The private world of Jacky Woo

TOKYO — He was nursing a fever and he could have begged off from the impromptu appointment set by his good friend Joe Barrameda via long-distance from the Philippines. But yes, said Jacky Woo, “I will see you.”

His Filipino secretary/interpreter/teacher Clara Kundo (from Baguio City) and Jacky’s Japanese assistant fetched me at the Ritz Carlton in Roponggi Hill where I and some Asian journalists were billeted for the Les Miz junket (more on the stars in future issues, including Anne Hathaway, Hugh Jackman and Amanda Seyfried; but watch out for my Conversation with Les Miz producer Cameron Mackintosh in tomorrow’s issue).

Jacky’s private world was occupied three floors of a building. His main office is located at the second floor, dominated by a blown-up photo of a pensive Jacky covering one wall. Posters of his movies, including a Universal Pictures movie titled Super Tanker, adorned another wall. There was also a framed photo of Jacky beside a racing car (he races in his free time). His trophies were displayed in a glass-covered cabinet, including the latest that won him Best Actor at the recently-concluded Manhattan International Film Festival held in New York. Still reeling from the fury of Hurricane Sandy, the Big Apple must have been too cold (it’s the onset of winter) for Jacky so he came home with a runny nose and sore throat.

We sat for coffee at a conference table. Our interview was done bilingually, me speaking in English and Tagalog and Jacky in Japanese, with Clara faithfully translating his answers. Nothing was missed, I guessed.

His winning film at the Manhattan Filmfest is titled Haruo (Springtime Man) which is the story of a Yakuza (played by Jacky) who goes to the Philippines to turn over a new leaf. It was one of the 1,500 entries. Directed by Adolf Alix Jr., the movie also stars Roxanne Barcelo. It was his second time to win in New York; the first, for Best World Feature, at the 2010 Soho International Film Festival for Walang Hanggang Paalam which he described as “an unbalanced love story” with Lovi Poe as his love interest.

“It’s important to me because my film represented the Philippines,” said Jacky, sniffing. “I’m proud of it. It was made in the Philippines and it has a very good quality.”

 Jacky has just also wrapped up another movie, Death March, with Adolf, set for release next year. It also stars Sam Milby.

“It is set during the Japanese Occupation of the Philippines,” explained Jacky who plays three different roles in different periods of the story.

Asked why he loves the Philippines so much, coming and going for more than 10 years (and even putting up a school for poor children at a town in Nueva Ecija), Jacky said, “The Philippines is like second home to me. I’m happy that most of my awards are for movies that I made in the Philippines.”

He’s also a natural comedian, a side of him that he shows when he appears as guest in the GMA gag show Bubble Gang. Will he ever do a comedic movie?

“No way,” Jacky laughed.

After the interview, Jacky took me on a quick tour of his private world that also included a spa (where a popular Filipino sexy star undergoes a make-over when she’s in Japan) and an all-around school called Forward Talent Office that offers courses in acting and related arts. It’s the same school (like others in the US) that, according to Wilma Galvante, inspired her to put up her own Asian Academy of Television Arts (AATA) which trained the contestants in the recent TV5 talent search Artista Academy.

“That’s why I made sure that Jacky was there when I opened AATA,” said Wilma.

After the interview, Jacky invited me to a quick dinner but I politely said no. Instead, I told him to rest. I said I could take the subway back to Ritz Carlton but he insisted that Clara and his assistant accompany me in the taxi back. “For safety,” he smiled.

Back in Manila, I would learn from Joe Barrameda that Jacky went right back to the hospital after our meeting.

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