"I think so!" laughs Piolo Pascual.
"I have a feeling we were," Sam Milby laughs along with him.
They have many things in common: Both are drop-your-pants disarming, drop-dead gorgeous, wholesome, family-loving/family-oriented, gentle and caring, loving and lovable in a way that you expect your kuya to be, clean-living, untainted by even the nastiest of gossip. And God-fearing.
They are Dream Boys. They are Dreamboats. They are Ladies’ Men. They are Heartthrobs.
Piolo and Sam invite everybody to a two-of-a-kind Valentine date at the Music Museum on Feb. 13 and 14 in a show aptly entitled Heartthrobs, first production of A.S.A.P. Live. (Tickets are sold out and this early, a repeat is being planned for the first week of March and, just possibly, a US concert tour after that, along with Rica Peralejo, once rumored to be Piolo’s girlfriend, as added attraction.)
In the goldfish bowl that’s showbiz, their super-closeness has been misinterpreted in malicious terms. But who cares?
"We don’t," insists Piolo. "Only people who are envious of us think ill about us."
"Does it bother us?" counters Sam. "No, it doesn’t. We understand that it’s part and parcel of being in showbiz."
Piolo is starring with Claudine Barretto in Walang Kapalit, the new ABS-CBN soap airing anytime now, and has just started shooting a Star Cinema movie (untitled just yet) with Regine Velasquez.
A graduate of Big Brother’s house, Sam is riding on the crest of his being the reigning Crush ng Bayan, with two hit movies behind him (Close To You, with John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo; and Crazy For You, with Toni Gonzaga who, despite the persistent rumor, has never been Sam’s girlfriend); and an ongoing top-rating soap (ABS-CBN’s Maging Sino Ka Man, with John Lloyd, Bea and Anne Curtis).
Let’s peel off Piolo and Sam layer by suspenseful layer as they complete the following "revealing" sentences:
1. I HATE PEOPLE...
Piolo: ...who have no respect for others.
Sam: ...who think of themselves as higher than others, who act as if they are better than others.
Piolo:...who try to take advantage of me, who kind of use you.
Sam:...who are users, who are not trustworthy.
Piolo:...spending time with The Lord. Also, spending time with my family, or even simple gatherings with them. (Piolo’s mom and sister flew in from the US to celebrate his 30th birthday last Friday, Jan. 12. – RFL)
Sam:...actually, there’s a lot, and being with my loved ones tops them all. I also derive great pleasure from doing my favorite sport, motorcross.
Piolo:...oh gosh, it’s too embarrassing to tell...too embarrassing actually. Too disgusting! It happened when I was in high school. Oh no, I’m too embarrassed to recall what it was. Okay, among my worst moments is when I forget the lines of a song that I’m singing.
Sam:...same here. Too many embarrassing moments. But I can share one with you. It happened during a singing competition. Our group was representing the US against Canada. During a rehearsal, I tripped on a co-member and I broke her wrist.
Piolo:...losing my loved ones.
Sam:...I have two, actually. One is not pleasing God and the other is not knowing that my family, in case something happens to them, is not having a relationship with God.
Piolo:...talking directly to The Lord. I talk to Him as if He’s just beside me, like I would talk to a friend of mine. Also, by singing. (According to the book Powerful Prayers by Larry King, any song that has a spiritual message – such as I Say a Little Prayer For You, I Believe, My Prayer and the like – is a form of prayer. – RFL)
Sam:...same with Piolo, direct to God.
Piolo:...Jesus!
Sam:...Jesus, of course!
Piolo:...I would be a dog. Dogs are like human beings. They can even be more loyal than human beings. They take care of you and your home.
Sam:...I would be an eagle. Just the thought of soaring into the sky gives me a big high.
Piolo:...when my sister figured in an accident last year and I didn’t know if she was okay or not. I saw her at the hospital and I was scared. I was terribly afraid of losing her.
Sam:...I’m thinking about losing a loved one, like when I lost my aunt, who was very young, in a car crash.
Piolo:...not really ignoring it but looking at it as part of the business.
Sam:...the same way. If there’s something that needs to be corrected or clarified, I do so. Otherwise, I simply let it go. I don’t let it bother me.
Piolo:...The Bible.
Sam:...My electronics.
Piolo:...No, I’m not. I’m excited, actually. It’s something I look forward to.
Sam:...I like to stay as I am.
Piolo:...are the simple ones. Those who are faithful to God and who have self-respect. Traditional girls.
Sam:...yes, simple girls who have natural beauty.
Piolo:...Pass! I refuse to answer that.
Sam:...I will have to skip that question, too. (For fear of, ehem, self-incrimination? He, he, he! – RFL)
Piolo:...let go and let God. That has been my motto, my guiding principle, as far as I can remember.
Sam:...it goes something like this: Dance as if nobody’s watching, work like you don’t need the money, and live like you’ve never been here.
Piolo:...I lack sleep and someone is annoying me or talking too much.
Sam:...I’m driving and traffic is terrible and, yes, I can be masungit when I lack sleep, or when someone is trying to annoy me. (Aside from Piolo: You’re repeating what I’ve just said!)
Piolo:...I won’t say it’s really fantasizing, but what takes so much of my time is thinking about The Lord and how I can serve Him better...spending time talking to Him and being sensitive to whatever it is He wants me to do.
Sam:...wait a minute. You see, it’s seldom that I’m alone in my room. But when I am, I try my best to work on my relationship with God.
Piolo:...the President (of the Philippines) so I can reform the country.
Sam:...I’m happy with myself. I wouldn’t want to be anybody else!
Piolo:...to be more compassionate, to have more time to spend with The Lord, to do more quality movies and shows.
Sam:...to work harder on myself as a person, to appreciate my blessings more, to become even closer to God. (Aside from Piolo: To learn how to speak Tagalog better.)
Piolo:...you know, what I like most about this guy...He’s hardworking. He knows what he wants and he’s gonna go for it. He’s talented and he’s gonna go farther than where he is now. He’s level-headed and he has a really good relationship with The Lord.
Sam:...there’s a lot. He’s always encouraging and that really helps. He’s very grounded, very nice to everyone...very professional.
Piolo:...he is hard on himself. (Reaction from Sam: Am I?)
Sam:...wait, what’s wrong with my kuya? He’s too happy all the time. No, that’s not a bad thing. Honestly, there’s nothing that I don’t like about him.
(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph)