‘Call My Manager’goes inside the colorful business of building stars
MANILA, Philippines — The public raves about the veteran actor’s sterling performance in another milestone project. It is also awed by the visibility and rise of a newbie. Fans see the longevity of an artist. They also witness the career shifts and image transformations of idols.
But what’s not often told is the collective story of people, from road managers-assistants to talent managers, who have created stars and helped them navigate the ins and outs of show business. It takes a talent management team to do all that.
“Call My Manager,” which now streams on HBO Max, brings one to the world where talents are discovered, their careers are managed and maintained, but they are kept relevant and afloat in the changing times and new trends.
At the core of the story is Shine Artist Management (SAM), comprised of its leader Samuel, played by Edgar “Bobot” Mortiz and top-notch managers Andrea Manuel, Matthew Buenaventura and Gabriel Soler (portrayed by Judy Ann Santos, Edu Manzano and RK Bagatsing, respectively). Part of it is Aleta Alfonso or Mother, essayed by Gina Alajar, with road managers and assistants Camille Vergara and Chin Joaquin (Christiana Zaleta and Raf Pineda).
The Philippine adaptation of the French comedy-drama series “Dix pour cent (Call My Agent)” was created by Erik Matti and Ronald “Dondon” Monteverde. In charge of mise-en-scéne is seasoned filmmaker Erik.
“When it was pitched to me, first Zoom pa lang (in the first virtual meeting) with direk Erik and sir Dondon and the rest of the production team, it was a go already,” said Judy Ann when she and fellow actors were asked about what piqued their curiosity to consider and accept their roles by this paper in a recent group chat. “I hadn’t even seen the show yet at that time, but when direk Erik mentioned the part of the cast and the synopsis of the whole show, I knew I had to say yes.”
“It’s non-negotiable. I knew I wanted to be part of the team. I wanted to be part of this project because it is something really, really, really different from the past characters I’ve made,” added she, who plays the lipstick lesbian Andrea, “and it’s something I know if I say no to this and I let it pass, I’ll regret it. I did the best decision.”
For her part, Gina recalled that the team initially told her that they would be doing a French TV series adaptation. “So, I watched the series, and I think I finished it in one sitting. And I said to myself, ‘I want to be in that project.’ I told my manager, ‘I want it. I want that role.’”
Also factored in was the idea of working with direk Erik again. She has known him since he was young, including his stint as a continuity supervisor prior to becoming an established director.
“I wanted to work with him once again,” said she. “He’s someone whom we look up to in the directorial field. And of course, I wanted to work with Dondon Monteverde of Reality Films (MM Studios).”
Like Gina, Edu has also worked with direk Erik before.
“He had brilliant ideas; he knew how to live out a scene. You know, he was also being mentored by one of the country’s finest directors, and little did I know that he bloomed and blossomed into the director that he is today. So, it’s no secret everybody wanted to work with him,” said he, “and when I saw the French version and fell in love with it, I said, me too, like Gina, I wanted to be part of it, and then after I saw the script and I saw how we were doing the scenes, and I told myself, ‘You thought the French was colorful? You ain’t seen nothing yet. You want color? We give you color. You know what it’s like here, with different characters in the Philippines. I mean, this has far more color than a rainbow. I think our kaleidoscope, ito yun. So, I’m just so happy to be part of it.”
RK shared that he and direk Erik saw each other at a party and he was asked about current work.
“I was already aware of the project. I’ve been hearing it,” said he. “I already watched the series, and somehow they sent me scenes that I could audition for. Sent the tapes, and then eventually when they asked, ‘Okay, when are you available?,’ I think there was a conflict regarding my schedule. I was about to do a soap, and I remember that I really wanted the project.”
So, he asked his managers how to make it happen, and they did. RK was thankful to these people who let him do “Call My Manager.”
Playing characters who look after talent careers, he and the rest of the acting ensemble have worn the shoes of their managers in this project, and they have seen what it’s like on the other side of building thriving professions.
The storytelling is fast-paced and engaging. It has a meta feel to it, where reel somehow merges with real, like one meets celebrity characters Kiray Celis and Janine Gutierrez and an industry personality like Mother Aleta, who inhabit similar but different personas and entertainment situations in “Call My Manager.” The story is easy to navigate, and the personal and professional stories are relatable and feel real. They tackle relational, family matters and power dynamics. It boasts dependable veteran and new actors and actresses. Although it is an adaptation, it owns in a way the original material and captures the imagination and perceived notions of a viewer about how showbiz careers are built
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