'Mario Mania' hits Manila

MANILA, Philippines - This just in: Thai superstar Mario Maurer is confirmed to return to Manila anytime soon to shoot a TV drama special for his home network ABS-CBN in cooperation with leading clothing brand Penshoppe. During his last visit, Mario’s Thai and local management (he is represented locally by PR Asia Worldwide) signed a one-picture deal with Star Cinema for a film tentatively titled Suddenly It’s Magic, a romantic movie that will pair him for the first time with Erich Gonzales. The movie will shoot some scenes in the Philippines (in April) and Thailand (May) and will be directed by Rory Quintos.

Meanwhile, Penshoppe recently unveiled its Pre-Summer 2012 campaign topbilled by its powerhouse celebrity endorsers led by Gossip Girl star Ed Westwick (who visited Manila last June), Mario and Solenn Heussaff. The campaign called Follow Penshoppe capitalizes, among many things, Mario’s massive cult following in the country.

“Anything Mario Maurer wears sells fast,” says brand director Alex Mendoza. “Proving his phenomenal following among the youth, anything he models — whether a varsity jacket, boat shoes, denims, shirt or even a cap — will fire up fans to line up and buy.”

“Mario and Penshoppe are one of those perfect collaborations that is either a stroke of genius or a stroke of luck,” adds Mendoza. “We are very happy to have him.”

It has also been confirmed that Mario will be on the cover of Chalk magazine (published by ABS-CBN) in its February issue and here are exclusive excerpts from the cover piece. Read it here first:

In true Filipino fashion, many of us have fallen in love with Asianovelas — whether on the big screen or on TV — because of our penchant for happy endings. Such is the case in the Thai sleeper hit Crazy Little Thing Called Love starring Mario Maurer.

As P’Shone, Mario played the campus cutie and the object of affection of one awkward bespectacled girl. As it turns out, he actually loved her, too — all through the nine years they saw each other in school, before finally confessing his feelings for her. The campus heartthrob unexpectedly falling for the ugly duckling? This makes it all the more appealing to Filipino hopeless romantics. It first aired on ABS-CBN in early June ’11 and was repeatedly shown afterward due to public demand.

The clamor for Mario to visit Manila became a hot topic in the months that followed. Imagine fans’ reactions when Penshoppe made it possible as the Thai heartthrob was chosen to be the next international endorser of the Filipino clothing brand, just months after his predecessor, Gossip Girl actor Ed Westwick, set foot in the Philippines.

Of German-Thai descent, Mario never imagined he’d become a huge star at the age of 23. Growing up, he was just an ordinary guy. Back then, he didn’t have the poster boy looks that made him the sought-after endorser he is today. “I was very ugly (as a kid) — ugly to the point that none of the girls showed any interest in me. I went to an all-boys school and even the gays didn’t spare me a glance. I was really plain. I liked hip-hop, so I had a skinhead cut. My face was full of pimples. I also wore eyeglasses.”

On a typical day, he would stay home, fix old cars with his friends, or scratch the pavement with his skateboard. A proud owner of a Volkswagen, he developed his interest in cars from working at his mother’s gasoline station. “I did everything for the cars — clean them, fill the tank and check the air in the tires.” He went as far as joining skateboard competitions for extra income — “but I never received a prize for it.”

Clearly, fate had different plans for Mario. His debut film, Love of Siam, catapulted him to stardom in ’07, despite his reluctance to get into acting. “I just had no money at that time. I couldn’t even buy a skateboard for myself and had to ask help from my mom. I did Love of Siam because I wanted to earn for my family.”

Mario endured waiting in long lines during auditions or casting calls from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., only to get rejected at the end of the day. But he refused to give up and kept telling himself he’d get lucky through sheer determination and hard work. “If I want to do something, I just think I can do anything,” Mario says of his accomplishments. “I love my job because it’s a challenge every day. When I go to work, whether for a drama or a movie, I know the script, but I don’t know what exactly I’m going to be doing.”

Since he started out as a model, it’s no mystery where he developed the put-together look he always has, whether on- or off-cam. Just a touch of light grooming here and there, a bit of gel on his hair, and he’s good to go. Judging by the unassuming way he carries himself, he probably doesn’t even know just how impossibly gorgeous he is! When he’s with friends, he favors a simple shirt paired with jeans and a hat to give him that fresh, up-for-anything vibe. For public appearances, he usually goes for a buttoned-down dress shirt tucked into jeans or khakis. “I recommend that you find a style that fits you — don’t copy. If you like someone, you can look up to him, but you’ve got to find your own style. It’s more fun.”

Penshoppe actually complements his good taste in clothes, making it easier for Mario to be the local brand’s endorser. “I liked this red jacket and a blue and white shirt very much. I wore it the first time the Penshoppe team came to Thailand. I also like their jeans because it’s got a great fit.” 

When Penshoppe flew Mario Maurer to the Philippines, around 4,000 people flocked to his fan conference at the PICC. It was an incredibly huge turnout — even the Thai star couldn’t believe it.

“It must be very hot outside; I saw people using umbrellas,” Mario remarks. When he was told that some fans had been waiting in line since early morning, little lines crinkled his smooth forehead in palpable concern. “I don’t like that they have to line up for me,” he says. “But I know that they’re trying to show me that I’m very important to them. I never thought that one time in my life I would be famous in the Philippines.” 

True enough, by the time Mario came out on stage, the crowd went crazy as he greeted everyone in Filipino with an adorable accent. Several lucky fans succeeded in catching his attention — he even invited one to join him onstage and teach him how to Dougie! He wanted to accommodate as many people as he could for photo-ops because he knew how long they’d waited just to meet him. “I love you all. I would surely come back to see all of you,” he said as the program wound down. It lasted no more than an hour, but it was truly a day to remember.

It’s just as well that Filipinos have fallen in love with Mario, as he’s slated to do a movie with ABS-CBN homegrown talent Erich Gonzales sometime in April.

 “It’s my first movie in English, so I’m very excited,” he says of the upcoming project. “It’s going to be different. It’s a great opportunity to work with Erich. I think this would be a great chance to see the Philippines, too.” As most of his time was spent in Manila during his first two trips, he hopes he’ll get to see other places on his next visit.

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