Body Talk with Jay Manalo

When Funfare arranged a "body talk" with Jay Manalo, the first thing he asked was, "What are the questions?"

Told that the interview was nothing heavy, that no question would pry into his private life (well, not so much!), Jay smiled and said, "Okay!"

Jay’s attitude was understandable because he has been the subject of "blind items" lately to the effect that he is a gambling "addict." Jay has bared his body, all right, down to his birthday suit. But still, he is loathe to bare his soul.

This much we know about Jay: He grew up in the vicinity of the Arranque Market (along Recto Ave.) where he often passed the night sleeping on stalls put side by side. No wonder he’s street-smart. And he has 10 children by six different women, none of whom is married to him.

And this much is true: More than just a beautiful body (even now that he has matured considerably), Jay is one of the country’s finest actors who can switch with fluid facility between good-boy roles and kontrabida roles. He has six awards (three for Best Actor and three for Best Supporting Actor) to prove it.

These days, we see him Monday through Friday in the GMA soap Bakekang as Christoph, the jobless action star married to Valeria (played by Sheryl Cruz) who’s the arch rival of Bakekang (Sunshine Dizon), the stage-mother fan of Christoph.

Jay stands six feet flat, weighs 190 lbs., wears size-32 briefs and medium/large shirt and size 10.5 shoes.

Do you abuse your body (like most showbiz guys) with work?

"I don’t; I hope not."

What sort of diet do you follow?

"When I lack sleep, I eat and eat. Maybe that’s how my body makes up for it. I don’t worry about getting fat because I lose weight easily."

Even without exercise? Your metabolism must be fast.

"I haven’t worked out for one year now, would you believe! Maybe it helps that before every meal, I take a cup of black coffee so my stomach is half full when I start eating."

What kind of food do you avoid?

"None. But I minimize on fatty and oily food. I take more fish and vegetables."

What’s your favorite fish?

"Tilapia."

And vegetable?

"Anything, except beans which can raise the uric acid in your body."

Do you take snacks between meals?

"No, I don’t. I take heavy meals three times a day, sometimes even four when I lack sleep. It’s hard to memorize your dialogue if your stomach is empty."

How much sleep do you get per night?

"I should get eight hours but the most I can is five to six hours. Hindi ako matakaw sa tulog. My body has gotten used to being active, always moving."

How do you make up for lack of sleep?

"I take power naps on the set."

What’s your favorite sleeping wear?

"Boxer shorts, no underwear, no shirt."

What’s the last thing that you do before going to sleep?

"I read anything light, komiks. And then I pray."

What do you pray for?

"That I can handle my responsibility to my kids."

And the first thing that you do when you wake up?

"Watch TV while having my first cup of coffee for the day."

How much water do you take per day?

"A lot. I’m a water person. I can finish more than one gallon a day. I’m not fond of drinking juice(s); I’m more into fruits."

What’s your favorite fruit?

"Mango, santol, duhat and guavas. Fruits that I grew up with in Bulacan."

Shouldn’t you start working out?

"I used to. But I don’t want to start now, only to interrupt it if I have a shooting or taping. If I do anything, I want it continuous. Now, my workout is playing basketball thrice a week."

How do you unwind?

"Gambling! Oops, joke only! That’s the tsismis kasi about me. Gambling addict daw ako."

Aren’t you?

"I gamble for fun, such as tong-its (a card game). I don’t go to the casino. I must admit that I bet at the horse race. There have been races at our place since I was small. But I’m not a gambling addict."

So what do you do for relaxation?

"I stay home and play with my PS2 (Play Station 2). I watch old movies on DVDs, mostly American and European movies. I try to study how actors then attacked their roles and I learn from them."

Any favorite hideaway?

"Subic. I love Subic. I once lived in Olongapo. Dati rin akong Batang Gapo, eh."

What part of your body is your favorite?

"My eyes."

What part of your body do you think needs some improvement?

"All parts! Not that I’m overweight; it’s just that my whole body needs conditioning."

What part of your body is most vulnerable?

"My head. When I have a headache, I take deep breaths and I sleep."

And what part of a woman’s body do you notice first?

"Her feet and her hands. I presume that if her feet are clean, the rest of her body is also clean. If what you see is not clean, what more the parts that you don’t see?"

How’s your nightlife?

"None. My nightlife is limited to being with friends, shooting the breeze or playing tong-its. The last time I went to a bar was in 2002."

How’s your love life?

"Okay. Doing well."

And your sex life?

"Doing very well. Okay na okay."

Are you vain like most good-looking guys?

"No, I’m not. But I want to look good when I’m out. You know, some people look down on actors, so it helps improve their image if actors behave, and dress properly, in public."

Do you have any favorite fantasy?

"Not so wild. I guess I just want to be a rich man so I can just sit back and relax and enjoy life."

Name three guys you think have nice bodies.

"Christian Vasquez. Brad Pitt. Ken Watanabe."

And three women...

"Jacqueline Yu (the model). Ziyi Zhang. Dawn Zulueta."

Using only body language, how would you make a woman know that you admire her?

"I approach her nicely and tell her. But if the woman is really my type, I get tongue-tied, so I just look and look at her."

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