Cool, calm and collected

I haven’t known Boots Anson-Roa personally that long because by the time I entered the business, she and her family had already migrated to Washington D.C.

But I’ve read much about her prior to that and was familiar with her accomplishments in life. I knew about her failures and successes – about how she was rejected for her first print ad (for a beauty soap) and eventually endorsed Tender Care and a whole slew of other products when she was already a popular entertainment figure.

At the FAMAS, she kept getting nominated (Always a bridesmaid, never a bride, she once said in an Expressweek magazine interview), but eventually got the Best Actress prize for Tatay na si Erap in 1972 (she tied with Vilma Santos for Dama de Noche).

The 1970s were her peak season in the entertainment field. (The daughter of the late matinee idol Oscar Moreno, she entered television in the early ’60s, wed Dance-O-Rama co-host Pete Roa and later made films using a hyphenated screen name.) In 1974, at the age of 29, she became a Towns Awards recipient for her contributions to mass media.

Most impressive were her performances in the then weekly drama anthology Eliza (she was born Ma. Eliza Anson) in the old BBC 2 – for which she received a Best Actress trophy in the 1975 PATAS Awards. This time around, she tied with the late Nida Blanca, who won for John & Marsha. (There were no separate categories then for drama and comedy in this now-defunct award-giving body for TV).

So popular was Boots Anson-Roa that she was named Miss RP Movies (the equivalent of Box-Office Queen title today) sometime in the early half of the ’70s. But for all her popularity, success never went to her head.

In spite of all the things she was doing (to think that she was also a wife and mother of four at the same time), her disposition always remained sweet and sunshiny. And how generous she was (and still is) with her time – which is precious among showbiz folks.

Old-time Manunuri members still marvel at how Boots Anson-Roa would host the Gawad Urian year after year – gratis.

In 1993, when she returned home with her family, I finally met her in person when she came to promote one of her comeback movies in Showbiz Lingo. There were no formal introductions – we just warmed up to each other like we were long-lost friends. (We had to be friends if only for the fact that our names sound so much alike: Boots and Butch).

In 1995, I found myself doing a film with her and you know how tempers can fly in a movie set because of the long wait and the inconveniences in a location (we were in an abandoned building in Dominican Hills in Baguio – without a bathroom). While the other actors began gnashing their teeth because of the long set up (one of the male lead stars punched the concrete wall in exasperation), Boots was still all smiles till late at night.

In between takes, she would sometimes go to her parked vehicle to catnap. "Alam mo naman ako, strike anywhere," she shot back after I told her how enviable it was for her to be able to sleep at anytime and at any place. Then I remembered what Ali Sotto would always tell me: "God blesses the sleep of the just."

Then early this year, I found myself in another movie set with her and as usual, there was waiting involved in spite of the fact that we were only doing very brief scenes. While waiting for the set up, we exchanged stories and she shared with me her experience with Carlos Agassi’s now-cancelled show Victim on ABS-CBN.

In one episode, the show’s staff sent a young person undercover to ask Boots questions that were intended to annoy and irritate her – hoping she would go berserk and lose her poise and patience. Guess what? It was the show’s production staff that became impatient because Boots remained cool, calm and collected. Their mission was a failure – no thanks to the fine breeding and upbringing of Boots Anson Roa.

Now don’t think that her life is perfect, which is why she goes about her business like there’s always sunshine in her piece of the sky. Unfortunately, I missed the Maalaala Mo Kaya episode that featured her life story last Thursday, but I do know of the fact that she currently has two patients at home: husband Pete, who had a stroke a few years ago and older son Joey who has kidney problems at the moment. I can imagine that these times are trying for her. (In one social gathering we attended about two or three years ago, she politely excused herself in the middle of a lovely dinner because Pete wasn’t doing very well that time and she had to be with him). But in spite of the crises at home, Boots still finds time to think about the welfare of other people.

When she turned 60 last Jan. 30 (sorry, Tita Boots, the invitation was sent the roundabout way and I got it too late), the party for her was to raise funds for the families of the Mowelfund members. Such an incredible woman.

Mercifully, at 60 – by the grace of God – she is still strong and very productive. Aside from acting, she serves as executive director of the Mowelfund and teaches in at least three educational institutions.

Some skeptics would probably ask: Is she for real? Can somebody be that beautiful, intelligent and accomplished and yet remain sweet, pleasant, kind and humble? In the case of Boots Anson Roa – yes. After all, I doubt if anyone can put up an act – and consistently at that – for 60 years.