Rodel swings from bold to comedy

Rodel Velayo’s life is a series of surprises. As a typical teenager with nothing but good time in mind, he never imagined Seiko Films will choose him over a friend he accompanied to audition for Burlesk King. Rodel also never imagined the film will not only introduce him to audiences in Chicago, Toronto, etc. (where it was shown to critical acclaim), it will also be his passport to showbiz.

The guy with the humble beginnings (as children, he and his many siblings hopped from one relative to another) had simple dreams. He wanted to relax, enjoy life with friends, and, if he’s lucky, have a taste of creature comforts now and then.

Seiko Films gave him much more than that after the film outfit cast him in the title role for Burlesk King four years back. Banking on that well-built physique and angelic-looking face, the film outfit baptized him Rodel Velayo. Then, it was one bold film after another.

Soon, even the audience got tired of all that flesh galore. Seiko came up with Liberated, which cast him as a gay, and Rodel’s roles were never the same again. They took a turn for the better.

Those who see him on the streets and in the mall no longer refer to him as a bold actor, but as an actor, period. You can’t blame Rodel for being tickled pink.

After all, being a bold actor and an actor spells a world of a difference. And Rodel feels happy being one of the lucky few who has passed that invisible line separating one from the other.

Director Jeffrey Jeturian saw the rushes of Liberated and noticed the new face playing a gay at once. The critically-acclaimed director didn’t waste time. He contacted Rodel and told him he (direk Jeffrey) had a role in mind: that of Dina Bonnevie’s swishy friend in Bridal Shower.

"I felt so nervous acting alongside Dina," Rodel admits.

But he passed the test with flying colors as the classy gay who figured in many an amusing scene in Bridal Shower. And so, Seiko cast him — for the third time — as a gay in the upcoming Liberated 2.

Here, Rodel is Demi, a gay (again), who ironically becomes the person the characters of Francine Prieto and Diana Zubiri look up to because he ends up having a happy family after he gets a babymaker (Ynez Veneracion) to help him out.

"I’m not afraid of being labeled gay," Rodel confirms how secure he is with himself. "I’m comfortable being a man and I know I’m one."

He has seen movies where gay characters play pivotal roles, such as Eric Quizon’s Pusong Mamon, Ricky Davao’s Ang Babae sa Buhay ni Selya and Rupert Everett’s My Best Friend’s Wedding.

And if playing gay is where Rodel’s acting talent will be recognized, so be it. He has no complaints, thank you.

How can he, when Rodel has come a long way since his struggling days as Archie Abala? From a space in his aunt’s home in his pre-showbiz years, Rodel has made the giant leap to a house of his own in Fairview, Quezon City, which he shares with his many siblings (their parents have long gone their separate ways).

Those gay roles are nothing to be ashamed of at all. They have landed Rodel, a freelance artist, guest roles in primetime GMA and ABS shows.

"I’ve seen dedication to work right before my eyes when I saw how director Jeffrey Jeturian worked on the Bridal Shower set," states Rodel in Filipino. "Our director didn’t mind the sleep nights, the long hours."

The work ethic has inspired Rodel to strive more, and yes, excel even more. And others can’t help but sit up and notice.

With such an inspiring life story, will an episode on Magpakailanman or Maalaala Mo Kaya be the next big thing on TV for Rodel? Given his interesting life, it won’t come as a surprise if it will.