Joey de Leon talks to media during the 'One of the Boys' press launch. (Photo by Connie Tungul/InterAksyon)
It had been quite a long time since Joey de Leon starred on a sitcom that it took a while for the iconic comedian and TV host to recall the last time he did one.
“I think it was ‘Kiss Muna’ for GMA. More than 10 years ago pa yun,” he told the entertainment media during the press launch of “One of the Boys” last Tuesday.
On TV5’s newest weekend primetime sitcom, Joey plays Daddy Jerry or simply DJ, a former London-based OFW who has decided to return home and run an automotive shop. A single dad to three children, including only daughter Gabriella or “Gabi” (Eula Caballero), he is also regarded as a father figure by his small group of workers (Juan Direction, Benjo Leoncio, Empoy Marquez) dubbed as the “talyer boys”.
Asked why it took him this long to do a sitcom, Joey replied: “Honestly, ayoko na sanang gumawa ng sitcom dahil mahabang oras ang kinakain. Kung napansin nyo, puro mga gag shows na lang ang ginagawa ko.”
However, he admitted that he did miss doing sitcoms and the camaraderie that goes with the family atmosphere of cast and crew during tapings. Joey was convinced to accept “One of the Boys” and the veteran funnyman confessed that he was having a blast.
“Medyo nanganay nung simula pero nung tumagal na, bumibilis na ang pacing namin. Enjoy ako dito. May outlet ako,” he said.
TV5 production unit head JoAnn Bañaga attributed to Joey the undeniable chemistry between the mixed cast of veterans and newcomers on the show.
“You will see that the whole cast really clicks, and this is mainly because of Joey de Leon. For these younger actors, every taping is like a priceless crash course to acting and comedy with Joey, and they really do enjoy and cherish it. Ultimately, Joey is the anchor of ‘One of the Boys’, and you can really tell that in more ways than one, he is the father of this whole cast,” Bañaga pointed out.
Joey de Leon (fourth from right) with the other cast members of the new TV5 sitcom 'One of the Boys'.
Eula Caballero recalled that everyone in the cast was nervous on their first day of taping.
“We were reading the script and trying to memorize our lines and internalize our characters. Pero nung dumating si Tito Joey, ang sabi niya sa amin, ‘Ibaba nyo yang script niyo. Laruin lang natin ito. Let’s just enjoy doing this’,” she shared.
Joey also noted that “One of the Boys” is only the third time that he’s playing a father in a sitcom. Back in the ’80s, he played dad to a very young Ian Veneracion in “Joey and Son” then in “Kiss Muna”, he had another TV son in Rayver Cruz.
“First time kong magkaanak ng babae dito sa ‘One of the Boys’. Wala nga lang balbas si Eula gaya ni Ian at abs na gaya ni Rayver,” Joey cracked.
Asked how he would rank Eula as a comedienne on a scale of 1 to 10. Joey was quick to say that the TV Princess would merit an 8 in his book as far as making people laugh is concerned.
“Puwede na sa 8. Magaling, magaling talagang magpatawa ang batang yan,” he declared.
Aside from the father and daughter relationship between Joey and Eula, another highlight of the show is the chemistry between Joey and Empoy which some members of the press have already compared to Joey’s winning tandem with the late Rene Requiestas.
“Magkaiba naman sina Empoy at Rene. Si Rene kasi, hindi naman talaga komedyante, nagsimula sa pagiging stage actor kaya napakagaling mag-deliver ng linya. Pero after the shooting, seryosong tao na yan. Hindi nagbibiro at tahimik lang sa isang tabi. Si Empoy naman, mas natural na komedyante. Yan kahit off the set, nagpapatawa at palabiro pa rin,” he stressed.
Asked about the secret of his own longevity in the business, Joey sums it up in four letters T-I-T-E. “Ibig sabihin po niyan, trabaho, ipon, travel, enjoy, TITE,” Joey cracked while referring to his inclination to travel around the world whenever his schedule permits it.
Directed by Robert Quebral and also starring Nadine Samonte, BJ Forbes and Jayson, “One of the Boys” premieres this Saturday, May 3 at 9PM on TV5.
Kurt Cobain and Courney Love.
LOS ANGELES | A note police found in Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain’s wallet after his 1994 suicide derided rocker-wife Courtney Love and offered a possible view into the singer’s turbulent personal life.
The handwritten note, which was released on Wednesday by the Seattle Police Department, was part of evidence collected in the investigation into Cobain’s death, which was ruled a suicide.
“Do you Kurt Cobain take Courtney Michelle Love to be your lawful shredded wife even when shes (sic) a bitch with zits and siphoning all yr (sic) money for doping and whoring,” reads a portion of the undated note written on stationery from the Phoenix hotel in San Francisco. Police did not indicate whether the handwriting was Cobain’s.
A note police found in Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain's wallet following his 1994 suicide deriding rocker-wife Courtney Love in a mock marriage vow is shown in this handout photo released to Reuters April 30, 2014.
Love’s publicist could not immediately be reached for comment. CBS News first reported the existence of the note, which it obtained through a public information request for evidence collected about Cobain’s suicide.
Cobain and Love, the singer of the on-again, off-again rock group Hole, had a child together and their tempestuous relationship was marked by drug use.
Cobain, who rose to fame in 1991 as the frontman of the rock band Nirvana and popularized the grunge rock movement, was 27 years old when he shot himself on April 5, 1994, at his Seattle home. His body was discovered three days later.
The case was reviewed earlier this year when rolls of undeveloped film were discovered as Seattle police were preparing for media attention in the run-up to the 20th anniversary of Cobain’s death.
Boots Anson-Roa
Actors Joel Torre and Boots Anson-Roa took home major awards at the
22nd Golden Dove Awards held at the Star Theater, Star City complex in Pasay City, recently.
Torre and Anson-Roa bagged the Best TV Actor and actress award for
their role in “Honesto” and a “Maalaala Mo Kaya (MMK)” episode,
respectively.
Angelo Palmores was named as the Ka Doroy Broadcaster of the Year,
while the KBP Lifetime Achievement Award was given to ABS-CBN chairman Eugenio Gabby Lopez III.
Joel Torre
“Kwento Ng Pasko 2013,” ABS-CBN’s Christmas Station ID, got the Best
TV Station Promotional Materials award.
For radio categories, DZRH was named Best AM Radio Station whereas
“Monster Radio RX93.1” won the Best FM Radio station award.
Meanwhile, “Pasada Sais Trenta” bagged the Best Radio Public Affairs
Program award.
ABS-CBN was named Best TV Station.
Here is the list of winners:
Outstanding Individuals:
Ka Doroy Broadcaster of the Year: Angelo Palmores
KBP Lifetime Achievement Award: Eugenio Lopez III
Best Stations:
Best Television Station: ABS-CBN
Best FM Radio Station: Monster Radio RX93.1
Best AM Station: DZRH
Best Programs:
Television:
Best Newscast: “Umagang Kay Ganda” (ABS-CBN)
Best Public Affairs Program: “SOCO” ABS-CBN
Best Variety Program: “ASAP 19” (ABS-CBN)
Best Children’s Program: “KNC Show” (UNTV)
Best Drama Program: “Be Careful With My Heart” (ABS-CBN)
Best Comedy Program: “Goin’ Bulilit” (ABS-CBN)
Best Sports Program: “Sports Unlimited” (ABS-CBN)
Best TV Culture and Arts Program: “Pagtalubo Sa Pagtubod” (ABS-CBN Naga)
Best TV Special Program – “Agri Tayo” (ABS-CBN Davao)
Best TV Public Affairs Program (Provincial) – “Derecho” (ABS-CBN Iloilo)
Best TV Newscast Program (Provincial) – “TV Patrol” Northern Luzon
(ABS-CBN Baguio)
Radio:
Best Public Affairs Program: “Pasada Sais Trenta”
Best Comedy Program: “The Morning Rush”
Best Radio News Program (Metro Manila): Radyo Patrol Balita Alas-Siyete (DZMM)
Best Personalities:
TV:
Best Newscaster: Ryan Milos Romeo Gamboa (ABS-CBN Bacolod)
Best Public Affairs Host: Kim Atienza (“Matanglawin,” ABS-CBN)
Best Actress for Drama Program: Boots Anson-Roa (“MMK,” ABS-CBN)
Best Actor for Drama Program: Joel Torre (“Honesto,” ABS-CBN)
Radio:
Best Newscaster: Julius Babao (DZMM)
Best Public Affairs Program Host: Ted Failon (DZMM)
Best Radio Magazine Program Host: Ariel Ureta (“Todo-Todo Walang Preno”)
Best Public Service Announcements: “Caring For The Elderly” (UNTV)
Best Station Promotional Materials: “Kwento Ng Pasko 2013”
Metikulosa umanong magplano ng kasal si Aiza Seguerra. Ito ang pagbubunyag ng kanyang fiancee na si Liza Dino.
Kim Hyun Joong (KeyEast Entertainment)
K-pop star Kim Hyun Joong is returning to the Japanese music market.
The singer and actor will release his fourth Japanese single “Hot Sun” on June 18.
The song was produced by Steven Lee, who also worked as producer of Kim’s first Japanese album “Unlimited” released in 2012 and his first Japanese single “KISS KISS/Lucky Guy.”
“Hot Sun” will be released in six editions along with the songs “Timing,” “B.I.N.G.O.” and “Good-Bye.”
“Timing” will feature Japanese pop group AAA member Mitsuhiro Hidaka.
“Hot Sun” will be Kim’s comeback song in Japan after last year’s “Tonight.”
To promote the song, he will hold an autograph signing and bracelet distribution events in Sendai, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka and Fukuoka in Japan in the summer.
He will be flying to Yokohama to attend a special event for his Korean drama “Inspiring Generation” scheduled on May 31.
The drama, which according to KBS, is “about young fighters in the 1930′s glamorous Shanghai, China, who struggle between love, faith, and friendship,” aired in South Korea from January to April this year.
Kim will also hold fan meetings in Shanghai and Beijing in China in June.
Team Kramer poses for a selfie with the ecstatic crowd during the PLDT HOME Telpad Quad Core consumer launch at SM Megamall
Parenting is, in many ways, one of the most taxing jobs in the world. The work is long and the pay is non-existent. Forget about perks, unless of course, changing diapers at the wee hours in the morning is your kind of thing.
When your kids grow up to be smart, loving and responsible, however, that’s a reward in itself, making all your sacrifices more than worth it.
Basketball player Doug Kramer and former model-actress Cheska Garcia are blessed in this department. Together, the hands-on parents have raised their bright and adorable kids Kendra, 4, Scarlett, 2, and Gavin, 1.
The Kramer brood became social media celebrities after their endearing photos and videos circulated on social media. Cute and candid, it’s easy to understand why they, the young ones especially, have become Internet darlings. The bigger question is, how did Doug and Cheska raise such loveable little kids?
Being Role Models
No matter how loaded their schedule is, Doug and Cheska always see to it that they have quality time with the kids.
“I think, a lot of parents forget that spending time with the children is such an important thing because if there are leaders that your kids will look up to, it’s always the parents,” says Doug.
Cheska adds, “When your children see what you’re doing, the kids pick up from that. The little things that you do in the house, that builds your child’s character.”
The couple is focusing more on their eldest, Kendra, already a fan favorite on social media.
“We tell her that ‘You know, God has blessed us with this and you have fans and you cannot be sungit to a lot of people.’ We also tell them, ‘Because God blessed us, we have to bless others also.’”
“It’s (the) small things, (like) when we’re stuck in traffic and we see may mga kumakatok na bata, then Kendra would ask, ‘Papa, what are they doing? Why are they asking?’ I explain to them, ‘You know, they don’t have much.’ And sometimes we give money to Kendra, si Kendra magbibigay sa kanila so she will understand the concept of giving,” relates Doug.
Team Kramer (Instagram)
Teaching Bible Lessons
Doug and Cheska have put God in the center of their family. They read the Bible to their kids themselves, and explain to them its many lessons. With this, Cheska hopes that their children will grew up God-fearing.
“When we read to them stories with moral values or (those from) the Bible, they pick up from them. That’s why you (need to explain) things to them. We consciously repeat things to them because they are still kids,” says Cheska.
Instilling Discipline
Doug grew up in Baguio and La Union, where, he recalls, “I saw a lot of parents, when they discipline their children, after the palo, ’yung bata umiiyak. Then the parents, parang, ‘O, matuto ka sa ganyan.’”
He says he wants his kids to be disciplined but not without explaning to them why.
“Right after the spanking, I talk to them, I reconcile and tell them I love them. We never use our hands, we use a discipline stick — a small plastic stick that is not meant to harm your child; it’s just meant for them to remember. They won’t be scared of me, they get scared of the discipline stick. If the children are scared of you, that’s a different thing.
Maintaining Communication
Communication is key to the Kramers’ healthy family relationship. In fact, the celebrity couple isn’t averse to using new technology and gadgets to boost this.
Cheska says, “Doug and I use PLDT Home Telpad to communicate with our family and friends, and the experience has really been leveled up. Of course, the kids love it, too. They love playing with it and it has been a tool for us to explore things together and bond even in the simplest way.”
According to Patrick Tang, PLDT vice president and head of Home Voice Solutions, the Kramer family represents a new paradigm for Filipino families – young, dynamic and socially active. Their ability to hold on to strong family values and mix them with sense of fun makes them the perfect brand endorsers.
Wowie de Guzman and his late wife Sherryl Ann Reyes in a prenuptial photo. They got married last year. (Photo from the Facebook page of Reflexion's Studio)
One month after giving birth to their first child, businesswoman Sherryl Ann Reyes, wife of actor and former dancer Wowie de Guzman died last Saturday, April 26, shortly after taking a muscle pain reliever. She was 26 years old.
A still distraught Wowie told ABS-CBN News (link: http://ift.tt/QY9MlE) that he still did not know the cause of his wife’s sudden death.\
“Bago siya matulog, uminom siya, parang muscle pain reliever. Humiga siya, kasi may parang rayuma siya or arthritis. Paghiga niya, ‘yun lang, para siyang nag-choke. Tapos pagpunta ko sa kanya, nag-dilate na ‘yung mata niya, nanigas na ‘yung mga ganito niya (fingers). Tinry kong i-mouth-to-mouth. Kaya lang, wala talaga, eh,” he recalled.
Sheryl was rushed to the nearest hospital where doctors tried to revive her for three hours, according to actress-host Gladys Reyes, a close friend and former co-star of Wowie on the 1990s soap opera “Mara Clara”.
“Nakiusap ako sa mga nandodoon na gawin lahat, kasi everytime na pumupunta sila sa akin, sinasabi walang pintig. Nakikiusap kami na gawin niya pa, baka kasi masalba pa, baka puwede pang tumibok. Kaya lang, siguro talagang hanggang doon lang siguro. Hindi na nila nagawan ng paraan,” Wowie added.
As far as his wife’s medical history, Wowie said Sheryl’s blood pressure had been fluctuating during her pregnancy and that she had also trouble walking due to what he thought was rheumatism. Doctors had advised her not to breastfeed their newborn daughter, named Alex Rafael.
Born Jeffrey Camangyan, Wowie started his career as a member of the popular dance group Universal Motion Dancers who even starred in their own musical film “Sige, Ihataw Mo” in 1992.
He got his first big break as an actor the following year when he was cast opposite Judy Ann Santos in “Mara Clara”. His love team with Judy Ann was huge with fans for much of the decade as they starred together in several teleseryes and films.
Wowie’s popularity, however, declined after the breakup of their loveteam as projects became few and far between after 2001. But after being cast in the ABS-CBN teleserye “Rubi” in 2010, Wowie became more active again in showbiz. Now 37, he was last seen on the afternoon soap “Little Champ” last year.
Wowie married Sheryl Ann in civil rites in 2012 and in church last year.
Cameron Diaz talks about comedy, friendship and new movie ‘The Other Woman’
Sometimes critics really know nothing. They can pan movies all they want, but the audience still has the last say. In fact, even with not-so-stellar reviews, the new Cameron Diaz comedy has managed a decent showing at the US box office.
With a title as self-explanatory as “The Other Woman,” it’s not hard to imagine how this turns out. Diaz plays Carly, a New York lawyer who meets the handsome, seemingly eligible bachelor Mark (played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, best known as Jaime Lannister on “Game of Thrones”). Now, Mark is pretty much the kind of guy most women think they can avoid. He is the type that takes the expression “third time’s a charm” to heart as an invitation to play around.
As Carly, she discovers Mark is married and befriends his wife Kate (Leslie Mann). Upon their discovery of Mark’s involvement with a third girl, Amber (Kate Upton), they recruit her and set in motion a plan to castrate him. Well, not really, but perhaps they should have.
While girls bonding over revenge fantasies against a common philandering enemy may not always result in hilarity, imagine throwing physical comedy into the mix. Diaz notes, “I was really grateful, because it is not often that I get to do that sort of (thing), especially with another woman.”
From left: Leslie Mann, Kate Upton and Cameron Diaz
If their characters played off well in the film, so did Diaz and Mann behind the scenes. Describing the latter as “fearless,” Diaz says, “Leslie is strong and funny and she has so much energy and strength and her body can do all these crazy things. It was literally the purest delight to be partners with her, to play straight to her screwball. We played off each other so well. We found a wonderful rhythm with one another and trusted each other completely.”
Although she clarifies that she has a stunt double for the more physical scenes, Diaz says they got “plenty of bruises on this movie. We were really, really physical and we did everything wearing heels and dresses.”
Diaz also dishes about Upton, whom she describes as “funny, observant and smart.”
Just like Upton’s gorgeous character Amber, Diaz related, “People don’t expect her to be as smart as she is beautiful. Kate blew us all away with her natural ability to improvise. We had no idea what she was capable of, but she immediately held her own. We were all completely impressed.”
So, after working a series of 12-hour days together, she says they’ve all become good friends. Wait, what, no cat fights? No telenovela-like screaming matches, hair pulling and face slapping? We almost feel cheated!
Diaz clarifies that “The Other Woman” is really more “about friendship and the relationship between these women.” For her, the circumstance that brought them together and their journey made them stronger and even find something positive from the experience.
“(It’s them) getting through the heartbreak, towards the acceptance of the deception and then how they move forward and let it all go away. It’s not about revenge; it looks at how they learn about themselves. I have no interest in making a movie about revenge or adultery. That’s not what this is about.”
She does concede, though, beyond our strength and beauty, what binds all human beings may be universality of bad experiences. Diaz says, “I think everyone, male or female, has been cheated on. I don’t know what the ratios are (laughs) but nobody gets out unscathed. It’s something that happens and that we all have been through, I don’t think there are any exceptions. That’s just life.”
It’s a good thing we can always find friends in places we least expect. “The Other Woman” opens in local theaters on May 7.
Best Korean drama actress nominees (clockwise from top left) Jun
Ji-hyun, Go Ara, Lee Bo Young, Kim Hye Soo and Kim Ji Soo
(www.newsen.com)
Kim Soo Hyun and Jun Ji-hyun, stars of the hit drama “My Love From The Star,” and Lee Jong Suk and Lee Bo Young of “I Hear Your Voice,” led nominees in the 50th Baeksang Art Awards, which honors outstanding South Korean TV and film work.
Nominees for best Korean drama are “My Love From the Star,” “Good Doctor,” “I Hear Your Voice,” “Reply 1994″ and “Secret Love Affair.”
“The Face Reader” is up for best film along with “The Terror Live,” “The Attorney,” “Wish” and “Snowpiercer.”
Best actor nominees for Korean dramas are Kim Soo Hyun for “My Love From The Stars,” Lee Jong Suk for “I Hear Your Voice,” Yoo Ah In for “Secret Love Affair,” Jo Jae Hyun for “Jung Do Jun” and Joo Won for “Good Doctor.”
Kim Soo Hyun is also nominated for best new actor for the film “Secretly Greatly” even though the film is his second feature length movie since “The Thieves” in 2012.
Jun Ji-hyun is nominated for best drama actress for “My Love From The Stars” along with Go Ara for “Reply 1994,” Lee Bo Young for “I Hear Your Voice,” Kim Hye Soo for “Queen of the Office” and Kim Ji Soo for “Kind Words.”
In the film category, nominees for best actor are Song Kang Ho for “The Attorney,” Seol Kyung Ku for “Wish,” Jung Woo Sung for “Cold Eyes,” Son Hyun Joo for “Hide and Seek” and Ha Jung Woo for “The Terror Live.”
Nominees for best actress in film are Shim Eun Kyung for “Miss Granny,” Kim Hee Ae for “Elegant Lies,” Moon Jung Hee for “Hide and Seek,” Jeon Do Yeon for “Way Back Home” and Uhm Ji Won for “Wish.”
The 50th Baeksang Art Awards will be held on May 27 at Kyunghee University Hall of Peace.
The complete list of nominees:
TELEVISION
Best Drama
“My Love From The Star”
“I Hear Your Voice”
“Good Doctor”
“Secret Love Affair”
“Reply 1994″
Best Korean drama actor nominees (clockwise from top left) Kim Soo
Hyun, Yoo Ah In, Jo Jae Hyun, Joo Won and Lee Jong Suk
(www.newsen.com)
Best Actor
Kim Soo Hyun, “My Love From The Star”
Lee Jong Suk, “I Hear Your Voice”
Yoo Ah In, “Secret Love Affair”
Jo Jae Hyun, “Jung Do Jun”
Joo Won, “Good Doctor”
Best Actress
Jun Ji-hyun, “My Love From The Star”
Lee Bo Young, “I Hear Your Voice”
Go Ara, “Reply 1994″
Kim Ji Soo, “Kind Words”
Kim Hye Soo, “Queen of the Office”
Best New Actor
Baro, “God’s Gift-14 Days”
Kim Sung Kyun, “Reply 1994″
Jung Woo, “Reply 1994″
Choi Jin Hyuk, “Gu Family Book”
Park Seo Joon, “Kind Words”
Best New Actress
Dohee, “Reply 1994″
Kyung Soo Jin, “Eun Hee”
Baek Jin Hee, “Empress Ki”
Son Yeo Eun, “Thrice Married Woman”
Han Groo, “Kind Words”
Best Director
Jang Tae Woo, “My Love From The Stars”
Shin Won Ho, “Reply 1994″
Jo Soo Won, “I Hear Your Voice”
Kim Min Soo, “Good Doctor”
Ahn Pan Suk, “Secret Love Affair”
Best Variety Performer-Male
Kim Gura, “Radio Star”
Kim Sung Joo, “Daddy, Where Are We Going?”
Shin Dong Yup, “Witch Hunt”
Yoo Hee Yeol, “SNL Korea”
Jeon Hyun Moo,”Hidden Singer”
Best Variety Performer-Female
Park Mi Sun, “Quiz to Change the World”
Kim Young Hee, “Gag Concert”
Kim Ji Min, “Gag Concert”
Park Ji Yoon, “Gourmet Road”
Lee Young Ja, “Hello Counselor”
FILM
Best Film
“Snowpiercer”
“The Face Reader”
“The Terror Live”
“The Attorney”
“Wish”
Best Actor
Song Kang Ho, “The Attorney”
Seol Kyung Ku, “Wish”
Son Hyun Joo, “Hide and Seek”
Jung Woo Sung, “Cold Eyes”
Ha Jung Woo, “The Terror Live”
Best Actress
Kim Hee Ae, “Elegant Lies”
Moon Jung Hee, “Hide and Seek”
Shim Eun Kyung, “Miss Granny”
Uhm Ji Won, “Wish”
Jeon Do Yeon, “Way Back Home”
Best Supporting Actor
Lee Jung Jae, “The Face Reader”
Kwak Do Won, “The Attorney”
Kim Eui Sung, “The Face Reader”
Lee Kyung Young, “Venus Talk”
Jo Sung Ha, “The Suspect”
Best Supporting Actress
Kim Young-ae, “The Attorney”
Go Ah Sung, “Snowpiercer
Ra Mi Ran, “Wish”
Ye Ji Won, “Our Sunhi”
Jin Kyung, “Cold Eyes”
Best New Actor
Kim Soo Hyun, “Secretly, Greatly”
Kim Woo Bin, “Friends 2″
Yeo Jin Goo, “Hwai: A Monster Boy”
Lee Joon, “Rough Play”
Siwan, “The Attorney”
Best New Actress
Kim Hyang Ki , “Secretly, Greatly”
Park Ji Soo, “Mai Ratima”
Sun Joo Ah, “Pluto”
Lee Re, “Wish”
Lee Ji Hye, “The Russian Novel”
Best Director
Bong Joon Ho, “Snowpiercer”
Kim Byung Woo, “The Terror Live”
Lee Joon Ik, “Wish”
Jo Eui Suk, Kim Byung Suh, “Cold Eyes”
Hong Sang Soo, “Our Sunhi”
Most Popular Actor
Park Yoochun, “Three Days”
Lee Min-ho, “Heirs”
Lee Jong Suk, “I Hear Your Voice”
Kim Woo-bin, “Heirs”
Kim Soo Hyun, “My Love From The Star”
Lee Jin-wook, “Nine”
Yonghwa, “Mi-rae’s Choice”
Kim Sung-kyun, “Reply 1994″
Yoo Ah-in, “Secret Love Affair”
Sohn Hyun-joo. “Empire of Gold”
Park Hyung-shik, “Heirs”
Minho, “Medical Top Team”
Jo Jae-hyun, “Jung Do-jeon”
Kim Jae-won, “Scandal”
Lee Jun-ki, “Two Weeks”
Kim Nam-gil, “Shark”
Lee Seung-gi, “Gu Family Book”
Yoo Yeon-seok, “Reply 1994″
Taecyeon, “Wonderful Season”
So Ji-sub, “Master’s Sun”
Park Hae-jin, “My Love From The Star”
Joo Won, “Good Doctor”
Baro, “God’s Gift – 14 Days”
Jung Woo, “Reply 1994″
Most Popular Actress
Park Shin Hye, “Heirs”
Jun Ji-hyun, “My Love From The Star”
Ha Ji-won, “Empress Ki”
Kim Ji-soo, “A Warm Word”
Go Hyun-jung, “Queen’s Classroom”
Lee Bo-young, “I Hear Your Voice”
Kang So-ra, “Ugly Alert”
Yoon-ah, “Prime Minister and I”
Sohn Ye-jin, “Shark”
Park Ha-sun, “Three Days”
Moon Chae-won, “Good Doctor”
Da-som, “Melody of Love”
Hwang Jung-eum, “Secret”
Kim Tae-hee, “Jang Ok-jung, Live For Love”
Choi Ji-woo, “Suspicious Housekeeper”
Gong Hyo-jin, “Master’s Sun”
Lee Yeon-hee, “Miss Korea”
Go Ara, “Reply 1994″
Yoon Eun-hye, “Mi-rae’s Choice”
Shin Se-kyung, “When a Man Loves”
Suzy, “Gu Family Book”
Dohee, “Reply 1994″
Kim Hye-soo, “God of the Office”
Best OST Award
“My Destiny” by Lyn for “My Love From The Star”
“Moment” by Lee Changmin for “Heirs”
“Tears Steal My Heart” by Ailee for “Secret”
“To You” by Sung Shi-kyung for “Reply 1994″
“This Place, Seoul” by Roy Kim for “Reply 1994″
Filipinos in South Korea held the Kaisa Day of Prayer for Korea on April 27, to express support to Koreans in light of the Sewol tragedy.
“The aim was to show solidarity and support to the affected families of the tragedy and to show that the Filipino people are one with the Koreans in this time of great sorrow, thus the name ‘KAISA,’” Pastor Levi Arnan of the Onnuri Philippine Community, one of the organizers of the event, told Bulletin Entertainment.
Arnan said about 260 Filipinos came to Hwarang Park in Ansan City for the event.
“We held a Day of Prayer for Korea. It was a prayer vigil for those who suffered in the sinking of the Sewol ferry two weeks ago and for Korea,” he said.
Filipino-Korean radio personality Gennie Kim, who was one of those who came to the event, related that participants also prayed, lit candles, and offered flowers at the main gate of Danwon High School, where most of the victims of the ferry tragedy came from.
People from the Philippine Embassy in South Korea as led by Consul General Iric Arribas also participated in the event.
Apart from the Onnuri Philippine Community, the organizing committee was also composed of Pastor Ariel Bernardo representing the Diaspora International Christian Ministry, Anne Campos of the 601 Habit, Gladys Figueroa of the Onnuri English Ministry, Pastor Maluh Abendan of the Jesus Shepherd Ministry and Consul Roderic Atienza representing the Philippine Embassy.
Participants include Labor Attache Felicitas Bay, the Ansan Filipino Catholic Community led by Father Jun Perez Hyewa, the Filipino Catholic Community as led by Father Alvin Parantar, the Global Mission Church led by Pastor Manuel Abendan, Ansan Filipino Church Soojung headed by Pastor Henry Arce, Blooming Hills International Church led by Pastor Inrico Orbe, Jesus is Lord Church headed by Pastor Floyd Bautista, Pinoy Iskolars sa Korea (PIKO), Ansan Filipino Taekwondo Association led by Dennis Angeles, Filipino Bowling Club, Logos Church and the Filipino Photographers in South Korea (FILIPOS).
Zel Kim represented the multicultural families, while Edson Ayuste represented the Filipino professional sector.
Similar events were held at Incheon, Paju and Mokpo in South Korea.
Meanwhile, more South Korean celebrities have come forward to offer financial help for those affected by the tragedy.
Singer Kim Jong Kook, a mainstay of the Korean variety show “Running Man,” gave 50 million won (P2.14 million) while TV personality Lee Hwi Jae’s family donated 100 million won (P4.29 million).
SM Entertainment and its founder Lee Soo Man have donated a total of 1 billion won (P42.96 million) for the victims and their families.
SM Entertainment, home to top K-pop artists such as Girls’ Generation, Super Junior, EXO, SHINee and TVXQ, made a donation of 500 million won (P21.48 million) and Lee Soo Man shelled out the same amount. The money was donated to Korean Red Cross.
The death toll from the sea disaster has risen to 188 with 114 people still missing.
Wowie De Guzman and wife Sherryl Ann Reyes (Reflexion Studio/Fashion Pulis)
Still in pain over his wife’s passing, an emotional Wowie De Guzman told “TV Patrol” on Tuesday, “Sobrang bilis talaga, eh. Wala, hindi namin alam kung ano’ng nangyari.”
Sheryl Ann Reyes, 26, passed away Saturday night, just a month after giving birth to their only child Alexandra Rafael.
“Natutulog lang kami talaga tapos tumayo lang siya, pumunta sa CR, tapos bumalik para matulog ulit. Bago siya matulog, uminom siya (ng) parang muscle pain reliever,” De Guzman recalled.
“Humiga siya, kasi may parang rayuma siya or arthritis. Paghiga niya, ’yun lang, para siyang nag-choke. Tapos pagpunta ko sa kanya, nag-dilate na ’yung mata niya, nanigas na ’yung mga ganito niya (fingers). Tinry kong i-mouth-to-mouth (resuscitation) kaya lang, wala talaga, eh,” De Guzman said.
The former Universal Motion Dancers member added that he is still unsure of the cause of death. He could only recall rushing Reyes to the hospital.
“Nakiusap ako sa mga nandodoon na gawin lahat, kasi every time na pumupunta sila sa akin, sinasabi walang pintig. Nakikiusap kami… baka kasi masalba pa, baka puwede pang tumibok. Kaya lang, siguro talagang hanggang doon lang. Hindi na nila nagawan ng paraan. Wala kaming magagawa,” said the 37-year-old actor-dancer.
De Guzman, who married Reyes in July 2013, shared that his wife’s blood pressure was erratic during her pregnancy. This continued until she gave birth to their daughter in March.
Coming to terms with the loss, De Guzman said, “Naniniwala ako na gusto ito ng nasa taas, ng Panginoon… Medyo masakit, pero kailangan tanggapin kasi sigurado naman ako na hindi Niya ibibigay ito sa akin na hindi ko makakayanan.”
Meanwhile, actress-host Gladys Reyes immediately came to support De Guzman. “Magpakatatag siya para sa baby. Andito kaming mga kaibigan niya para sa kanya,” she said in a separate “TV Patrol” interview.
The two have become good friends during their “Mara Clara” days, along with co-star Judy Ann Santos.
Santos, now Mrs. Ryan Agoncillo, and De Guzman had been a tandem in the ’90s, one of the more popular pairs during their time.
Reyes’ remains lie at the United Church of Christ in Sta. Catalina, Lubao, Pampanga. Interment will reportedly be scheduled after relatives abroad are able to come home.
Gwen Stefani (Photo by Al Powers/Powers Imagery/Invision/AP, file)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — NBC says Gwen Stefani will be a coach on “The Voice” next season.
The network said Tuesday that Stefani will join Adam Levine, Blake Shelton and another previously announced new coach, Pharrell Williams, on the singing contest’s seventh edition.
The two newcomers will drop by “The Voice” on May 5.
NBC says Stefani, the front woman for rock band No Doubt and a solo performer, will sing her hit “Hollaback Girl,” while Williams is set to perform his new single, “Come Get It Bae.”
The network also says coach Christina Aguilera will return for season eight.
The current season’s panel includes Levine, Shelton, Shakira and Usher.
Neil Patrick Harris in a scene from “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” at the Belasco Theatre in New York. “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” a cult off-Broadway hit, won eight Tony nominations on Tuesday, April 29, 2014. (AP Photo/Boneau/Bryan-Brown, Joan Marcus, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — It was a brutal Tuesday morning for some A-list stars on Broadway.
Snubbed for Tony Award nominations were Denzel Washington, James Franco, Zachary Quinto, Michelle Williams, Orlando Bloom, Ethan Hawke, Zach Braff, Billy Crudup, Rachel Weisz and Daniel Craig. Daniel Radcliffe struck out for his third consecutive Broadway show.
Neil Patrick Harris, who won a nomination for his brilliant performance in the punk-rock show “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” said he was surprised by the final list. But he’s been a Tony host and knows from experience the process is often rough.
“Having been the host in previous years, it’s always interesting and surprising,” he said. “It’s a small group of people that nominate and you’re never quite sure what they’re responding to. That being said, it does get to showcase the talents of people who often don’t get their moment in the spotlight.”
One of the winners on Tuesday was unconventional musicals: “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” a romp with a leading man killed eight times, led the field with 10 nods. It was followed by “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” a rock concert by a transgender German, with eight, and “After Midnight,” a candy sampler of stunning dance and singing acts, with seven.
When the dust settled, the musicals up for the Tony’s biggest prize are: “After Midnight,” ”A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” ”Aladdin,” and “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.” Not one of the shows has a big movie star.
“It’s going to be a really exciting Tony race to watch,” said Scott Sanders, who produced “After Midnight,” which celebrates Duke Ellington’s years at the Cotton Club nightclub. (The nomination happened to come on Ellington’s birthday.) “The four shows could not be more different in many ways.”
Another big winner was the old master himself — Shakespeare. The Mark Rylance-led productions of “Richard III” and “Twelfth Night” from London together scooped up eight nominations.
Rylance, who played “Richard III,” will compete in the best leading actor in a play category with Samuel Barnett, also in “Twelfth Night,” Bryan Cranston in “All The Way,” Chris O’Dowd in “Of Mice and Men” and Tony Shalhoub in “Act One.” Rylance also snagged a supporting nomination playing a woman in “Twelfth Night.”
He said he didn’t care which role actually won. “My preference is being nominated,” he said, laughing. “I find in my experience winning is rather an isolating, lonely experience.”
The Shakespeare productions — performed by an all-male cast and seeking to replicate how the plays were produced in the Bard’s day — also extended the trend on Broadway toward embracing drag.
Last year, “Kinky Boots” and “Matilda the Musical” featured leading men dressed as women. This year has “Casa Valentina,” Harvey Fierstein’s play about straight cross-dressers, and “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” starring Neil Patrick Harris in a skirt. Even “Gentleman’s Guide” features Jefferson Mays playing both genders.
While not all Hollywood stars came away empty-handed — Cranston, as expected, won a nod for playing Lyndon Johnson in “All the Way” — the lack of nominations for Broadway veterans from the film world such as Washington, Radcliffe, Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, or first-timers, like Franco and Williams, was striking.
“I’m heartbroken that she wasn’t nominated,” said Danny Burstein, who got his fifth nod, about his “Cabaret” co-star Williams, who plays as Sally Bowles. “She is so fantastic in the show. And in all my years, I have never seen anyone work harder,” he said.
One of the spots that likely may have gone to a Hollywood star instead went to Andy Karl, who transformed his body over three years into a fearsome boxer to play the title role in “Rocky.”
“It’s nice to know it was worth the time and effort,” he said. “I’ve never done anything quite this extensive. It’s truly an acting piece, it’s truly a musical piece, it’s truly a physical piece.”
Five-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald earned a leading actress in a play nomination for “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill.” That’s the one female acting category in which she hasn’t already notched at least one win, meaning she is in a position to make history as the Tonys’ first grand-slam performance winner.
McDonald, who plays Billie Holiday, goes up against Tyne Daly from “Mothers and Sons,” LaTanya Richardson Jackson of “A Raisin in the Sun,” Cherry Jones from “The Glass Menagerie” and Estelle Parsons in “The Velocity of Autumn.” Parsons’ nomination couldn’t save the play; it announced it would close this weekend after weeks of poor box office receipts.
The best new play category has James Lapine’s “Act One,” Terrance McNally’s “Mothers and Sons,” Robert Schenkkan’s “All the Way,” John Patrick Shanley’s “Outside Mullingar” and “Casa Valentina.”
Tony Award-winner Idina Menzel, the “Frozen” singer who got a dose of attention when John Travolta mangled her name at the Oscars, got a nomination for her role in “If/Then.” The show itself didn’t get a best musical nomination, though the music did.
“I’m disappointed. I won’t lie. I’m disappointed, but I’m also really excited about being nominated. Being back in the Broadway community is where I feel at most home. I didn’t come back for many years because I wanted to find something that I felt really strongly about.”
She will compete in June with a very impressive group of women: Mary Bridget Davies in “A Night with Janis Joplin,” Sutton Foster in “Violet,” Mueller in “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” and Kelli O’Hara of “The Bridges of Madison County.”
Some 870 Tony voters — members of professional groups such as The Broadway League and Actors’ Equity Association — will decide the final awards, which will be handed out June 8 at Radio City Music Hall.
One actor who will be there with a smile is James Monroe Iglehart, who plays the rambunctious genie in Disney’s “Aladdin.”
“I know it sounds cliche, but I’m so happy to be nominated. I get to sit down at the Tonys. I’m not in the back. I’m not watching it on television. I get to sit. There’s a ticket with my name on it,” Iglehart said. “And I don’t have to pay for it!” (Associated Press National Writer Jocelyn Noveck in New York contributed to this report.)
Scorpions drummer James Kottak (AP Photo/Juan Karita, File)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Newspapers in the United Arab Emirates are reporting that the American drummer for the rock band Scorpions has been sentenced to one month in jail after being convicted of offensive behavior in Dubai.
The government-backed National newspaper reported Tuesday that James Kottak was convicted of insulting Islam, raising his middle finger and being under the influence of alcohol while in transit at Dubai airport.
The Gulf News daily says he was arrested April 3 en route from Russia to Bahrain, where the German band was scheduled to perform at a Formula One race. Kottak was a no-show at the April 5 concert.
The newspapers say Kottak admitted to drinking but denied other charges.
The Scorpions’ manager didn’t respond to requests for comment. Kottak’s local lawyer couldn’t immediately be reached.
Candice Glover (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — American singer Candice Glover from “American Idol” television show will help reopen the Washington Monument, which has been closed since a 2011 earthquake.
Organizers say Glover will join with the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, the U.S. Navy Band and the boy and girl choristers of the Washington National Cathedral Choir for the May 12 re-opening ceremony.
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis and philanthropist David Rubenstein will help celebrate. Rubenstein donated $7.5 million to cover half the restoration cost.
The 130-year-old memorial has been closed since it was damaged by a 5.8-magnitude earthquake in August 2011. Workers have repaired more than 150 cracks in the 555-foot obelisk.
Normally the monument draws about 700,000 visitors a year.
Pixies (AFP)
WASHINGTON (AFP) – Joey Santiago has this helpful tip for Pixies fan savoring the alt-rock band’s first album in 23 years: Add to your existing playlist of past Pixies favorites. Hit shuffle. Enjoy.
“It belongs in that old catalog,” said the lead guitarist who, with frontman Charles “Black Francis” Thompson and drummer David Lovering, has kept the Pixies at the cutting edge of American indie music since the 1980s.
“The shuffle thing works for me, and hopefully people are cognizant of that,” added Santiago over a dodgy telephone line from London on Tuesday, the official North American release date for “Indie Cindy.”
Bringing together a dozen tracks from three previously released extended-play records, “Indie Cindy” is the Pixies’ fifth studio album — and the first since “Trompe le Monde” way back in 1991.
Never ones to dominate the charts, the Pixies have nevertheless had an outsized impact since coming together in Boston in 1986, with their raw sound influencing the likes of Nirvana, Weezer and Radiohead.
A cover version of their earliest hit, “Gigantic,” features prominently in an iPhone commercial now running on US television.
Reviews for “Indie Cindy” have been mixed: while Rolling Stone shrugged it off as a sampling of “hit-or-miss songs,” Britain’s NME music weekly hailed the “long overdue” album as “free-sounding, adventurous and explosive.”
For Santiago, it is “an honest progression” and something of a “snapshot” of where the Pixies now stand, and where they might be going next, now that its members are well into middle age.
- ‘A lucky band’ -
“We’re such a lucky band, that we have, like, a style of our own,” he said. “We can basically pick and choose (musical styles) and explore out of that, without even thinking of it.”
Hardcore fans will lament the absence of founding bassist Kim Deal, who abruptly quit the band in 2012 just as it was starting to record new material in Wales with producer Gil Norton.
But Santiago, who kept in touch with all his band mates when the Pixies took 10 years off before reuniting as a touring entity in 2003, said the remaining Pixies have moved on.
“When the news first got to us in that coffee shop in Wales (that Deal was leaving), it was a shock to the system,” he said.
“But after the third day… We went through the mourning process, and it’s over. We’ve got to let the past be the past.”
While Simon ‘Ding’ Archer laid down the bass lines for the “Indie Cindy” tracks, Santiago said the band is delighted with its current touring bassist, Paz Lenchantin, formerly with the rock group A Perfect Circle.
“Fortunately, we found somebody who fits right in,” he said. “We’re enjoying every moment of it, and we’re really enjoying this new line-up.”
The Pixies should be enjoying life on the road as well.
Coming off a US tour that began last September, the group is soon heading to Australia for four gigs at the Sydney Opera House, before spending June and July in Europe — including a Glastonbury festival appearance.
“Sometimes I don’t know what country I’m in,” said Santiago, reflecting on the touring life with a hearty laugh.
“You know what? I relish it, because it’s complete freedom, not knowing where you are. Does it really matter, as long as you woke up?”
Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) and Harrison Ford (Han Solo) (AFP)
LOS ANGELES (AFP) – The original “Star Wars” movie blasted its way onto screens a long time ago, in a cinema galaxy seemingly far, far away — but Han, Luke and Leia will be back soon.
On Tuesday, Disney announced the cast of the film just now entering production under the name “Star Wars: Episode VII”, after months of frenzied speculation among the sci-fi saga’s passionate fans.
At 71, Harrison Ford may no longer have space smuggler Han Solo’s roguish good looks and thick head of hair.
And 62-year-old co-star Mark Hamill will fill out Luke Skywalker’s flowing Jedi robes a little more thoroughly than he once did.
But fans of the saga — many of them disappointed by a series of prequels to the three-decade-old original trilogy — will welcome their return and that of 57-year-old Carrie Fisher’s feisty Princess Leia.
Disney, the new owner of pioneering director George Lucas’ record-breaking franchise, has recruited blockbuster director J.J. Abrams to bring these fan favorites back to the screen.
His trio of stars may have aged, but he will have access to a much more powerful array of computerized special effects than Lucas had when he launched the series in 1977.
And the original cast, including Anthony Daniels and Kenny Baker as androids C3PO and R2-D2 and Peter Mayhew as the hairy “Wookie” warrior Chewbacca, will be joined by new, mainly younger talent.
Andy Serkis, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac and Domhnall Gleeson, plus Hollywood veteran Max von Sydow join the “Star Wars” team.
- ‘Star Wars’ newcomers -
Serkis is well known but not the most recognizable, as his biggest roles have been as the voice and movements behind motion-capture animated characters like the villainous Gollum in The Lord of the Rings.
Cast members appeared in a photo of a script reading, alongside Abrams and R2-D2, the loyal robot mechanic that has accompanied the heroes through all six movies to date.
“It is both thrilling and surreal to watch the beloved original cast and these brilliant new performers come together to bring this world to life, once again,” Abrams said.
“We start shooting in a couple of weeks, and everyone is doing their best to make the fans proud,” he promised.
Abrams is a respected mainstream director who has already won plaudits for reviving a beloved space opera franchise, taking the captain’s chair on the successful 2009 “Star Trek” re-boot.
But “Star Wars” is, if anything, an even bigger challenge.
The two previous trilogies were released between 1977-2005 and inspired spin-off books, comics, toys, videogames and cartoons — earning $4.4 billion.
But, while the stories still have a massive popular audience, many purists were disappointed by the prequel trilogy, which they felt failed to capture the mythic feel of the originals.
Filming on Episode VII will begin next month at London’s Pinewood Studios. Reports in local media in Abu Dhabi have suggested that some sets have also been constructed in the Arabian desert.
Scriptwriter Lawrence Kasdan returns to the sage, having previously written the second and third films “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi.”
Music will once again come from Oscar-winning composer John Williams, whose epic score — one of the most recognizable in cinema history — soars over the iconic opening narrative crawl of each film.
The new “Star Wars” movie is due for worldwide release on December 18, 2015.
Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia, and Harrison Ford as Han Solo in the first 'Star Wars' film.
LOS ANGELES | Harrison Ford will lead returning and rising stars, including Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Andy Serkis and Oscar Isaac, for the anticipated new “Star Wars: Episode VII” film, Walt Disney Co and Lucasfilm said on Tuesday.
Ford, Fisher and Hamill, who were rumored to be returning to director J.J. Abrams’ reboot of the franchise, will be joined by the series’ original stars Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO) and Kenny Baker (R2-D2).
Ford played Han Solo, Fisher played Princess Leia and Hamill was Luke Skywalker in the original films, but it is not known if they will reprise their roles or have different characters in the new film. Ford is now 70 years old, Fisher 56, and Hamill 62.
Joining the franchise alongside “Lord of the Rings” star Serkis and “Inside Llewyn Davis” actor Isaac will be Swedish actor Max Von Sydow, “Girls” star Adam Driver, Domhnall Gleeson and newcomers John Boyega and Daisy Ridley.
“It is both thrilling and surreal to watch the beloved original cast and these brilliant new performers come together to bring this world to life, once again. We start shooting in a couple of weeks, and everyone is doing their best to make the fans proud,” Abrams said in a statement.
Disney purchased “Star Wars” creator George Lucas’ Lucasfilm in 2012 for $4.05 billion and announced three new films in the franchise. “Episode VII” is scheduled for release on December 18, 2015.
Sir Ian McKellen as Erik Lehnsherr/Megneto on ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’
It has been years since Sir Ian McKellen has been a mutant – or has played one, at least.
While fans of the highly successful “X-Men” film franchise have been introduced to a host of other cast members, most of whom play the younger selves of established characters, the X-Men universe is still pretty much out to mess with the heads of its followers by throwing everyone in the mix in the upcoming “X-Men: Days of Future Past.”
Here, McKellen returns as Erik Lehnsherr (on his bad days known as Magneto) and hobnobs with his handsome young self, played by Michael Fassbender. The older Magneto, of course, is just as handsome and, in fact, more commanding; but considering that this old friend and bitterest nemesis Professor X (Patrick Stewart) has also teamed up with his devilishly good-looking younger incarnation, Charles Xavier (James McAvoy), all things measure up evenly.
McKellen as Magneto with Patrick Stewart as Professor X
Clearly with his mind already in his next project, when McKellen is asked to talk about older Magneto’s disposition upon his “Future Past” return, he replied, “You’ll have to forgive me, because it’s been a year since we filmed and I’ve been busy since then.” Still, he sums things up pretty neatly: “Yes, the enemy is about to strike and Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) works out a way with Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) of stopping it.”
If you think that’s all you need to know, think again. At this point in this skewed X-Me timeline, the all of mutant kind are in the brink of extinction, hunted down and killed. The only way around it, and of course it works out well for how many other films they plan for this franchise, Professor X’s and Magneto’s opposing posse must unite.
McKellen eventually opens up to say that Magneto “is a bit more temperate in this film than he’s been in the past. The old rivalry, the old antagonism has gone and he’s changed. He’s come to a point where he has to do what’s right for everyone, and he realizes he needs his allies.”
Magneto gone nice? We really don’t know about that. For McKellen, however, the thrill is very much still there.
“It was easy to get back into playing him – climbing into those clothes and those boots, and them putting me up on wires, because he still has his powers.”
McKellen with Michael Fassbender, who plays the young Erik Lehnsherr
The wonders of cosplay and fabulously attired mutants aside, he also gratefully notes, “All my old friends were there, which was lovely. Of course, (director) Bryan Singer was back with us, so that was great, plus some of his old colleagues. It was a bit like going to see family you haven’t seen for a while. And then there were some new friends!”
Like most pop culture juggernauts, a film like this has had its turn at last year’s Comic Con. Despite the fun, McKellen says “it’s not really a relaxing time with friends” since they’ve mostly been tied to doing promotions.
“Patrick and I were already rehearsing one of our plays in Berkley so we were flown down for one day,” he says. “But it was enjoyable sitting with all those famous faces and fortunately we all got on… And of course the reaction from fans was overwhelming.”
Still, for McKellen, his stint in the X-Men universe is not just about making predictable blockbuster movies with awesome set pieces and digital effects.
“The story about humans with superhuman power that can control the world around them the way the rest of us can’t – for all that fantasy, it’s in the service of a serious message. I think that’s what sets ‘X-Men’ apart from other superhero films. It’s focused on people who are cast out by society for what they are…”
“X-Men: Days of Future Past” (3D), which opens in local theaters on May 21, also sees the return of Hugh Jackman as Logan and the adamantium-clawed Wolverine; Hollywood darling Jennifer Lawrence as Raven Darkhölme/Mystique, whom the actess says is at her turning point in this film; Lawrence’s real-life on/off boyfriend Nicholas Hoult as Hank McCoy/Beast; new cast member Peter Dinklage (of “Game of Thrones” fame) as military scientist Bolivar Trask, who created the Sentinels that hunt down mutants; and an army of other actors old and new to the franchise.
So, are you counting down the days? We are.
Nagluluksa si Wowie de Guzman sa biglaang pagpanaw ng kanyang misis na kapapanganak lang nitong isang buwan. Kuwento ni Wowie, bago pumanaw, may ininom na gamot ang misis dahil sa pananakit ng katawan.
Nanette Inventor, known to many as Doña Buding, dispensed these words of wisdom: “Everybody has a dream and everybody can chase it. Just follow the straight and narrow road. God will always guide you along your way. Because He was the one who gave you the gift. Huwag magmamadali. It will come, in His will, in His time.”
She should know. Who would have thought that an employee in the Department of Transportation and Communications would become one of the country’s comedic icons?
NANETTE INVENTOR
Nanette’s early foray into show business was as back-up singer.
“I was working that time at the DOTC and would moonlight after work to do what I love best – singing. I would sing in plays, corporate shows and go to recording studios to do back-up singing for big recording artists back then – Basil Valdez, Leah Navarro, APO Hiking Society, Tita Pilita Corrales, Victor Wood, Claire dela Fuente, Imelda Papin, Eva Eugenio, name it, I was part of their recordings as back-up vocalist,” Nanette recalled during a recent chat.
Nanette would gain huge notice in the ’80s as Doña Buding, an extravagant socialite, created by director and writer Jose Javier Reyes for a social satire segment on the now defunct “Penthouse Live.”
“Joey Reyes is Buding, I was just breathing life to the character that he created,” said Nanette.
Nanette met Joey in one of her many “rakets,” which was a musical for the 70th anniversary of Manila Hotel that Joey was directing.
At that time, Joey was also the head writer for “Penthouse Live.” The show has a social satire segment that starred another talented comediene, Cynthia Patag.
Unfortunately, Cynthia figured in an accident and had to recuperate for six months.
Wanting to keep the segment, Joey thought of Nanette and told the executive producer of the show, Ronnie Henares, “Pa-auditionin natin si Taba.”
Nanette’s intial response was, “Nanaginip ka ba? Anong pinagsasabi mo?”
She was even more shocked when she was given only a day to memorize a three-paged single-spaced monologue typed in long-bond paper.
“So I hit the mirror and started doing the character. On the day of the audition, I asked Mr. Henares to join me in prayer in the bathroom because I was about to face the bigwigs of GMA-7 that included Freddie Garcia, who is now with ABS-CBN, and Fritz Ynfante.”
I personally know Fritz as I have worked with him on numerous occasions. Fritz does not like to waste his time.
After listening to Nanette do the first paragraph of the monologue, Fritz stopped her and said, “I like her, she’s on payroll, she can start this Sunday.”
But Doña Buding is in character already. “Excuse me, I have not finished. I am so sorry, but you have to let me continue,” she blurted.
That is how Nanette Inventor the comediene was born.
Doña Buding is such a classic that some US-based producers are currently exploring the idea of reviving the character for a project, which will also involve another character – Janet Nge-poles.
According to the original plan, Doña Buding and Doña Janet, both to be portrayed by Nanette, will be pitted against each other.
What an ingenious idea for a comedy, right?
Though nothing is final yet, I imagine everybody would love to see it – especially me!
Former actor Wowie de Guzman broke down in tears over the death of his wife, Sheryl Ann Reyes, who gave birth to their first child only last month.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Leslie Mann (Still)
Actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau understands that men sometimes tend to play the field, and this is particularly true in the case of his character in the upcoming movie, “The Other Woman.”
“It’s just pure instinct,” says Coster-Waldau in a press release. “I don’t think it’s unusual to meet a guy who believes that because he takes home a lot of money, it gives him the right to have a bit of fun on the side.”
In the movie, Coster-Waldau plays the suave and sophisticated Mark who juggles three women – his wife Kate (played by Leslie Mann) and his two girlfriends Carly and Amber (Cameron Diaz and Kate Upton), all of whom would later connive to get back at him.
The “Game of Thrones” star asks, “What can Mark do? He can’t stop himself. He believes himself to be a good guy.”
Though without a doubt a certified ladies man, Coster-Waldau still thinks that his character “loves his wife. He and Kate have been together a long time, and I think in his mind he treats her really well.”
It’s just that “Mark likes to fall in love, and I think the problem with a guy like that is he falls in love with himself falling in love.”
“The Other Woman” opens May 7 in theaters nationwide from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.
