No, Dingdong Dantes, host, TV and film actor and budding director is not your regular young celebrity. He sees his fame as "a sign that people appreciate you" but refuses to let any of it get to his head. After all, he considers himself a simple guy. At the same time, he uses his fame to his advantage. "Fame keeps me in check. You are in the public eye, people are always watching what you do, so you have to be good," he says with a smile.
There is a certain sense of brooding curiosity in Dingdong Dantes that attracts him to the dark side. "It would be nice to try and play a psychopathic killer or a schizophrenic." He admits that his one stint as a "bad guy" was fun. He finds that in acting, he can be everything he has always wanted to be and more. He enjoys variety and the challenge, more than willing to play different kinds of roles. This is evident in his choice of favourite films: Fight Club, American History X, and Citizen Kane; and his choice of admired actors: Christopher De Leon, Edward Norton and Brad Pitt.
However, in hindsight, Dingdong never really thought about becoming an actor. "I wanted to be a pilot, a basketball player or a lawyer. But when I got into acting, I realized that I can [pretend to] be all of these and more." And he now has his sights on being a director, delving into Film classes at the Ateneo de Manila University, where he is taking Interdisciplinary Studies. "It would be nice to be the Captain of the Ship." He can't say whether he will be in show business forever as "it all depends if people still want to see me," he says. He has decided to take his life one step at a time.
Dingdong stands firmly by his motivation in life, which he states confidently, "to always be the best that I can be." So he always tries to keep busy. It is hard work that has brought him here, after all. He is coping with his school work, having a busy schedule and all, but would like to still throw in a little bit of romance into the mix if he could.
"I'm not seeing anyone right now," he states. He isn't sad about the fact but readily admits that something isn't complete. He can be a romantic at times, but it all depends; "I'm a Leo" he states with a grin.
If anything, Dingdong Dantes has his whole life in his hands and he is glad to know what he wants. He is happy to have made history by working with Sharon Cuneta, Judy Ann Santos and Christopher De Leon in one movie. GMA will be giving his directing duties for television soon and is enjoying his time in the spotlight.
If he considers fame as a sign that people appreciate him, then Dingdong Dantes must feel highly appreciated. And if it’s totally true that he'll stay in show business for as long as people want to see him, then it is probably safe to say that this guy will be around for quite a long time.