Magic Mike actor would love to meet a Pinay

In the recently-shown Hollywood comedy What To Expect When You’re Expecting, the True Blood heartthrob Joe Manganiello is all over the scenes but seldom does he open his mouth. Playing a perpetual bachelor (in contrast to co-stars Matthew Morrison, Dennis Quaid, Rodrigo Santoro and Chase Crawford who are expecting their partners to deliver babies), all Joe does is run and run and run, at the park or anywhere the scenes were shot.

 “Davis, the character I’m playing, is the coolest guy in the world,” said Joe during an interview with Funfare last May in Beverly Hills. “He’s a jet-setter; he has beautiful women waiting for him in different countries; he photographs surf competitions.”

Once named by People magazine as one of the Sexiest Men Alive, Joe fits the Davis role as beautifully as he does his character Big Dick Richie in his latest movie, Magic Mike, which is the story of five hot strippers. He has body for it, the Pittsburgh-native having been a start athlete since childhood.

Presuming that he’s a ladies’ man (he looks it and admits to being a great woman lover), I asked him what his type of woman was and he smiled, “All types,” adding that he had dated all kinds of women from different countries. I asked him if he wanted to take a Filipina out on a date and he smiled even wider, “I’d love to; I’d love to meet one. I hope to find one when I go to the Philippines.”

Just like for What To Expect, Joe didn’t really rigorously prepare physically for his role as a stripper in Magic Mike because, as he had admitted, “I work out all the time, twice or thrice a day, and I concentrate on every part of my body,” that’s why he isn’t afraid to eat and eat — “A ton,” he added with a laugh.

Channing Tatum, one of Joe’s co-stars, is also a co-producer of Magic Mike which is inspired by his (Channing’s) own experience as an exotic dancer (in his late teens in Tampa, Florida) before he ventured into showbiz.

Born to be a queen

Her name is already regal, queenly.

That’s why when Queeneerich Rehman, 23, was crowned 2012 Miss World-Philippines Sunday night at the Manila Hotel Tent, beating 24 other aspirants, nobody was surprised.

“She was a winner from the first time she appeared onstage,” said Funfare’s “other beauty expert” Celso de Guzman Caparas.

Queeneerich, who replaced Gwendoline Ruais, won P1M in cash, a Hyundai car and the right to represent the country in the 2012 Miss World pageant in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China on Aug. 18.

Added Celso, “She was queenly in her blue terno.”

Queeneerich is an Assumption College Psychology graduate from Las Piñas City. Standing 5’7” tall and measuring 33-25-35, she also romped away with Miss Pantene and Best in Swimwear-Miss Zinea Body Beautiful awards, fortifying her Best in Swimsuit award in the 2011 Bb. Pilipinas pageant.

Adjudged first to fourth princesses were Mary Anne Ross Misa of Parañaque City; Fil-German Vanessa Claudine Amman of Cebu City; April Love Jordan of Manila; and Fil-Am Brenna Cassandra Gamboa. They pocketed P250,000, P200,000, P150,000 and P100,000, respectively. All five finalists also received a four-year scholarship from AMA.

Famous pop-rock band vocalists performed entertainment numbers. Side A’s Joey Generoso and South Border’s Jay Durias, accompanied by Mandaluyong Children’s Choir, rendered the theme song of Miss World Philippines composed by Louie Ocampo. Kean Cipriano of Callalily, Ebe Dancel of Sugarfree and Mcoy Fundales, former vocalist of Orange and Lemons, serenaded the candidates in their elegant and colorful ternos.

All together now (from left): April Love Jordan, Third Princess; Mary Anne Ross Misa, First Princess; Queeneerich Rehman, 2012 Miss World Philippines; Vanessa Claudine Amman, Second Princess; and Brenna Cassandra Gamboa, Fourth Princess. With them are TV5 VP and COO Bobby Barreiro (third from left), Gwendoline Ruais, 2011 Miss World First Princess and Miss World Philippines National Director Cory Quirino. – Photo by VER PAULINO

Presented by TV5, the four-hour long festival-themed coronation night was hosted by Edu Manzano and 1993 Miss World Second Princess Ruffa Gutierrez who was celebrating her birthday that day (she was surprised by the TV staff with a birthday cake at the backstage during an intermission). Segment hosts Pat Fernandez, Mr. Fu, Victor Basa and John James Uy provided pageant finals updates and feedbacks from Tweeter account users.

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. You may also send your questions to [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on www.twitter/therealrickylo.)