Carlos ‘reinvented’

You probably don’t notice it but rapper-actor Carlos Agassi has "reinvented" himself back to his "boyish" look. Why, is he tired of rapping and his rap image?

"Not really," said Carlos. "For the meantime, I’m concentrating more on acting than on rapping."

In his regular TV starrer, ABS-CBN’s Buttercup (Saturday nights), Carlos plays the son of a celebrity mom, eyeing Ciara Sotto without knowing that his gay good friend, played by Onemig Bondoc, is casting a lustful eye at him. Thus, in some scenes, Carlos is shown in bed only in briefs, innocently swapping stories with Onemig who has something else in mind. At the launching of Buttercup several weeks ago, there was much talk about a torrid love/kissing scene between Carlos and Onemig but, perhaps due to the eagle eyes of MTRCB members on TV shows, the Buttercup writer must have changed his mind.

Does Carlos mind kissing another guy?

"Not at all," he said, "because I’m secure with myself. But I don’t think it’s proper to do such a scene on television. In a movie, I guess it’s okay lang."

That’s what Carlos is doing with Ai Ai delas Alas in their upcoming movie, Star Cinema’s Pinay Pie, directed by Joey Javier Reyes, which also stars Joyce Jimenez, Assunta de Rossi, Vhong Navarro and Onemig Bondoc.

"In the movie, I play a cop who’s a Mama’s Boy. Anyway, I arrest Ai Ai for traffic violation. One thing leads to another and we end up in bed. We kiss lips-to-lips, very torrid, but the scene ends in a funny way when I get an asthma attack, with Ai Ai leaving my face full of lipstick marks."

Is it true that, as he usually does in such close encounters with the opposite sex, he got so excited that he could hardly control himself?

"I’m a normal red-blooded man so what can I do?"

But, in real life, he’s careful about succumbing to casual sex. "Mahirap na," he said.

What he finds attractive in a woman is not the size of the boobs but the buttocks, the hips. At 23, however, Carlos swears that he is loveless. "No regrets," he said. "My mind is focused on my career. Ang daming opportunities; sayang naman if I just let them pass. I decided to concentrate on acting and do less of rapping after I did Dekada ’70. I’m still trying to find my niche as an actor so I’m trying both drama and comedy."

He’s also busy with shows mostly abroad. Yesterday, he co-starred with Vina Morales at a concert in Los Angeles, with another one slated anytime now in San Francisco and in Jacksonville, Florida. Using his head, Carlos has invested some of his earnings in business, including Foot Trip (a foot-massage parlor located at the Eugenio Lopez Sr. Communications Center, with Kris Aquino as partner) and an outlet for Dickies (of which he’s an image model) at the Alabang Town Center in Alabang, Metro Manila.

Pops Wishes Martin Well

Just because her ex-husband Martin Nievera has broken up with Katrina Ojeda (said to be the "third party" instrumental in the failure of her marriage to Martin) doesn’t mean that Pops Fernandez is rejoicing.

"I’m not," Pops told movie writers over lunch at Uno Restaurant (off Tomas Morato Avenue, Quezon City) yesterday. "I’m a woman, too, so I know how she (Katrina) feels. I’m happy with my life now... with my boys (meaning sons Ram and Robin)... and I wish Martin happiness, too. Same with her (Katrina)."

Pops is being teased by friends that now that Martin and Katrina have called it quits, she and Martin have a chance to, you know, get back together again. Her reaction? A big smile that seems to say, "Spare me!"

Now that she’s not doing a Sunday show (which used to be ABS-CBN’s A.S.A.P.), Pops said that she has realized what she had been missing all these (eight) years and that’s being with her family. "From now on, I’m not doing any Sunday show anymore. My contract with GMA specifies a telesine and a soap but not a Sunday show. I might also host a musical show, who knows?"

For a starter, Pops and Martin will reconcile in a telesine entitled Sabi Nya Sabi Ko, a musical-romance to be aired soon on GMA, with Pops’ rumored boyfriend Brad Turvey among their co-stars (also including Troy Montero, Pops’ "ex"?; former Powerboy Jeff Rodriguez; Richard Gutierrez; Chynna Ortaleza; Jackie Castillejo; Philip Lazaro; Jan Marini and husband Gerard Pizarras; and Cholo Escano, with Mark Lopez and writer and director).

In October, the un-couple will go on a US concert tour (L.A., San Francisco, Chicago, etc.) Meanwhile, Martin is enjoying a well-deserved vacation in Virginia Beach, Virginia, with, among other family members, their sons Ram and Robin.

After You, Mayor Rey! Like Father, Like Son.

You can say that about Christopher Malonzo who so idolizes his father, Caloocan City Mayor Rey Malonzo, that he is deadset not only on following in his footsteps but surpassing his achievements.

"But I don’t want to use my Dad or my Mom’s (former actress and now TV host of IBC 13’s Today’s Mom Gigi Emnace Malonzo) name; I want to make it on my own."

Thus, when he joined an acting/hosting workshop at the ABS-CBN Center for Communication Arts, Inc., Christopher never told anybody (not that somebody was asking) who his father is even if everybody knew that he was a Malonzo. He guested on some ABS-CBN shows (Star Studio, etc.) through his own merits and efforts.

An AB Economics graduate from UST, Christopher is in the cast of two forthscoming movies, Gil M. Portes’ Homecoming (as the martyr suitor of Alessandra de Rossi who plays a nurse in Toronto afflicted with SARS) which is intended for the Berlin International Film Festival; and Fantastic Man 2 of M-Zet/OctoArts Films, topbilled by Vic Sotto, for the Metro Filmfest in December.

Christopher’s first movie was Sundalo, directed by Willy Milan with First Son Mikey Macapagal Arroyo among the stars, which has been put "on hold."

Asked what pointers he’s getting from Mayor Rey, Christopher said, "None. He wants me to go through what he had so I’ll learn things my way."

(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph)