A risk worth taking

Making moves on the dance floor or putting people in stitches is second skin to Vhong Navarro. Becoming a matinee idol, however, is more daunting to Vhong than doing The Streetboys’ adrenaline-pumping hip-hop routine.

This is the new Vhong the public will see in Star Cinema’s My Only U with Toni Gonzaga starting this Wednesday in theaters nationwide.

Vhong is now the latest addition to the ABS-CBN’s stable of heartthrobs along with Sam Milby, John Lloyd Cruz and Piolo Pascual.

“It was tough to become a matinee idol through and through,” offers Vhong of the transformation direk Cathy Garcia-Molina expected him to do in the movie. “She would tell me that I should be in this and that mold. That’s why I struggled getting into my character during the first shooting day. I couldn’t make my scenes take one. I played an ordinary character in the movie. So my movements and expressions shouldn’t be bigger (compared to my previous roles).

“Everything should be done in the proper context because my character is a human being (not totally a product of imagination). But I didn’t want to lose who I am in the role. The comedian in me was still there. I had to feel and to pretend as if I’m Piolo.”

At the end of the day, Vhong has met the demands set by Cathy whose latest hit was A Very Special Love.

“We always want to take the risk,” says the lady director of the changes on Vhong like his well-coifed hair, a departure from his spiky, gelled look.

“We want to give our artist something new. And I never had any problems with Vhong. He retains his funny side and looks handsome in the movie.”

This is also the first time Vhong will not be working with his lucky charms Pokwang and Mura who have established rapport with him on screen. It’s another reason why Vhong couldn’t help but feel like starting all over again.

But Toni, his ‘D Anothers leading lady, was there to bring out the best in him and put him in his comfort zone again. Their onscreen chemistry and natural flair for comedy are still what moviegoers look forward to in My Only U. With that, direk Cathy and the rest of the cast worked smoothly. All she had to do was motivate Toni and Vhong with their characters because their comedic timing and kilig moments come out naturally.

My Only U is about the friendship and eventually the love between Winona (Toni) and Bong (Vhong) who live in a tenement. In the story, Winona will die on her 25th birthday because of a family curse. As a friend, Bong will do everything to make the last days of Winona memorable and the woman in his life happy. According to direk Cathy, My Only U presents death as something unavoidable and inevitable. It also helps people see the lighter side of it and that phase of life could be viewed as something not painful. Taking the cue from the movie’s soundtrack, My Only U also promotes the notion that you cannot hurry love and it comes in unexpected circumstances.

Direk Cathy has no plans of surpassing what A Very Special Love has achieved. The director, like Toni and Vhong just wants to tell a good story and entertain everyone.

My Only U also stars Arlene Muhlach and Janus del Prado.