From ‘Blue Jeans’ to white collar
February 13, 2006 | 12:00am
When people asked me what I wanted to become when I was a kid, I usually said, "An astronaut." Other than the fact that that was the most impressive answer to give, I was also a big fan of the Bionic Man, Col. Steve Austin, the main character of the ’70s series The Six Million Dollar Man. I worshipped Steve Austin, man. To me, he was everything I wanted to become.
But you know, I really didn’t want to be an astronaut. Who I really wanted to be was Lee Majors, the actor who played Steve Austin. I wanted to be popular like him. I wanted to be married to his actress-wife, bombshell Farrah Fawcett. I wanted to be featured on the TV Times cover (for those who don’t know what TV Times is, think TV Guide magazine on retro mode). I wanted to have a toy doll made after me. I wanted to be the object of desire of all women. I wanted to have chest hair. In other words, what I really wanted to be when I was a kid was to be a popular actor. I wanted fame and fortune. I craved Hollywood glitz and glamour. I wanted to be a star.
Of course, as I got older, the desire to be an actor kind of tapered off. I got interested in other things. Besides, I realized that my chances of becoming a Hollywood superstar were pretty remote. For one thing, I could never act, even if my life depended on it. I am a horrible actor. Moreover, peer pressure got in the way. When you’re growing up, your friends will always make fun of you if you say you want to get into showbiz. So I gave it all up. But I can’t deny that that was my first dream. And until now, I still get mesmerized by show business and movies. And not just Hollywood. There was a time when I was fascinated with the local film industry. I grew up watching old classic films on TV, and I must say that I loved the Golden Era of Filipino movies, which featured class acts like Pancho Magalona, Gloria Romero, Susan Roces, Eddie Gutierrez, Nida Blanca, and Nestor de Villa. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, Filipino films – and local showbiz in general – deteriorated. To me, the last phase of the Golden Era of the local film industry was the early ’80s – the time of Bagets and Blue Jeans (note: to those 30 years old and younger, these were classic films that pretty much captured the attitude of that period).
One of the stars of that era was Albert Martinez (who, as I recall, starred in one of the last local musical movies entitled Blue Jeans). Before I even formally met him, I looked up to Albert. I liked him because he wasn’t really controversial. He was just a professional actor. No showbiz airs. He’s always soft-spoken and humble. And he is generally well-liked. You never really hear people say, "I don’t like that Albert Martinez." You generally hear girls say, "Albert? He’s so handsome!" while guys will say, "Albert? He’s okay!" Plus – and this is where he’s different from most showbiz men – he’s an out-and-out family man – a devoted husband to his wife, Liezl, and a supportive father to his beautiful kids. That’s why it’s not surprising that up to this day, after more than 20 years in a fickle industry like showbiz, he remains one of the more popular actors. He is a pillar in the industry, but he doesn’t go around town declaring it. And that’s what’s great about this man.
I first met Albert last year when he came to meet me regarding a project he was doing for the Film Academy Awards Winners’ Ball. When I met him, my initial feeling was one of discomfort. I kept on telling myself, "Man, this guy’s good-looking." And for a guy, that’s a little disconcerting. This male-chauvinist world dictates that men are not supposed to find other men good-looking. It’s just not done. Straight men are not supposed to go, "Hey, that guy is handsome." It’s all right for straight girls to say something superlative about other women. But straight men are not supposed to compliment the looks of another man. It’s taboo. But for Albert, I had to make an exception. He is one good-looking dude. And I’m not ashamed to say it because it’s indisputable. I told him, "Boy, you’ve really maintained yourself very well. You look exactly the way you looked during your Blue Jeans days!" Albert smiled and said, "Hey, Rod, did you know I’m 45?" Right there and then, I wanted to kill myself. I tell you, it’s a crime to look that good at 45. But anyway, during our conversation, I soon realized that there was much, much more to Albert than his looks. This guy is multi-talented. He continues to reinvent himself. And he means business. After realizing that, I felt much more comfortable.
Albert’s looks could very well have made him a perennial leading man. But he wasn’t contented with that. He ventured into other, challenging roles. Lately, he’s been playing a lot of villain roles and he’s perfectly okay with it. He didn’t want to be typecast in one particular role anyway. He also felt that it was part of the evolution of every good actor – that is, to play a wide range of roles. This move made him a more versatile actor, and this led to numerous acting awards, both here and abroad. While perfecting his craft, he tried to learn everything that went on behind the cameras. In due time, he shifted gears and got into directing, both in TV and film. He became very good at it and soon he was the favorite director of producers and event organizers. As in acting, he has been awarded both here and abroad for his directorial work.
Having achieved everything he could hope to achieve in the field of acting and directing, Albert could have just sat back and relaxed. But he didn’t.
"I felt that I had to venture into something new. I don’t like it when every day seems the same. I always want to learn new things, try new things. I never want to rest on my laurels." And so Albert ventured into producing and staging events. Some of his notable projects were the Film Academy of the Philippines Winners’ Ball and the Fly Ray-Ban campaign.
The multi-awarded actor and director is now managing director of APM Integrated Media. He has made the complete transition from Blue Jeans to "white collar." He hasn’t totally forgotten his Blue Jeans roots because that’s how he started, but he doesn’t dwell on past achievements.
"It’s important to constantly reinvent yourself as an individual or as a corporate entity," says Albert.
Our current crop of actors and actresses can learn from Albert. For one thing, they should all realize that as actors, they have a limited shelf life. We’ve seen it all before. One day, a kid is launched as the newest, biggest thing in town. The next day, he’s the newest has-been. And when he realizes it, it’s too late. Then he’ll try to join a reality show, just to get back on track. But by then he’ll come to realize that his best days are over. It’s a sad fact, but that’s the way it is. It’s a fickle industry. You never know when it’ll be your last film. And for all of us non-actors, it’s the same. We may be successful in our businesses or careers now. But if we don’t reinvent ourselves, we end up becoming obsolete. Before you know it, it may be too late. If we don’t continue exploring and improving, the world will be more than ready to discard us like a candy wrapper.
Personally, I’m a big subscriber of the "reinventing yourself" process. I finished Business Management, took up law, became a lawyer, joined a retail company, headed a sports marketing company, joined a music television network... and now I’m heading an advertising agency. Am I having fun with all these "reinventions"? Absolutely. As Albert says, "Every day is a new day!"
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