Andre Paras graduates to primetime

Andre Paras, just like his leading lady Barbie Forteza, is very thankful to GMA-7 for giving him and Barbie the new show, “That’s My Amboy,” which started airing on Kapuso Primetime last Monday. For someone who is just new in the industry as he himself described, Andre feels fortunate to have been given the trust of his home network.

“Of course, I would like to thank GMA for trusting me with this project. We are happy kasi right after ‘The Half Sisters,’ may new project. It is a rom-com, a comedy series and we are happy kasi comedy so we will be able to make people happy and make them smile,” said the towering Andre.

“For me, this is a good way to show my other side. And I am also happy to be working with Direk Joyce [Bernal]. I know I will learn a lot from her. I know I have do well. I want to be good in my craft.”

Since he did drama in “The Half Sisters” and made comedy films as well, what genre does he prefer? “For drama, it is not just about crying, but also affecting the people. If a drama project has a good story, it could be very engaging. And you have to be in character,” said Andre.

“Sa comedy naman, you can be silly and funny. I think it is easier to do comedy because I am quiet, but if I put your heart and mind in what you do, magiging madali. I also have a sense of humor but I hardly show it to people. But now they are starting to notice it.”

Has he discovered something new with Barbie after two years of working with her? “We are now really close that even if I am asleep off cam, she wakes me up. She says, ‘Andre! Andre! Wake up.’ If I ask why, she says she brought some food and wants to share it with me and the rest of the cast. It’s touching that she treats everyone as family. It is heartwarming. I love it. This is what I want to see all the time. Hindi nakaka-pressure.”

As a friend, Andre says Barbie would rather not discuss work with him but is prone to asking questions about him to get her to know him more, even if he believes that she already knows much about him.

“Barbie is really down-to-earth because whenever you say something, kahit paano, she always has advice. At times, mapapaisip ka sa sinasabi niya. Even if she is younger than me, she has gone through a lot. And it is really nice to know that she is someone who you can turn to if you need help. She will always be there for you. Kahit na artista na bago lang niya nakasama, they love her kasi she is fun to be with. Hindi siya mayabang. And you will love her talaga,” added Andre of his partner.

“As an actress, she is really into her character. Kahit na sabihin mo na makulit siya, pag action, alam niya ang gagawin niya. She is very professional. She is kalog. She is a very good actress. Kahit na makulit siya on the set, she is really professional.”

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Incumbent Manila Congressman Amado Bagatsing is running for mayor of Manila in the May elections. He is the uncle of actor Raymond Bagatsing since Raymond’s dad, Boy, is his younger brother. But he hastens to add that Boy is better looking than him.

He is running against incumbent Manila City Mayor Joseph Estrada, but he is not considering him a rival since they are friends. He has good words to say about Mayor Erap. Congressman Bagatsing also considers the other Manila mayoralty aspirants as his friends.

“We all have the good of Manila in our minds that is why we are running for office. We all love Manila and we want to bring back its glory days,” he said when he met with some members of the movie press the other day.

If he is elected, among his plans is the revival and construction of the Metropolitan Theater, doing an inventory of cinemas in Manila and supporting the Manila Film Festival, bringing back the glory of Manila through float parades and showing its rich history in arts and culture, the conversion of Roxas Boulevard as a haven for painters and musicians, as well as bringing back the glory days of Intramuros.

Congressman Bagatsing believes he can fulfill this plans for the City of Manila with the help of barangay officials, Manila Police, and hotel and restaurant associations.

As a young boy, he remembers going around Manila with his father in Escolta. According to him, Escolta is the counterpart of Rodeo Drive of Los Angeles, California during his time. No wonder he desires to bring back the old glory of Escolta and of Manila as a whole if ever fate permits that he win the mayoralty race come May.

We can relate to the things being said by Congressman Bagatsing since it was in Manila where we studied during college. At that time, there were still many theaters in Escolta, Sta. Cruz and Quezon Boulevard. When we were younger, our father also brought us to Escolta to watch movies in Capitol Theater, which is now just a memory.

“I know how beautiful Manila was and I intend to reclaim that beauty and glory when elected mayor,” the six-term congressman from the Fifth District of Manila said.