The stars behind the camera

In the Philippines, we have so many actors often regarded to as stars. A new one pops out almost every day, others come and go while others continue to shine and still, a million others are awaiting for their turn to be discovered. Its brilliance is often a tempting sight to those who are on the side of the light as if its brightness holds the magic of never never land... but the stars are either revered or despised upon; as if its final magic falls on the eyes of those looking from the outside. The power in them can choose to bless the stars with veneration or contempt. The final judgment is theirs alone.

The stars and the future stars will continue to be drawn to the supernatural forces of show business. Its appeal shall always be enticing to those who have stepped into its world for it is unknown and unreal to marry, therefore, it is mysterious and magical.

Actors are like Cinderellas who transform once they wear their makeup, their costumes and their characters but unlike Cinderella who has the luck to metamorphose through a wave of a magic wand, an actor has to go through the harsh realities of becoming a star.

One has to work 24 hours a day, more or less. He has to endure long travels if the location is out of town. His skin erupts due to lack of sleep, makeup or prosthetics. He has to memorize his lines and the director’s instructions. He has to forego food to keep his body trim or because he has to finish his scene while his stomach grumbles. He has to be genial to everyone even if he is suffering a toothache so as not to be labeled a snob. An actress has to walk gracefully in her stilettos and smile like nothing is troubling her. An actor has to hide the imperfections that can dismay the adulating fan or the scrutinizing critic. He has to be talked about all the time especially those who have to maintain their fame. That means they have to invent stories about themselves or delude the public to make them interesting though others have really colorful lives. If an actor plays a contravida role successfully, he gets hit by an angry fan or gets threatened. I suspect the poor guy gets even subjected to kulam or witchcraft.

Once in my showbiz life, I was in a Santacruzan. I was sitting atop a float, I had to bear the smoke from the torches of fire meant to illumine me. I had to welcome the annoying flying insects that land on me or at the insides of my gown and of course I had to smile for seemingly endless hours.

Do you know how it feels to smile for hours while moving atop a float with the wind blowing? The mouth feels dry like your gums and lips get frozen, the jaw feels stuck and if you’re unlucky, you swallow a bee. At one moment, I had to stop smiling to give my jaw a rest — just for a moment, but at that same moment, a spectator shouted “Ay suplada! Hindi ngumingiti!” Gosh… tough luck.

The brighter a star is, the harder the efforts are to maintain its intensity. There are stars who take delight in keeping up the radiance. There are stars who like to twinkle on and off; and there are those who are meant to fall.

When these stars stay farther away from the cameras like when they retreat back to the real world, to their home, to their families, to themselves — what becomes of them?

Like Cinderella, they are as human as anybody. You, Me, They, We are pretty much the same. We laugh and cry; we get excited or nervous and angry; we earn and lose money; we get sick, we get well; we become weak, we become strong; we get confident or insecure; and yes — we fart too like you do.

In the end, we all live in the same planet and our existence intertwines.

As a star or as a spectator, we are of equal importance in the real world. Only you or me can give dignity to each other. Only you or me can honor each other. Most importantly, only you or me can give dignity and honor to ourselves.