Will the real Jeffrey Quizon please stand up?

Because of the many roles he has been playing since December last year when he was hailed at the 2000 Metro Filmfest as "the new actor to watch" (thanks to his arresting performance as a comfort gay in Markova, Comfort Gay, which will be shown at the Toronto Film Festival next month), Jeffrey Quizon is having some kind of an "identity crisis."

You see, in his latest movie, Star Cinema’s Bakit ’Di Totohanin?, Jeffrey plays the swishy brother of the tomboyish Judy Ann Santos who topbills the romance-comedy-drama with Piolo Pascual; while in his last starrer with Rufa Mae Quinto, Radyo, he’s a killer, in contrast to his "jologs" character in the GMA early-afternoon sitcom Biglang Sibol.

"When I wake up in the morning," said Jeffrey, "I have to ask myself, ‘Ano ba ako ngayon, bading o killer?’ It takes a little while before I am sure who I am that day."

One thing very sure, though, is the direction Jeffrey is now taking. While before he only had, so to speak, one foot in showbiz, Jeffrey now has all his heart into it, immensely enjoying what he’s doing.

It must be because, besides making peace with himself and the people around him, Jeffrey believes that he has found himself and what the purpose of his "being here" is. The realization came about in November last year at the height of Typhoon Senyang.

"I was fast asleep at home (then in Makati City) when my maid frantically woke me up. ‘Lumulubog ang bahay natin! It turned out that flood waters had risen, inundating the whole first floor where we were staying, destroying my precious UV (ultra-violet) paintings and other art works. That’s when I remembered that the night before, I was grappling with the question of who I was and what I was here for. I began to doubt the existence of God. I considered the flooding incident that morning as God’s way of knocking me back to my senses."

Having sorted out the knots and puzzles of his life (was he a rebel without a cause?), Jeffrey has set aside his earlier dream of becoming a farmer and is now focused on being as good an actor as, if not a better actor than, his father, Dolphy, and his kuya Eric (who were with him in Markova and who are travelling with him to Toronto for the filmfest).

After Bakit ’Di Totohanin?, Jeffrey will stop playing gay roles, not because he doesn’t want to be typecast nor to be mistaken for one ("I’m secure with myself and my sexual preference," he stressed) but because both Dolphy and Eric have advised him against it.

"After Markova," counted Jeffrey (who also did a gay character in the ABS-CBN tele-series Detour, starring Rico Yan), "I received about 10 to 12 offers to do gay roles and I accepted only the one in Bakit ’Di Totohanin? Unless it’s an exceptionally good gay role, pass muna ako sa pagba-bading."

But he would gladly and willingly do a straight-woman role. Like who? "Like Cherie Gil," Jeffrey said. "I find her such an elegant woman and I’m sure she’s such a challenging person to portray. I saw Cherie when we guested together on Keep on Dancing and I shook her hand. I told her, ‘I’m a big fan of yours’."

Among his dad’s films, Jeffrey picked Omeng Satanasia (where Dolphy played five characters, earning him a FAMAS Best Actor award), although he and his kuya Eric are now mulling over the idea of doing a remake of their dad’s shot-in-Spain 1968 comedy El Pinoy Matador where Dolphy faced a real bull.

Meanwhile, what will Jeffrey be when he wakes up this morning?

Happily reconciled

Once a doting mom, always a doting mom, never mind if her daughter had gone astray.

That aptly describes Daisy Romualdez who has reconciled with "prodigal" daughter Kristina Paner. Have they let bygones be bygones? Maybe.

Mother and daughter "celebrated" their reconciliation with a concert last March 30 which was produced by Kristina and still another concert, entitled Pure Music, now produced by Daisy’s own DR Promotions, slated for Aug. 22 (Wednesday), 9 p.m. at Hotel Rembrandt’s Downtown, with Tempo entertainment editor Nestor Cuartero directing.

As in the first one, Kristina is again sharing the spotlight with younger sister Danita who will surely win the audience’s heart with her Britney Spears numbers (Oops! I Did It Again!, etc.). Guests performers are Janno Gibbs, Ogie Alcasid and Jun Polistico.

Besides their production numbers together (with Danita), Kristina’s repertoire includes a Patti Austin medley, Madonna’s Music, Lady Marmalade (from Moulin Rouge), Music of the Night (from Phantom of the Opera) and a jokebox medley. Show sponsors are FPJ, Pagcor, PCSO, NVF, Jessie Mendez, Fanny Serrano and Racken Marketing, with proceeds going to the Golden Acres Home for the Aged.

Kristina has been gone from the showbiz scene for almost four years now, concentrating on a retail business she put up with a friend. She should thank heavens that her Mama Daisy hasn’t given up on her, insisting that she still has a career waiting for her.

Reader’s reaction

Here’s a letter in praise of Sen. Noli "Kabayan" de Castro, from Funfare-friendly Paul R. Mortel of Marikina City:

We Mindoreños are extremely proud that at long last our beloved province has produced a Senator of the Republic in the person of Sen. Noli de Castro who hails from the town of Pola, Oriental Mindoro.

Now, we can be proud like the people of our neighboring provinces from Region IV which have earlier produced Senators of the Republic. These are: the province of Batangas which gave us Senators Jose P. Laurel, Salvador H. Laurel, Sotero Laurel and Claro Mayo Recto; Quezon province which contributed Senators Lorenzo Tañada and Wigberto Tañada; Cavite province which produced Senators Justiniano Montano and Ramon Revilla, Sr.; Laguna province which gave as Senators Estanislao Fernandez, Wenceslao R. Lagumbay and Jose Lina; the province of Palawan which produced Senator Ramon Mitra; and lastly the province of Rizal which gave us Senators Lorenzo Sumulong and Edgar U. Ilarde.

Lastly, I sincerely hope that even with his lofty position (he will now be addressed as Honorable and his car will sport a license plate with a big No. 7 on it), Sen. Noli de Castro can keep his feet of clay always.