Niño & Alonzo: The Wonder Kind

Once upon a time, 40 years ago, a two-year-old kid burst onto the showbiz scene with the impact of a mega-bomb that exploded the box office with 40 starrers. The boy came more than two decades after Tessie Agana who was hailed as the country’s answer to Hollywood’s Shirley Temple in the early ’50s when she resurrected the gutted Sampaguita Pictures by making the whole country shed tears as the waif in the classic tearjerker Roberta. That made moviegoers sit up and wonder, and that must be why he was called Wonder Boy (and after the family-owned company D’Wonder Films, run by his father, Alex Muhlach).

“I was only two years old then,” Niño Muhlach told Conversations. “Parang naglalaro lang ako,” innocently keeping the tills ringing to the tune of millions as he won hearts with his cuteness.

No other child actor has equaled, much more surpassed, Niño’s record whose biggest solo movie, Kuwatog, grossed P6 million at P2 per ticket in Metro Manila alone, which should be equivalent to P540 million at P180 per ticket today, P600 million at P200 per ticket in some mall cinemas. Niño’s “throne” has been vacant, waiting for his successor.

Could Alonzo, Niño’s son with his current love, be “it,” another Wonder Boy. (Alonzo turned four years old last February. Niño has another son, 13-year-old Alessandro, from a failed marriage.)

Slowly but surely, the Little Muhlach is catching the public’s attention and affection. Alonzo is not only Niño’s spitting image, he’s just as talented, a natural actor whose fluid facial expression recalls that of Niño. In fact, father (as a kid) and son are like two peas in a pod that it’s hard to tell one from the other. Alonzo’s TV “debut” was in PBB (Pinoy Big Brother) in which he was one of the kids assigned to take care of the housemates for one week, four hours every day. His maiden movie was Star Cinema’s The Trial as Enrique Gil’s brother (with Richard Gomez as their father).

Father and son change expressions, mugging according to the photographer’s cue, proving that talent runs deep in the family                                                                                                  PHOTOS by ALLAN SANCON

They are in the cast of the Prinsesa episode of the trilogy My Big Bossing, an entry in this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival produced by OctoArts Films, APT Entertainment and M-Zet TV Production owned by Vic Sotto who leads the cast. Directed by Bb. Joyce Bernal, Prinsesa also stars Ryzza Mae Dizon who topbills the two other episodes: Sirena by Tony Reyes, with Wally Bayola, Manilyn Reynes and Pauleen Luna; and Taktak by Marlon Rivera, with Marian Rivera and Jose Manalo.

Asked who Alonzo’s mom was fond of when she was infanticipating, Niño said, “Sa akin.” But it was the reverse. “Instead of being fond of me, palagi siyang naiinis sa akin.” Disregard the paglilihi. Actually, it’s the genes. As the saying goes, kung anong puno, ganoon din ang bunga. Like father, like son.

Alonzo is tracing the footsteps of Niño who starred as an extra (bit player).

“My first appearance was in May Lalaki sa Ilalim ng Kama Ko (produced by his aunt Amalia Fuentes),” recalled Niño. “In one scene, I was taking a bath nude and my only dialogue was, ‘Brush my titi, brush my titi!’ I was with Aga (his cousin, still a kid then) in that scene.”

Then, his mom (former actress Rebecca Rocha who’s living in the States with her own, new family) brought him to ABS-CBN to audition as co-host of Ariel Ureta in Ariel & Company After Six, overlooking the fine print that an older boy was needed.

“So dapat tanggal na ako as soon as we arrived at ABS,” Niño continued. “We were told to go home. What I did was go back to Ariel and told him, ‘Look, look, I can do what they’re doing!,’ pointing to the other auditionees. Soon, everybody was watching me, tuwang-tuwa sila, kaya ako na ang kinuha.”

There was no stopping him from then on. He did commercials (for Milkmaid, etc.). FPJ got him as co-star in Ang Leon at Ang Daga. D’Wonder Films then launched him in Beloy & The Kid. More titular roles followed, 40 all in all, among them Bokyo, Kuwatog, Nognog, Tembong, Hepe, and Enteng Anting. He also starred with other big names, including Joseph Estrada (Aso’t Pusa Magkaaway), Vilma Santos (Darna at Ding) and Dolphy in the classic Lino Brocka drama Ang Tatay Kong Nanay.

Of his 40-plus movies, Niño considers three as most memorable: Ang Leon at Ang Daga and Ang Tatay Kong Nanay for obvious reason, and Kuwatog for the reason mentioned earlier. If ever Alonzo would star in a remake of  his dad’s movies, “It has to be Kuwatog,” directed by Baby Navoa.

At the awkward age of 12 (too old to be cutie-cutie and too young to play teenaged roles), Niño lay low and continued his studies, grade school at IS (International School), high school at Don Bosco and college (Business Management undergraduate) at San Beda. He took up a course in filmmaking under Marilou Diaz-Abaya.

When he came back after several years, Niño was happy doing support to the likes of Robin Padilla.

Is he guiding Alonzo the way his dad Alex guided him?

“Yes,” said Niño. “I’ve seen so many child stars who grew up looking for their earnings pero walang maibigay ang mga magulang. I think that’s painful to the parents. I make sure that what Alonzo will earn will be all his.”

Dad Alex invested Niño’s earnings in business including a big building (El Niño Apartelle) at the corner N. Domingo and Ignacio Santos Diaz (formerly Banahaw St.), the ground floor of which is occupied by the famous Muhlach Ensaymada.

Didn’t popularity go to his head (stardom can be intoxicating, you know)?

“No. My dad was always ‘grounding’ me. Whatever popularity I had in the showbiz world, nano-normalize when I was in school. Sa IS kasi, hindi ako sikat, eh. Walang pakialam ‘yung mga Amerikano kung artista ako.”

At home, Alonzo is a typical kid, fond of playing. He studies at a school for senior toddlers, “Para silang naglalaro lang,” said Niño who schedules Alonzo’s shoot after classes (11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily).

“I am realistic,” admitted Niño. “I don’t expect Alonzo to be a big star like I was; kung ano lang ang marating niya, ‘yon lang. Unlike before, not many companies are making movies, the action is now in television. Imposibleng magawa nila ‘yung nagawa ko, ‘yung gumagawa ng limang movies a year. I don’t think that will ever happen again.”

Asked if he ever experienced any withdrawal symptom when his child-star moment was finished, Niño said no.

“Papa prepared me for that,” said Niño, now 42. “Aside from preparing me financially, he always reminded me that stardom was not forever. I’m thankful to Papa that he prepared for my life after showbiz.”

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