ONEonONE with Richard Gutierrez: He came, He saw… He's conquering

Richard Gutierrez is the son of the '60s matinee idol Eddie Gutierrez and Cebuana Anabelle Rama. No wonder he still looks gorgeous even if he wrinkles his face. He started showbiz at a very young age, together with his twin brother, Raymond - and then stayed away from the limelight. It was not until the late 90's that Richard began to conquer the boob tube - and Philippine showbiz - again.

After playing the character of Enzo in the now-defunct youth-oriented show of GMA-7, "Click," where he was paired with Mimi, played by Chynna Ortaleza, there was no stopping his rise to fame. The year that was and 2006

Richard has a lot of things to be thankful for the year 2005. On top of his thank-you list would have to be the fact that he is one of the highest-paid young actors in an industry teeming with talented faces. And as far as 2006 is concerned, Richard said in an exclusive interview with The FREEMAN recently, "I would also be very busy with work, but I'd definitely have some time off for myself."

And would "time off" really materialize for this busy young man?

To begin with, he just got off the 2005 Metro Manila Film Festival frenzy with his movie under GMA Films and Regal Films, "Mulawin: The Movie," which earned the third spot among top-grossing movies in the festival, amounting to more or less P60 million. "We did our best so the movie will be at its best as well. We did a lot of physical fighting scenes, shooting from 8 in the morning until the following morning," Richard, who reprised the role of the half-bird, half-human Aguiluz, recalled.

It was a dream come true for him because the topic of making a full-length movie version of the successful telefantaserye just came in passing during one of their conversations while still filming the teleserye. It was actualized only last September, despite the original plan of shooting the movie as early as June. While filming the movie, he had to simultaneously act and carry his armor, which was quite heavy, owing to the fact that it was already made of fiberglass, unlike the rubberized ones used in the teleserye.

His ongoing telefantaserye "Sugo," which also stars Cebuana Isabel Oli, is set to have its final kick soon so all the more he has to work hard for the two characters that he plays, the twins Miguel and Amante. The fighting scenes, according to him, are more intensified than ever.

Moving further, his new movie with Angel Locsin, is scheduled to hit theaters on February 8. The title of their new movie is "I Will Always Love You," which is mostly shot in San Francisco in the US. The fact that the two are in separate relationships right now didn't lessen in any way the onscreen chemistry that they have.

In this movie, he plays Justine, a rich playboy who fools around with women. To be committed is one of the last things that Justine would want to do. "Masaya talagang i-portray ang role ni Justine, because I get to play with the character in different twists," Richard admitted. But when asked if he's anything like Justine, he coyly answered, "Nope. I'm a one-woman man." Events Management

Richard has also ventured into events management. His company is called Iced Out Productions, named as such because of his mother and older sister Ruffa Bektas' interest in diamonds, which actually stands for the meaning of the slang "iced out." May of last year, the group had a very successful car show as launching project.

This March, Richard will be producing two albums. One of which is a compilation of 20 tracks of underground hip-hop artists, and the other album is entitled "The Rise," the debut album of his brother, Ritchie Paul. The latter will be produced a month or two after the release of the former.

Also in mind, Richard plans to organize a celebrity basketball league. And why basketball of all sports? "Basketball is a part of my life," he said. Inspired!

Richard's non-showbiz girlfriend is model Georgina Wilson, daughter of Gloria Diaz' sister, who, according him, is his inspiration. He shared that he prefers to have a non-showbiz girlfriend because their life as a couple is not open to the public's scrutiny.

Sadly though, Georgina will be leaving for Australia this February to study. But still, he's certain that distance would only heighten their relationship. Being the techie that he is, no doubt communication would be as easy as ABC.

He admitted to giving himself a "gift" after every major project. When "Mulawin" ended, he left for the United States to have a vacation. When "Sugo" ends, he plans to travel to Brazil with his twin brother Raymond. And why Brazil?

"Wala lang, gusto ko lang talaga pumunta 'don and check out the place," he added. This June, he is thinking of going to Turkey to visit his sister Ruffa who is currently busy preparing for an event for Fashion TV-Turkey.

That's definitely a lot to look forward to this year for Richard Gutierrez, isn't it?