’s news idol? Here are 10 things you should know about Anthony Taberna.

1. His teacher had to pick him up from the rice fields just so he could enroll for his senior year in high school.

“Hindi na po ako mag-aaral kasi wala naman po akong pambayad,” he answered when his teacher Mrs. Castillo asked him why he hadn’t enrolled, with the school year having already started. “Nagbibilad ako ng palay sa tapat ng bahay nun! During that time kasi, na-stroke na yung tatay ko. Yung nanay ko wala namang hanapbuhay, at wala namang grumaduate sa aming magkakapatid (he is the fourth of seven siblings). At least ako nakatapos ng third year,” he says. The next day, his teacher came back and told him that the principal of General Jesus Academy, Noemi Villanueva, decided to pay for all of Anthony’s tuition and miscellaneous fees just to ensure he would finish school. “Naka-graduate ako with honors. Sa high school, nasa top 10 ako lagi. Yabang ko nun eh, nasa elementary public school ako, valedictorian,” he says with a laugh.

He went on to take up mass communications in New Era College, with his sister paying for his first semester, and a scholarship (“May nadiskubre ako, may Presidential decree pala si Marcos, for every 500 students, may iilan na dapat ma-libre sa isang private institution kung qualified, nag-qualify ako”) for the remaining semesters. He was accepted to take on a part-time job in both Jollibee and DZEC radio, and he decided to choose radio (“Related naman sa kurso ko”) in 1992.

2. He did not believe that the offer for him to be on TV was real.

“Hindi ako naniwala na matatanggap ako. Pinag-audition kami ni Gerry (Baja, his radio partner for 13 years and still going strong), pareho kaming nasisilaw-silaw sa mga ilaw, patingin-tingin lang sa camera. Eh siguro mas pogi ako kay Gerry kaya ako kinuha,” he laughs. It was 2005 when he took his first on-cam job for the morning show of ABS-CBN, and has consistently been the main anchor since 2006. “Nalungkot ako kasi gusto ko sana magkasama kami, dahil malaking parte ng success ko sa radyo ay dahil kay Gerry.”

“Alam mo ba hanggang ngayon nai-intimidate ako sa artista? Pag nakasalubong ko, nahihiya akong batiin. Nung bagong salta ako, nanibago ako kasi napapanood ko lang kayo sa TV eh! Natakot ako baka iba yung treatment sakin. Pero okay naman pala, mabait naman pala!”

3. Contrary to what some people think, Anthony is not a lawyer. At 38, however, it is still his dream to become one.

“Nag-cover kasi ako ng Supreme Court for radio. SC, DOJ, Ombudsman, Sandiganbayan, Manila courts, araw-araw walang paltos nagbabasa ako ng desisyon ng Supreme Court. Mahilig pa ako magbasa ng John Grisham books, lahat ng libro niya nabasa ko. Actually hindi ko napapansin, unconsciously, nagpo-programa ako sa radyo biglang may binabanggit ako na provision sa batas,” he explains about his “lawyer” persona. He wanted to take up law way back in 1998, but discovered he still had unfinished units in college. “Hahanapan ko ng oras ’to, gusto ko maging lawyer someday.”

4. The worst death threat he received was a bomb (that exploded in the wrong house). “Palagay ko sa dami ng galit sa akin, hindi ko mahuhulaan kung sino,” he says with a laugh.

Death threats to him usually come through letters, e-mail or text messages, but there haven’t been that many recently. “Nung April 2010, may nag-invite sa akin sa Tacloban so sinama ko si misis. Sabado yun. Pagbalik namin ng Linggo, meron daw akong kapitbahay na nilagyan ng improvised explosive device yung gate. Nasira yung gate, dalawang kotse, natamaan pati taxi sa labas. Kinahapunan bumalik yung pulis at sabi, ‘Sir, kayo ho target nung bomba. Pareho yung description ng bahay ninyo at nung target,’” he reveals for the first time. Anthony says that the bomb exploded around 4:30 on a Sunday morning and it is at that time, every Sunday, that his wife Rossel leave for church. “It’s either tanga lang talaga yung nautusan o isinalba talaga ako ng langit,” he says.

On coming face to face with personalities he has bashed on radio: “Ako kasi malinis naman lagi ang konsensya ko pag may tinira ako. Babatiin ko pa din sila. May isang incident na yung tinira ko, babatiin ko, tinabig pa yung kamay ko. Sabi, ‘Ikaw naman, napaka-unfair mo.’ Isang incident lang naman yun, pulitiko. Yung iba, civil naman.”

5. His most memorable radio moment was being the first to break the news of the “Garci tape.”

“Tandang-tanda ko. June 6, 2005. One ng hapon nung inere namin; nilabas ni (then President Gloria Arroyo’s Press Secretary Ignacio) Bunye yung dalawang tape,” he says of the audio evidence of alleged cheating in the 2004 presidential election. “Alam kong may iba pang may hawak ng kopya nun, pero walang nangahas mag-ere nun kundi ako. Pinagpaalam ko yun sa station manager namin, si Angelo Palmones.” When he asked why he trusted the source of the tape, he says, “Mahabang proseso eh, matagal ko nang source yun. Marami na siyang binigay na storya sa akin na hindi pumalpak.” He shares that it was actually a government official who triggered his urge to air the controversial tape. “Earlier that day, nung 7:30 a.m. na Dos Por Dos, in-interview namin si National Security Adviser Bert Gonzales. Alam ko nang may tape nun, at alam ko na ang laman ng tape. Sabi niya, ‘kung meron kayong tape eh di ilabas ninyo.’ Inisip ko parang ang yabang naman ng taong ito kung makapag-dare. Nilabas ko nga.”

The story takes a comedic turn: Anthony shares how he traced the story to “the mother of all tapes” that everyone was following on the news. “Nung nag-presscon si Samuel Ong ng hapon, alam ko dinala siya sa San Carlos Seminary. Lahat ng media bawal pumasok. Ako lang ang nasa loob nun. Dumaan ako sa guwardiya, naka-polo na blue, may salamin, may hawak akong maliit na clutch bag. Naglalakad ako, binati ako, ‘Brother!’ ‘O, brother,” binati ko din at dere-derecho ako sa loob. Tapos yung mga nakakasalubong ko na seminarista, binabati din ako ng ‘brother!’ he says with his trademark naughty laugh.

Another memorable story was the 2005 Morales vs. Pacquiao fight. “Di pa uso pay-per-view nun. Hindi ako pinayagan ng opisina maging official reporter, hindi daw masasagot eroplano ko, so dumiskarte ako. Ringside ako, at ang usapan namin ni boss Angelo, per round magre-report lang ako ng summary. Pero ang ending, tinapos ko all 12 rounds daldal lang ako ng daldal! May mga nagsabi naiyak sila sa coverage ko, talo si Pacquiao nun, dumugo ang mukha niya. Nung pinakinggan ko yung recording, naiyak nga ako! Grabe pala yung passion ko sa coverage ko, parang pinsang buo ko si Quinito Henson sa pinagsasasabi ko,” he says laughing.

6. As a journalist, he is extremely opinionated about political personalities, but during election time, he is part of a bloc vote as an Iglesia ni Cristo faithful.

How does he reconcile being passionate about whom he likes and dislikes, while at the same time being told who to vote for? “In fairness sa Iglesia, sa leadership, hindi nila ako inaawat sa komentaryo ko, pabor man o kontra sa sinumang sinusuportahan nila. Klaro kasi sa isip ko at sa kanila din, na yung pagboto ng Iglesia as one, doctrinal yun para sa amin. Bago pa ka pumasok at ma-baptize, tinuturo na yung 25 lessons ng Iglesia. Ang pinaka-papel ko lang sa pagboto ko tuwing araw ng eleksyon, ang paniniwala ko, sundin kung ano ang desisyon ng church leadership,” he explains. “Ang totoo, maraming sinusuportahan ang Iglesia na personally hindi ko gusto. Hindi ko talaga gusto pero binoboto ko. Halibawa si Gloria, nung nagpasya ang Iglesia na iboto si Gloria nung 2004, napakahirap sundin para sa akin. Sa loob loob ko, bakit ko iboboto tong tao na to eh alam ko naman maraming atraso sa bayan to, at personally, tingin ko, mali yung paraan ng pagkakaupo niya sa pwesto. Si P-Noy, binoto ko, kahit na naniniwala ako na hindi siya handa nung umpisa, may mga senador din akong binoboto na hindi ko din gusto. Pero lagi at lagi nananaig sa akin, bakit pa ako nag-relihiyon kung hindi ko din rerespetuhin yung pasya ng namamahala ng Iglesia, niloloko ko lang sarili ko kung kunyari sumusunod ako pero hindi naman.” Both he and his wife have been Iglesia ni Cristo since birth.

7. As tough as Anthony may seem, there are three people who never fail to make his heart soften: his daughters Zoey and Helga, and wife Rossel.

“Kapag tumatawag sa akin, ‘Daddy, umuwi ka na,’ tapos sasabihin ko may work pa ako, magkwe-kwento sila ng, ‘Yung classmate ko nga eh, ang nag-fetch sa kanya yung daddy niya,’ Naku po,” he says with his voice starting to crack. “Pagka narinig ko yung mga ganung klaseng pasakalye, minsan nagpapaalam ako sa boss ko, tatakas lang ako susunduin ko yung mga bata. Di ba tayo pagod na pagod lagi madaling araw hanggang gabi nagta-trabaho? Akala ko dati lokohan lang yung sinasabing nakakapagpaalis ng pagod ang mga bata. Totoo pala.”

Weekends are sacred to the Taberna family, doing their kids’ projects together (“Hindi nila tinatapos lahat, gusto nila may participation ako lagi”), going to the mall, watching movies (“Nagsi-sine, kasi may atraso din ako sa oras sa misis ko”), going to Church (“Nagtuturo ako sa mga bata sa church every Sunday”), and when possible, taking the kids to go swimming.

8. Three people he has not interviewed that he would like to interview, and the one question he would ask them.

1. President Noynoy Aquino: “Hindi ko pa siya nai-interview since naging Presidente siya. Itatanong ko kung galit ba siya sa akin.”

2. Celebrity Kris Aquino: “Kung tototohanin ba niya yung ayaw na niya magtrabaho, na magre-resign na siya? At tungkol sa pulitika, kung magpre-Presidente din ba siya. Palagay ko, ako ha, ang opinyon ko, mas magiging magaling na Presidente si Kris kay P-Noy.”

3. Senatorial candidate Nancy Binay: “Hindi kaya napapasubo lang siya sa pinasukan niya? Tingin ko hindi niya gusto eh, ramdam ko.”

He believes the country’s biggest problem is corruption. And how to solve the problem? “Cultural revolution na ang kailangan dito. Kapag sinimulan ng Presidente, at totoong gusto niya, magagawa niya. Leadership by example andiyan na eh, kailangan pa niya hatawin ng todo. Imagine nakaka-three years na si P-Noy, meron siyang 60 percent approval rating? Saan ka naman kukuha pa ng ganun? Kung baga ito nang pinakamagandang pagkakataon para hatawin niya lahat.”

9. Anthony Taberna in numbers:

21: Number of years in the industry. He started out as a news writer in 1992 for DZEC, became a reporter, then a producer, before he became a news anchor.

5: Number of years he and wife Rossel (who is 10 years younger than him) have been married.

6: Number of major awards he has won for TV and radio broadcasting, including Best Newscaster at the PMPC Star Awards in 2011.

30: Units of insulin he injects himself with daily, with a diabetes level of 170 (the highest normal level is 110).

2: Number of libel cases filed against him. “Na-abswelto at na-dismiss na yung mga kaso.”

10. On where he gets his fearlessness: “Kapag nakikita ko yung mali, o mga bagay na sa tingin ko ay mali, hindi ko yata kayang magsawalang kibo.”

“Takot ako lagi, especially nung nagka-asawa at mga anak na ako. Paano na sila kung madidisgrasya ako? Pero ang bilin kasi ng magulang ko, lalo na ng tatay ko, ang mali ay mali. Ang tama ay tama. Ipinapaliwanag ko lagi yan sa misis ko, lalo na pag sobrang natatakot siya. Naniniwala pa rin kasi ako na sa pamamagitan ng maliliit na tinig ng mga taong nabibigyan ng tsansang magsalita, gaya ko, may pag-asa pa rin ang bansang ito. Kapag naging maayos, mga anak ko rin at ang henerasyon nila ang makikinabang sa mas maayos na lipunan at mas malinis na gobyerno.”

* * *

I personally look up to Tunying and in fact, so many people who found out I would be interviewing him told me to tell him na “idol” nila siya. Even actor John Lloyd Cruz (who is idolized by millions) once revealed that his idol among news personalities is Tunying. What is it about him, despite being naughty, green-minded at times, and seemingly happy-go-lucky, that makes him admirable? In the words of his wife Rossel, when asked what trait she loves most about him, she says: “God-fearing. And you know pag God-fearing ang isang tao everything follows. Kampante ako that he will be a good boy all the time!”

http://www.philstar.com/sunday-life/2013/05/12/940945/air-fearless-anthony-taberna 

10 Things You Should Know About Marlon Stockinger

Marlon Stockinger: From racing karts in Cavite to winning in Monaco

Driven: Mario Stockinger quit school to pursue racing fulltime. “So I told my parents, ‘I know it’s a risk but give me a chance to really commit myself to it.’”

Before you easily dismiss him as just another good-looking half-Filipino celebrity, know that he is the first Filipino to be taken in as a junior driver for a Formula One team. After winning the GP3 series of 2012 in Monaco, he is now one step away from being the first-ever Filipino racing driver in the prestigious F1. Here are 10 things you should know about Marlon Stockinger.

1. Marlon grew up on the streets of Malate playing patintero and tumbang preso.

He was born and raised in Malate, Manila, finished high school in the British International School, then moved to Europe when he was around 16 years old. “We lived in an apartment building on Syquia. We usually just ran up and down the stairs then played out on the streets. We’d come home really dirty and my mom would be so angry,” Marlon fondly recalls. He also spent a lot of time with his grandparents on his mother’s side in La Huerta, Parañaque. “In the beginning we really didn’t have much. It’d be me, my sister, my tito all in one bed. It’s not like we had separate rooms. We didn’t have hot running water, we’d have to heat water up first before taking a shower. It was really simple. I had so much fun growing up and being in that environment taught me a lot.”

He currently lives in Switzerland, but divides his time between the Czech Republic where his team is based, and London where F1 is based. Plus, he comes home to Manila around 10 times a year.

2. He placed sixth in the first karting race he joined when he was 10 years old, and remembers proudly placing his glass trophy on top of their TV set at home.

“I was nine years old. My father had started racing in go-karts and I honestly didn’t know anything about the sport. I went, he just put me in a really small go-kart that I didn’t even own. I didn’t even do one lap, it was straight lang, I didn’t even do any corners. I stopped, I looked at him and I said, ‘I wanna race.’ That was it,” Marlon recalls. “It just has this stereotype that it’s elitist, it’s unpopular, because people can’t relate, but I truly believe it’s more popular and has more of a following than what most people think.

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“I came home with my first trophy, I was happy,” he recalls of his first Philippine Karting Championship experience. Every day, I looked at it and I was like, ‘Yeah, I got that!’ It wasn’t like a win or anything, but it just felt really cool that you could take these home after a race.” Marlon says he enjoyed karting not just because it was a hobby he shared with his dad, but also because it’s where he got a taste of “independence.” “To be out there on your own in your little go-kart, you just get to do your own thing. No one is telling you that you can’t do that, you can’t go this fast.”

3. On his first car: “It was not very impressive, I didn’t like her a lot.”

“It was a 1.2-liter Polo Volkswagen, parang mukhang paa ni Voltes V. It was incredibly small. I got it when I moved to England,” he shares. His first passenger? His dad. That was the start of his living alone and abroad. “It was quite a scary experience being out there and trying to learn everything. I’m really thankful, I learned things beyond my own, and it gave me a lot of responsibility.”

He was juggling college at CATS Cambridge with his racing career when he decided to quit stop school. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t handle both because it was like falling between two stools. Neither of them were doing really well. I was always away from the racing, and when I would come back I was always behind in school. So I told my parents, ‘I know it’s a risk but give me a chance to really commit myself to it,’” he reveals. He admits being somewhat jealous of his sister Audrey who is currently taking up law, saying, “She’s on campus, she has friends, she’s out every night!”

4. Marlon Stockinger in numbers:

11: Age when he won his first championship at the Cadet Class Philippine Shell Super Karting Series.

350: Measurement in kilometers per hour of the fastest speed he’s ever driven.

11,000: Number in kilometers of the farthest distance he’s driven in one day. “From Switzerland to the South of France. It was tough, I was with a friend so we shared the drive. We played music and games, and I like eating small chocolates to keep the energy up.”

0: Cash prizes from all the tournaments he’s won. “Its the respect, the name, and the prestige. And hopefully with that you get endorsements and sponsors. The drivers of F1, their salaries can be anywhere from 250,000 euros to 25 million euros a year.”

30: Approximate number of people on his team, the Lotus F1 Junior Team. “On my car, there are two mechanics, the engineer, two data engineers, then another set for the other car. Then our team manager, physical trainer, press officer, and others.”

5. On his biggest flaw: “I’m a really bad loser.”

“I’ve lost a lot, definitely. Obviously, in the media, people only see your highs. If I didn’t go through that process of losing and accepting that people on their day can be better than you, I don’t think I’d be able to win also,” he shares. “I think it’s important that you not only learn how to win but learn how to lose at the same time.”

On what he’s like the day after a loss: “It’s terrible! Sometimes I have to watch myself, honestly. Every time I have a really bad race, I can’t talk to anyone. I sometimes carry it even until the next race, which is two weeks after. I hate it. I think everyone hates losing, but I’m quite tough on myself.” He says that he usually gets out of a rut by cycling or running. “Just doing physical activity takes your mind away from it. I think in anything, it’s one of the best ways to feel good about yourself.”

6. His life has flashed before his eyes twice: once during an accident, and the other time during a big win.

“It actually happened in my high, when I won in Monaco. I remember the start. I mean, it was Monaco and I was starting in pole position, it’s such a historic event. For whatever reason, when I lined up on the grid with all the lights illuminated, I suddenly felt all the pressure that was on me. I swear to God, I was so nervous, my left foot was shaking on the brake. I was waiting for the lights to go out and I almost stalled it,” he recalls. “After the race, when I won, I thought to myself, ‘Sh*t, Marlon, if you messed up that start, you would’ve missed your biggest opportunity.’ And my life just flashed before my eyes. Imagining one day from being in Carmona, Cavite, just racing karts, to winning on the streets of Monaco. I mean, it’s just been this incredible journey.”

And the other time? “Also, when I had my big accident in Barcelona. I was driving then suddenly saw a car that stopped. I hit the car in third place and I was at 260 kilometers per hour. The whole car just blew up. I was closing my eyes, and I thought I could keep going because I didn’t feel anything. But then I felt liquid spraying on my face, so I jumped out of the car.”

Marlon shares that as racing drivers, they experience G-forces of four to five, which is around five times your body weight at one point. Would he ever go skydiving? “Oh, never. No way. I’d pee my pants, honestly. Just because I’m a control freak. If I died because of someone else’s mistake, then that’s my fault for trusting him,” he says, laughing.

7. On romancing cars and girls: “I don’t understand how a guy could ever like a car more than a girl.”

“Not always, no,” he says when asked if his girlfriends understand the kind of career he has. “Because you’re always traveling, and you have to devote yourself a lot more than people think,” he says of racing. When asked if he’s in a relationship right now, he says: “Technically, no.”

“The only relationship I have right now is with my car,” Marlon reveals. “I have yet to name her. There was Serious Sally, she looked quite serious and her colors weren’t so vibrant. She has to have some character. My car now is black and gold... maybe she’s Black Beauty.”

8. He’s been caught by the MMDA on EDSA.

Marlon says he hardly drives himself when in Manila. “Just because I’m always driving by myself. So when I’m here I just like to chill out and drive the least I can,” he explains.

On his driving speed: “I drive normal, simply because racing gives you a perspective. I’ve had many accidents and I understand how much I’d be putting myself at risk, and also other people on the road. At the end of the day it’s not just your life, and to risk harming someone else, it’s not worth the risk of going fast on the road.”

On driving violations: “I came from an event and was just coming out on EDSA. Driving out, I forgot to put on my seatbelt, not because I didn’t want to but because we had just come out. My car wasn’t tinted and literally as we got out of the hotel they stopped us. They were writing a ticket, and I said, ‘Oh, what did I do?’ ‘Sir, no seatbelt.’ And my tito was like, ‘Don’t you know who he is?’ Because he didn’t want the ticket, he was like, ‘Marlon, this is stupid. Don’t you know him?’ ‘No, sorry,” they said. ‘Haven’t you seen those Tattoo advertisements? That’s him!’ They said, ‘Oo nga,’ and they crumpled up the ticket and said to go on. I was lucky.”

On Manila traffic: “I’m used to it, I grew up here. If you’re gonna stress yourself you’re just going to make it worse. You can’t do anything about it so might as well just sit there and tweet or go on Facebook.”

9. He loves cooking. His best dish: “Honey-glazed salmon with sesame seeds and parmesan risotto.”

“I live alone,” he shares, “so as much as I can, I cook for myself and learn new dishes. I like quite a lot of Jamie Oliver’s 30-minute dishes. It’s nice also after a race, just to be at home in the quiet. I don’t feel like going out and I just cook myself a meal.”

He’s also into sport fitness (“The triathlon type of training, not necessarily to compete, but just doing the long distances for cardio”) and he loves traveling (“Nice thing is that because of racing, I can do it on my own. I enjoy being out there, seeing new places and experiencing it”).

10. He has very specific routines before going into a race, one of which is going to Baclaran Church to pray.

“I always have a certain ritual. I have to sleep a certain number of hours, wake up a certain way. I have to shave, I don’t know why, maybe because you never know when you’re gonna be on the podium so you you gotta look good. I always organize my suit, when I’m gonna warm up, when I’m gonna talk to the engineers,” Marlon explains. “Professional athletes, whether they know it or not, they’re actually superstitious. We hang on to things that we think will bring us good luck. I think you need that because mentally, it’s so easy to be negative.

“My mom always says, ‘You need to pray.’ I don’t go to church every Sunday but I’d like to think I have my own special relationship with God,” he says. Marlon reveals that it has been his habit to go to Baclaran before he leaves, and that every time he goes there, either they get a good race or secure more sponsors. “It has this vibe, this aura. You go through all the sari-sari stores and stalls before you get there, suddenly you’re at this church. It’s really nice and simple, you can just go there and have your thoughts to yourself. It’s always been good luck.”

* * *

Marlon reveals he’s doubted himself many times. He was always guessing when his big win would come, if it was ever going to happen, why it was taking so long. “These people from Europe, America, South America, they’re all too good. But then you realize when you win the race, hey, they’re no more special, they’re just from a different country. At the end of the day they’re normal people too. That’s when it sank in that this is possible,” the 21-year-old says of his F1 dream. “With more success comes greater ambition. You just believe in yourself more. It was just a dream, but now it’s becoming reality.”

http://www.philstar.com/sunday-life/2013/03/10/917841/marlon-stockinger-racing-karts-cavite-winning-monaco 

10 Things You Should Know About Audie Gemora

At play with Audie Gemora

The King of Musical Theater: Audie Gemora says, “I think when you’re an artist, the most important thing for you is your craft. That you spend an awful lot of time perfecting your craft and getting good at it, and the popularity or the adulation of people is a result of the work you put out.”

He has staged numerous plays ranging from the sweet and colorful Little Mermaid to the controversial and sensual Equus, and has mentored different generations of talent on both stage and television. He is the president of Trumpets and Stages, an actor, a director, a father, and everybody’s “Tito.” Here are 10 things you should know about Audie Gemora.

1. He was an average student in high school. But one day, he went from being the most unpopular kid in school, to being the “second most popular kid in school.”

“In the late ‘70s, nobody was into the arts. And our teacher at that time, an American lady named Ruth Butler, recruited me to be part of her high school musical. Ako naman, I didn’t have anything to do, I wasn’t really into anything, I didn’t have very many friends,” recalls Audie of his days in the International School. He said he hid out in the library most of the time, not because he liked books, but because he didn’t want people to see he had no friends. Until he was introduced to theater.

“We did a musical called Oklahoma and I played the kontrabida,” he says of his first-ever role at 15. “The response was just tremendous. Parang na-discover ko yung gift ko. Yun, tuluy-tuloy na, I became Drama Club president. Then after high school, I wanted to see if I was still good enough outside of school. There was the Manila Theater Guild, and that’s where I started, I did Grease. And again, ang laki laki ng response. So every step that I took just kept affirming that I had something special.”

2. On ego and the theater world: “There was a point I was just this very mayabang golden boy of Repertory.”

Audie: “Freddie (Santos) and I have had so many fights.”

Bianca: “Sigawan?”

Audie: “Oh yeah. I would submit to him as my mentor, but I would remember, two years older lang siya sa akin so di ako pwede masyado apihin. It was also largely because I was a lazy S.O.B.”

“Being an artist is very self involved,” Audie admits. “Everything revolves around you as a performer. Being an artist has a form of immortality, that you create something, you perform something and it affects people’s lives. They gather around you and idolize you. You get that feeling that it’s all about you. But it’s also the most insecure position to be in.

“I went to the States to study filmmaking in NYU. All of a sudden, this big fish in a small pond became this small fish in a big pond. It was like, who was I? That started my insecurity. Pagbalik ko dito, I knew I wouldn’t be happy just doing the same thing again. I was searching. I was really searching for something.” That was when some friends brought him to church, and that’s when his life changed.

3. Theater company Trumpets was born in 1991 out of a group of theater friends and a reaffirmation of faith.

“Friends led me to a church, and that’s when I became Born Again. Mari Kaimo, Freddie Garcia, sunud-sunod kami,” Audie recalls. “And of course being theater artists, our most immediate response was, how do we express our love for God? Eh di yung talent namin.” Their group actually staged two plays prior to putting up Trumpets — the comedy First Name and the musical Joseph The Dreamer. “I think it revolutionized Christian entertainment because up until that time, it was only kantatas or senakulos. This one was hip, modern, the music was Gary V and Ogie Alcasid, and we put in a lot of hip hop and comedy.” It was around 1997 when Stages, the events and talent management company, was put up.

4. On art and religion: “Art is supposed to reflect life. That’s where my Christianity stops.”

“I guess I’m liberal in that sense,” Audie shares. “Being an artist is the license, the privilege, the anointing of God to be able to express what you see. You are supposed to reflect what you see in the world, and that’s a gift. I don’t think anybody has the right to stop it, ban it, edit it or censor it. If you don’t want to see it, you don’t have to. So it really scares me when the Church gets heavy-handed.”

He reveals there was a time that he left Trumpets for three years, because of the struggle between his being an artist and a man of faith. “I went back to Repertory and I found myself again. I had lost myself for a time, I lost the artist in me,” he recalls. “When you are supposedly a Christian theater ministry, there are things that are expected of you by the Church. But that’s precisely why I believe God got us to do this as artists. So we would be out of the box, because how can we reach out to people who would never be caught in a church to begin with, if we can’t be real? If we can’t speak of their issues and reflect what they’re going through, right?” He recalls a time someone questioned his staging of Little Mermaid because it was about a “demonic character,” and another time someone told him he couldn’t play his dream role, Sweeney Todd, because he was a killer. “I’m already in that frame of mind that I think it’s the Church that needs to expand its mind. Your testimony is how you live your life, it’s not the role you play.

“Yes, God is very important to me, but not in a way that people could dictate. I would have to find Him in finding myself first. In being honest to who I am, by being a good father maybe, learning to love properly. That’s when I found who I was as a Christian again,” he adds. Audie was once quoted telling the Church to “relax” during the issue of the controversial art exhibit in the CCP, and was also a vocal supporter of the RH bill. “Maybe that’s the reason bakit palaban ako sa ganyan, kasi pinagdaanan ko yung struggle na yan.”

5. Audie Gemora in numbers:100-plus: Number of plays watched

50: Theater productions done

4: Awards won for performing and directing (including Aliw Awards Best Stage Director for Noli in 2011)

2: Number of dogs owned. “They’re aspins (asong Pinoy), Skipper, who’s really furry, and Yuki, who looks like a Japanese Spitz. They say when they’re rescued that they love the amo more.”

100: Number of opening night gifts in his collection. “Like for Footloose, I got a cowboy boot. For Les Mis, I got a troll dressed as Javert.”

120: Approximate number of hours it takes to prepare for a play. “Around one month, four hours a day, and then eight hours a day during production week.”

6. He has a modern-day family. “My son has a mother and two sisters.”

“I saw this kid walking around the lobby of Meralco Theater. I said, who is this? Whose kid are you?” Audie recalls the time he met Richard. “He was like the Trumpets baby because his tita worked in Trumpets. He was being brought there a lot and I just fell in love with him. It was at that point in my life when I had achieved everything… And I always had this fatherly instinct in me. When the boy was there, we just gravitated towards each other and it became an instant bond. It’s amazing.”

Since Richard was two, it was Audie who would go to their house to be a surrogate dad to him. Until 2009 when Richard was nine years old. “I said, ‘Son, it’s time to live together.’ So I went back to the house and took the whole family.” He says that Richard is starting to show interest in theater, but as of the moment he’s much more into sports. “You’d think at 13, mag-uumpisa na yung problema. He would tell me about classmates and what they were getting into, and he’s not into it. I’m just so blessed. Ang bait bait na bata.”

7. He is called the King of Philippine Musical Theater, and was once actually in a five-year relationship with the Queen of Philippine Musical Theater, Menchu Lauchengo-Yulo.

“That started in Repertory, and we weren’t even acting together. She’s very pretty, and we were barkada,” Audie recalls. On how they were able to remain friends after: “I love Menchu! I think we just both recognized that we were not for each other. But we remain very close.”

“Nangyayari kasi sa theater, nagsasama kayo madalas, so you will get drawn to someone. In Trumpets, we have so many theater couples, and a lot are married now.”

8. He once headed the Talent Center division of TV5, but despite being a mentor himself, realized it was not for him. “I realized hindi ako showbiz, I’m a theater person.”

“I had to follow the artist around, talk about their love life, think kanino pwede ipares, pano magkakaroon ng intriga,” he explains. “Sometimes you get lost and you think, ‘Wait, where does talent come in here?’ At one point it wasn’t even about the project anymore.”

On the difference between an artist and an artista: “I don’t mean to demean artistas, and I hope I can make the distinction well so nobody gets offended. I think when you’re an artist, the most important thing for you is your craft. That you spend an awful lot of time perfecting your craft and getting good at it, and the popularity or the adulation of people is a result of the work you put out. In showbiz, it’s the complete opposite. You are now dealing with a different market, and so it is personality-driven, looks-driven and youth-driven.

“You can look at any talent center of the three networks. There’s a big bench of talent there, and a lot of the talented ones aren’t being used. For an artist like me, that’s hard to take,” he shares.

“Pero dito naman ako bilib with artistas. Tatanggapin mo yung script ngayong araw, tapos magsho-shoot na. Because you don’t have the process of creating your character, you just need to now have a library of emotions that you just have to pull out.”

9. He is now taking his craft to the next level. Audie is putting up the Talent School of Academics and The Arts.

“Playshop was a summer workshop we developed in 1993. We wanted to make it different, so we were the very first to offer Musical Theater, Hip-hop and Modeling,” Audie recalls. “As many as 2,000 students would enroll and parents would tell us why not have it all year? We then put up Musicademy that was year round, but nobody enrolled. I always had it at the back of my mind that it was an unfinished formula.”

Fast forward to 2013, and as fate would have it, this June, their school is opening. “It’s progressive. We will have dance, literature, theater, visual arts and music. Then that’s parallel to the academic, which is science, language, math, and other subjects. Those are the two pillars, and in the middle we have our Art Integration Program. We will use the arts to teach the subjects. For example, if you’re teaching the solar system to kids, you put them in a dance and they form the solar system. Its experiential, they realize the movement, rather than just memory work. Or for example history, instead of struggling through voluminous books of Noli and Fili, experience life at that time with theater. So you come to appreciate the characters of Rizal as real people. The possibilities are endless.”

He strongly believes that if it weren’t for that happy accident of getting recruited for theater in high school, he probably would’ve become a bored haciendero. “I don’t want that to happen to other kids. I want all children that will go to our school to have the opportunity to develop all their talents.”

10. More than the awards or the titles given to him, the biggest compliment he has received is: “Uy, yung anak ko nag-Playshop.”

“I hear stories of parents saying their children gained confidence or came out of their shell after taking our classes, and that just gives me so much fulfillment,” Audie says with a big smile.

On making a name in Philippine theater: “It’s definitely flattering, it’s an affirmation of my body of work. It’s also nakaka-pressure because you have to live up to it. More than the awards actually, yung respeto ng tao is something I really, really value.”

* * *

As I transcribed and wrote this piece on Audie, I looked over the course of his life and career and sincerely learned two things. First, that it is okay to do things that are out of the box, to define things differently from the way convention defines it. And second, that it is okay to lose your way. Because with the right mindset, you will eventually find yourself on the path where you were meant to be.

http://www.philstar.com/sunday-life/2013/02/24/912283/play-audie-gemora 

10 Things You Should Know About Anne Curtis

Anne Curtis: From party girl to best actress

Twitter girl: The year began with a bang for Anne, as she hit the four-million follower mark on Twitter, solidifying her status as the most followed Filipino on the site. But with more clout also comes more critics. “I’ve learned the art of deadma (not minding bashers) perfectly na.”

It is highly unlikely that a day goes by that you do not see Anne Curtis either on television or along major highway billboards, in the mall, on magazine covers, at the supermarket, when you go online, or even hear her voice on the radio. As the “Princess of All Media” turns 28 this month, her star’s light is blinding, and is shining even brighter as each year passes. What makes this woman everyone’s favorite sweetheart? Here are 10 things you should know about Anne Curtis Smith.

1. She doesn’t deny being a party girl when she was younger, and points out she was never obsessed over her looks.

“Sobrang fun! Uuwi kami may araw na. Nights of going home at 7 a.m., because we’d eat out after going out, then even do badminton the next day,” Anne recalls of her gimmick days. “I was so happy that I did it when I was young. I was around 18, 19, 20, till 21. Those were the days na it was fun, it wasn’t as hectic as it is now.” She says there was no one instance that turned her from partyphile to responsible adult, it was only age. “I guess it comes to that point na you all start growing up, everyone starts having boyfriends, starts settling down, it just came naturally. You reach that point when you just don’t want to go out anymore. You would just rather hang out to catch up.

“I was chubby! I was so chubby in the cheeks and I was so white,” Anne bashfully adds about how she looked a decade ago. “I guess I wasn’t so conscious back then. I don’t recall wanting to be thin, but I knew I had to lose weight. I learned about the South Beach diet and it worked. Now, it’s such a trend to be fit or thin.”

2. Four lessons in love that Anne learned from past relationships:

“No more naming names,” Anne begged off with a smile. “I don’t want that I’m in a relationship but I’m still talking about my exes.” (Anne is currently in a relationship with businessman and food blogger Erwan Heussaff.) She shares that she’s been lucky to have “good” breakups in all her past relationships, and that though communication was cut for a few months, she ended up being friends with all of them.

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1. “I don’t like to say they were mistakes or regrets; because if you ever really did love someone, you may not be in ‘love’ with them, but you still have that love because it was something that was genuine at the time.”

2. “I’ve learned how to balance my career and personal life — which is hard! If you make an effort to make them feel that they’re important and that you have time for them, it can work. But it doesn’t happen overnight.”

3. “To just be more sensitive. As girls we sometimes have that brattiness, that ‘I’m gonna get my way, I don’t care what you say.’”

4. “I used to have this behavior of ‘getting even.’ Now no more. When you get even, the only person you end up hurting is yourself. It’s better to just say, ‘Okay, moving on.’”

3. She has 10 brothers and sisters and never had any angst about her family setup. “We were very, very lucky that we all grew up together.”

“I don’t say ‘This is my half-brother or half-sister.’ This is my sister this is my brother. It’s really about not having that barrier of saying this is my half, regardless of the color of your hair or skin is, you all have the same blood somehow,” Anne explains. “I’m the panganay of the second batch,” she says. “Then now Dad has a new family with Charlie, and Clare Bear who passed away.” Both her father James and mom Carmen had a family prior to their getting together, and both sides got along well even before she was born. “No one ever had that feeling of, ‘Why does he love this family more?’ Because we were all together.

“When we’re out in Australia, it’s so funny, we’ll meet random people when we’re out drinking beers and we’ll ask, ‘Guess what our relation is?’ And they’ll stay there looking at us, ‘Umm, cousins? Sisters? Whaaat?’” Anne says with a laugh.

4. Looking back, if she could have done things differently, would she have not quit school rather than entering show business? “I think so, yes.”

“I wish that I had done high school the normal four years, but you know, at the end of the day I have no regrets. It got me to where I am today,” Anne says. “I think now, it’s more doable to do both (school and showbiz), that’s why with Jasmine (Anne’s younger sister who recently entered showbiz), we’re very strict.”

She admits it was quite a struggle when she decided to leave school to focus on her career. “I was probably around 15, I was two or three years into showbiz. At that point, you can’t turn down work. Either I do it or I miss my break. At the school I was in, they don’t accept artistas, so they were the ones who suggested I go to DECS for home study. My whole high school stage took me maybe six years to finish. It was just so hard.” For her junior and senior year, she was able to get a special class schedule at Angelicum. “I got to do cheerdancing na, at least I got to go to junior prom, I had that sense of being in school rather than being at home just doing my modules.”

On college: “I really want to go!” Anne reveals she signed up for open university in Australia late last year, and got accepted. “Basically, you’re online for a class and everyone can talk to each other. But I don’t know, I would just get awkward, because you have forums so everyone can talk to you. I’m like, ‘Ack! I don’t want to talk, I’m shy!” Anne shrieks. Anne, shy? “I just put it off for a little while, maybe I’d do better if I’m actually with people.” She is leaning towards the field of Early Education. “I love kids!”

5. The seven life-changing decisions Anne made:

1. Saying yes to guesting on TGIS. “It was a Christmas Special in Star City to promote Magic Kingdom, the film I did that time. The director Dominic Zapata asked me, “Do you want to be part of TGIS? I said yes,” Anne says with a big smile. “Then I became part of the cast.”

2. Moving from GMA to ABS-CBN in 2004. “I was in Nuts Entertainment with Carmina and Gelli, and I was talking to them about it — I should transfer, how I love Nuts Entertainment and that “it’s so much fun. They asked, ‘Gusto mo bang umarte?’ ‘Here kasi I always get the balikbayan roles, mga comedy, and I want to act.’ They said, ‘Then gawin mo.’ And I did. And that was majorly life changing.”

3. Auditioning for Kampanerang Kuba. “I knew at that time that direk Wenn (Deramas) was eyeing a different actress. So I went into the audition knowing that there was already someone for the role. But I was so happy that I got the role. Having the guts to say, you know what, go, why not.”

4. Deciding to own up to her actions. “It was when I fell over in Boracay. There was no such thing as social media back then so it was by word of mouth, chismis, ganyan, that I was too drunk and I fell. So when they interviewed me about it, I was 18 at that time, I said, ‘Yes, nakainom po ako.’ And if you’re known to do teenybopper roles, it’s more like, ‘Ano ba yan napaka liberated naman.’ It’s about just being very honest all the time, even if it was negative I always owned up to it. I think that that is one of the major reasons why people trust my word, because I don’t lie.”

5. Choosing to play the other woman in No Other Woman. “Instead of playing the wife, which Viva wanted me to do.” (Anne won a FAMAS Best Actress award for No Other Woman.)

6. Doing Showtime. “It definitely helped change my career all together. People got to see who I was as a person. When I act, I get roles that are either fashionista or mayaman or kontrabida. But they saw how kalog I am in real life which is really, really who I am.”

7. Signing up on Twitter. “A friend just convinced us to join and we were following all these Hollywood celebrities. It’s been a big way that I’ve been able to connect to people, to make it more personal and reachable.”

6. On how she chooses her battles: “I choose not to have a battle.”

The year 2013 began with a bang for Anne, as she hit the four-million follower mark on Twitter, solidifying her status as the most followed Filipino on the site, with a number much higher than that of international celebrities. But with more clout also comes more critics. “I’ve learned the art of deadma (not minding bashers) perfectly na. Because of all the chismis that have come my way, I’ve learned to just say okay and brush them off,” Anne shares. “But the one thing that always gets to me is if anything is said about my sister, or my mother, or my family. I can’t explain it! Grrr! I cross the line if someone crosses the line.”

7. On what fearless Anne is actually afraid to do: “I admire people who have the guts to just pack up and leave and never look back. That’s one of the things I’ll never have the guts to do.”

“After auditioning for a role in an indie film in the States (she played the role of Crystal in Blood Ransom), it crossed my mind. Should I go? Should I try it out?” Anne shares. “But why give up something when you don’t have a concrete plan? It’s all about taking risks and chances, but I’m not yet ready to pack up and leave. I came from Australia and I made a life here. To just leave and build a whole new life, it takes a lot of courage.

“I know that I’ll follow that dream one day, but there’s no rush,” she adds.

8. Anne’s personal and professional bucketlist:

1. Start a business. “I haven’t gotten anywhere near it and it’s hard. Because I haven’t started college, I don’t know a thing about marketing or business management. But there are people who have studied that, and it’s all about finding someone I can team up with for that. So definitely, maybe this year.”

2. To go skydiving. “My gosh, it’s so scary! I’ve gone bungee jumping already. But this, if your parachute doesn’t open...”

3. More concerts. “So many concerts to watch and festivals to go to!” What’s on top of the list? “U2!”

4. More challenging roles. “I definitely want to do something action, like Angelina Jolie. But it’s hard because sometimes there’s no audience for that. Or maybe a romantic comedy with action like Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Or a dark role, like Girl Interrupted.”

5. An Australian tour. “Erwan and I really make an effort to go somewhere we’ve never been when we travel. I’m from Australia, but I’ve never actually done a full-on tour! I never leave Melbourne, New South Wales, Queensland. But it’s so big, there’s still the northern territory, South Australia, Ayers Rock, and all the major monuments.”

6. To own at least one first-edition book. “I recently renovated my apartment and in my new library, I want to have all hardbound books.”

9. Anne Curtis in numbers:

22: Total number of current endorsements, with five more coming out soon.

30: Number of moles on her body. “There are probably some in places I don’t even know!”

100: Estimated number of pairs of shoes in her collection.

85: Percent of earnings saved. “For basic spending, there are certain sweldos that are meant to pay the bill. I have quotas for myself every year, and until I reach my quota, I can’t spend anything. I only spend when I go out of the country.”

15,0000-plus: Estimated crowd at “Annebisyosa No Other Concert” in Araneta Coliseum. She had 12 costume changes and 10 special guests.

10. She admits to wanting to live a quiet life someday. “Like Audrey Hepburn, who bought a house in Switzerland and would just fly to Hollywood to shoot movies. But it doesn’t work like that here.”

“I really, really enjoy what I do, and I won’t stop until I’m too tired talaga to work. That’s why I take one month or two-week vacations, because you need that so you don’t get burnt out,” Anne shares. “But it’s not anytime soon before I stop working or settle down, no, not anytime soon. I want to at least have enough set aside to live by the means I want to. I don’t want to be some has-been that has nothing left of what she worked hard for.”

On the massive success she has achieved, she says: “I’m really enjoying it while I can. It was a really, really long climb to get where I am now. It didn’t come easily for me. I’ve been in the industry, going on 16 years, so right now I’m just enjoying it. Because at any time, you know, the seasons will change. As my dad always says, ‘There’s always someone younger than you, young lady, so if I were you enjoy it while you can.’”

* * *

Anne is known for always telling her fans to “dream big” and “go for their dreams.” What if a young girl tells her, “It’s easy for you to say go for your dreams, look in the mirror, not everyone is that beautiful.” Anne replies: “That’s why I add that you have to have patience and faith in yourself. It’s not like my dreams started to happen overnight. I’ve been in the industry since I was 12 and it’s just in the past three years when everything started to fall into place. You really have to have patience. I don’t want them thinking na parang you can just dream and think that it will happen. You have to want it and pursue it. That’s why I say I’m a pursuer of dreams.”

http://www.philstar.com/sunday-life/2013/02/10/906801/anne-curtis-party-girl-best-actress