Laughing out loud with Jan Manual

MANILA, Philippines - Laughing at their antics is one thing. Laughing with them is another.

Jan Manual and the rest of the crazy, funny gang of Q-11’s I Laugh Sabado will make televiewers laugh with them every Saturday night at 8:30. Jan will temporarily bid good-bye to his Manny Pacquiao comic sketch which never fails to draw laughter among Startalk followers.

“At first, I struggled a bit because I would be working with a new set of people,” replies the StarStruck avenger when asked of his latest TV assignment which pits him against veterans like Archie Alemania and Wally Bayola. “I got shy because I wasn’t able to get warmed up or comfortable with them. I didn’t even deliver my lines well. It is my first time to be part of a comedy show. On top of that, I’ll be doing comedy as Jan Manual away from Pacquiao. I think when I play Manny Pacquiao, people laugh easily by just me wearing that signature beard and looking at my face. That makes my work in I Laugh Sabado challenging.”

That means Jan will solely rely on his comic skills.

“It’s a mix,” shares Jan of the show’s brand of comedy. “We have a live band. The cast will do spoofs and tackle different comic sketches. It may have a tinge of Saturday Night Live but I Laugh Sabado has its own look.”

Judgment is in the viewers’ hands. For sure, they will laugh heartily at gags, sketches, skits that look at things such as politics, show business and life in general in a funny way. For its pilot episode last Saturday, director Bibeth Orteza and the cast made fun of Mexicanovelas and Koreanovelas. Rhian Ramos and The Bloomfields did funny antics on the show.

Mainstays Paolo Paraiso, Jana Dominguez, Gee Canlas and Alfred Marquez will make you laugh your heart out.

Is becoming a comedian a childhood dream?

“Actually, I want to be an action star,” answers Jan. “I started doing comedy in Startalk where I was asked to spoof Pacquiao. Whenever I guest on soaps, I’ll be cast as a gay or a nerd. I also like to try my hand in drama.”

It’s not yet too late for Jan to cross over to the serious, melodramatic side of acting. In fact, he can be groomed as a matinee idol given his looks. Meantime, Jan and fellow StarStruck graduate Charize Solomon are never wanting in ways to put people in stitches or bring a smile on their faces. 

Jan doesn’t regret being sidetracked to comedy. After all, it is serious business. That’s why he also sees himself creating his own character sketches, the way his idol, Michael V does.

If Jan will be true to his intention, he will pave the way for good-looking guys like him to be comics, too.

“I’m serious and quiet,” Jan describes himself when the klieg lights are off. “I’m not even talkative and funny. But when I work, I feel something gets hold of me and helps me do what I’ve got to do. It’s important to love your work and enjoy it.”