Rufa Mae: I never compete with others

Reinvention, thy name is Rufa Mae Quinto. The sexy actress-singer-comedienne has just added a new title to her multi-hyphenated career: game show master. Together with Paolo Bediones, she is hosting the new GMA 7 game show Whammy! Push Your Luck weeknights (before the primetime newscast 24 Oras).

Rufa Mae’s transformation has astounded even co-host Paolo. “She is evolving on this show. She’ll prove that she’s not just funny, but that she can also be an effective game show host,” Paolo says.

Already wags are wagging, insinuating that she’s out to wrestle the game show throne away from Queen, Kris Aquino. Rufa Mae asserts that she only competes with herself. “I’m not the type who’s always looking at what others are doing. That is why I lasted long in this business. I never competed with others. I never stepped on other people.”

She admits that when her late-night sitcom Hokus Pokus (HP: Ibang Level Na) ended its run, she got depressed. “I assured myself na maybe God has something better in store for me,” she muses.

And that was Whammy!, she enthuses.

“Now, people can get to watch me at an earlier timeslot. Kids can also see me now. Kumbaga, my fan base is broadening. It’s a new career path for me,” she says.

It’s a challenge that she welcomes with open arms.

Another new job she took in recently is that of movie producer. Apat Dapat, Dapat Apat is actually her second time to co-produce with Viva Films. (The first was Masikip sa Dibdib.) But it’s her first big-screen venture with her company On-Q28. “I only produced concerts (Bombshell, When Erik Met Rufa) before. But now I’m producing a movie! I now know how Mother Lily Monteverde feels.”

She’s a hands-on producer. She looked into every detail — including the movie poster. “In the original layout, my name was a lot bigger than those of my co-stars Candy Pangilinan, Pokwang and Eugene Domingo. I got embarrassed. I asked Viva to make my name smaller.”

She points out that she precisely went into movie production to help the movie industry and her fellow comediennes. “Let’s face it, only a few female comics get good roles in the movies. Maricel Soriano, Ai-Ai de las Alas, me. My wish is that my Apat co-stars will also be given the chance to become lead stars. Eugene, Pokwang and Candy are all very talented. They deserve the big break.”

She is also reuniting with Apat director Wenn Deramas in another comedy flick Pasukob, also starring Ai-Ai de las Alas, later in the year.

Rufa Mae’s first love, of course, is comedy.

This month, she is also celebrating the 12th anniversary of the Kapuso gag show Bubble Gang with her good friends Michael V, Ogie Alcasid, Ara Mina, among others. “We thought of doing something different: Bubble Gang the Movie for TV, she says. “We worked hard on the anniversary special (which will be aired on the last two Fridays of October). It was shot like a movie — with an HD camera.”

The anniversary special is a musical, she says. Once again, she’ll get to show off her talent as a singer on TV.

Indeed, Rufa Mae is unstoppable.

Pooh’s dream

Comedian Pooh dreams that one day he will have his own show similar to Seinfeld or Comedy Central. Pooh is currently in the TV series Pangarap na Bituin and John ’en Shirley both on the Kapamilya network.

“I am a big fan of Jerry Seinfeld. I want to have a stand-up comedy show. It’s also a dream that someday magkaroon din tayo ng channel just for comedy,” he says.

Pooh admits that comedy is not necessarily easy. “Importante ang timing. Feeling mo laos ka na pag hindi tumatawa ang audience sa antics mo,” he says. And for Pooh, so far, so good. “Naaaliw pa naman ang audience sa mga jokes ko. Natutuwa naman ako.”

Pooh reveals that he loves the old movies of Charlie Chaplin, loves watching the Cosby show, Mr. Bean and Jim Carey. “Jim Carey is phenomenal. I sometimes think of him not just as an actor but a contortionist, siguro nagtrabaho siya sa circus,” Pooh laughs.

Pooh joins K Brosas in the musical comedy Ako Pooh Si K slated at Ratsky Tomas Morato on Oct. 20. Pooh expects a comedy intramurals with K. “Magaling ang timing ni K. Bilib ako sa kanya. Aside from that she can sing pretty well. Mapapakanta ako dito,” he says.

K Brosas who used to be the front man of the group K and the Boxers says that she is impressed with Pooh. “Ang bilis ng pick-up niya. Magaan na katrabaho. At masayahin,” she says. Pooh and K are both from Samar. “We grew up with poor families. Pag mahirap ka, yong lungkot tabunan mo ng masaya. Siguro that is where my being a comedian stemmed from,” she adds.

Ako Pooh Si K, presented by Caltex with Techron, is for the benefit of the Saint Joseph School Pandacan, Batch ’79 and ‘83 Association.

Tickets, priced at P500 (orchestra) and P350 (balcony), are on a first come-first served basis. For inquiries call Backroom at 435-1098, 435-1108, 435-1120, 928-0717, 0919-3798777.