Extra, Extra: Paolo, Miriam give sitcom ‘acting’ a try

The concept of last Thursday’s edition of Extra! Extra! was such a brilliant and novel idea. In that episode, Extra! Extra! sent its hosts, Paolo Bediones and Miriam Quiambao, to the various shows of GMA-7 to do bit parts in these programs.

You see, Paolo and Miriam are both non-actors (although Miriam I think has already done a play before and had a short stint in Idol Ko si Kap). With this experiment, viewers were given the chance to find out how the two hosts would fare given acting assignments.

Miriam was first sent to the set of the gag show Bubble Gang where she was cast as a GRO in a bar. Actually, making her play a GRO was already a joke in itself because Miriam is one of the more revered former Miss Philippines winners and has a virginal public image to protect. Also, she is so mayumi and very demure. I just can’t imagine seeing her as a bar girl. But play a GRO she did (opposite Ogie Alcasid). And she was good at it — and quite funny, too.

Here’s how one of the scenes she played in Bubble Gang went:

Ogie (as the customer): Nag-aaral ka pa ba?

Miriam (as a GRO): Hindi na. Grade 6 lang ang natapos ko, eh.

Ogie: Saan ka nag-aral?

Miriam: Sa St. Stephen Bishop School.

Ogie: Di ba, all-boys school ’yon?

Miriam: Oo nga. Ano ba akala mo sa akin?

Somehow, Miriam was quick on the uptake and knew the precise moment when to throw the punchline.

Unfortunately, her bit part in Biglang Sibol wasn’t as successful because she was made to play a broadcast journalist here and there wasn’t anything new there anymore.

Paolo Bediones doing an acting part was also interesting to watch. Now, I don’t know if Paolo would still be interested in doing movies at this point of his life. But I do know for a fact that Jose Javier Reyes wants to put him on the big screen in a Cary Grant type of role.

On the set of the daily soap opera, Ikaw Lang ang Mamahalin, he was put in a brief role as a doctor. On the first take, you could hardly hear a word he was saying. On the second take, he did a lot better — although he talked a bit too fast and was quite self-conscious.

Paolo, however, was a delight to watch in Kool Ka Lang. Obviously, he is more at home in comedy. In the company of Joey Marquez, Dennis Padilla, Raymart Santiago and those other crazy comedians in Kool Ka Lang, he was, well, "game na game" — as we say in colloquial terms.

Paolo and Miriam’s mini acting parts in the shows mentioned above will be seen first week of October. That should give those who missed last Thursday’s episode of Extra! Extra! the chance to find out how Miriam and Paolo fare as actors.

From the

readers

The mail has started to pile up — which is why I’m publishing a couple of letters below. The first letter comes from Dante Dejuras. It reads:

I just want to ask if the Urian Anthology 1980-1989 is available at bookstores. If yes, which bookstore? Also, do you still remember me? We were together in college. The last time we saw each other was at the concert of a German pianist at the Manila Metropolitan Theater.

The Urian Anthology is available in bookstores. Just last Sunday, I went to the National Bookstore branch at the Virra Mall in Greenhills and saw some copies (at P2,900 each) in the Filipiniana section. And yes, I remember you from our ROTC days. If I’m not mistaken, your mother even used to send you tocino all the way from Laguna. Please give my regards to your folks.

Speaking of the Urian Anthology, I was told early this month by the people from Viva Films that there are some people going from studio to studio who are using my name to sell the book. German Moreno also told me the same thing when I bumped into him at the GMA Gold book launching.

Now, while I’d like people to buy the book (at least, to help the publisher recover his investment), I’d like to stress here that I’m not authorized to sell it. For those who would like to buy a copy of the Urian Anthology 1980-1989, I guess the best thing for you to do is go to National Bookstore, Powerbooks and other bookstores near you.

The other letter I’m publishing is from Nellie G. Puguon of #31 Phase 3, Garden Village Subdivision, Sta. Maria, Bulacan. Here’s her letter below:

Through your article entitled "Meeting Interesting Stars Through The STAR," you also enabled us — your readers — to "meet" interesting stars. I was really quite touched when you singled out Gloria Romero as "the only person I know (aside from Boots Anson Roa) who doesn’t have a mean bone in her body." You also added, "she is the sweetest person I’ve ever met in my whole life."

Wasn’t that a whale of a compliment for sweet Gloria? During my teenage years, I remember remarking to friends how sweetly Gloria smiled — just like another one of my favorite stars then, Susan Roces. And now, because of what you said, I know that there is also sweetness in her soul.

Thank you for sharing with us your personal glimpses on these seemingly distant humans we only get to watch on TV or in the movies.