Piolo and Jericho: Seeing them i2i

(Conclusion)

Young Star: Describe yourself in one word.

Piolo: Simple.

Jericho: Complex.

Complex? Can you elaborate?

Jericho: I’ve not reached the point that I know myself that well. I think I’m still discovering a lot of things. I’m still a bit fickle minded and my choices are really, really unstable. But I know exactly what I want. However, there are some things that I’m confused about.

Do you think you’ll always be complex?

Jericho: That’s exciting, I think. Could be exciting, right? I mean, it could be a wonder if I find my partner, di ba....who’d really understand me or I’ll stay with my family kasi naintindihan nila ko, di ba? It’s hard to change, it’s hard to limit myself when I’m not....really hard. I can’t limit myself. You know, I ‘wanna do this in a flash, I’ll do that, I’ll go there. I ‘wanna come back, I ‘wanna stay, I ‘wanna do this, I ‘wanna watch, I ‘wanna write....I ‘wanna do a lot of things but, one thing’s definite. Lately, alam ko na kung ano yung dapat kong i-drop. Like for example in sports, I have a lot of sports....motorcross, I use to play hockey, basketball, baseball...lahat. But I ended up in one lang, surfing so ‘yun lang yon. Since I’m busy and I cannot do everything, when I can go, I can go but I still try everything.

If your life were a movie, what kind would it be?

Piolo: Cinema Paradiso.

Jericho: A funny, dramatic one...hilarious one.

Hilarious? Do you consider your life hilarious?

Jericho: Kind of...dramatically hilarious, parang ganon.

What was the worst rumor ever said about you?

Piolo: A lot of things...all nasty rumors.

Jericho: That I have a kid who I neglect because he has mga galis-galis and he’s in Bicol. That was like a month ago. That’s the most hilarious thing I’ve ever heard.

And was that the worst?

Jericho: I think so. I could never ever....

What is the one rumor you’d love to hear about you?

Piolo: That I’m a playboy, I’m just kidding! (laughs) Umm...nothing really.

Jericho: I don’t know, I’m not fond of hearing things about myself. I mean, it’s good you know, minsan naririnig mo na he’s doing great, he’s doing good...he’s like this and like that...ganyan, ganyan, ganyan...you know, girls talk about him, whatever. I don’t ‘wanna say it. I can’t talk to you about it!

What is the one question you hate being asked?

Piolo: Nothing, I’m open to anything. You can ask me anything.

Jericho: What is the one question that you’d never ask a person...dirty questions.

Do you consider yourself sexy?

Piolo: I try to be.

Jericho: Ang hirap no? If stylish is sexy, yes. If being free and relaxed is sexy, then yes.

What makes you sexy?

Piolo: My eyes maybe.

Jericho: I’m always relaxed and I’m always easy. I’m just happy and I’m just myself.

If you weren’t a celebrity, what would you be?

Piolo: Maybe a pilot.

A pilot? How far did you go pursuing that?

Piolo: Not that far. It was a dream. It was an ambition. If I weren’t an actor, I would have wanted to become a pilot.

Jericho: Bold star. (laughs) Celebrity pa rin yon no? Controversial sa lahat pero siguro ano, macho dancer. (laughs) I don’t know, student maybe. Maybe manage a restaurant, ganyan.

Do You love to eat talaga?

Jericho: (laughs) Yes.

No wonder....

Jericho: Hindi, but I used to work as a service crew.

How did you find the job?

Jericho: It was exciting – a good experience. It was full of hardship, lots of fun. It was quite an experience talaga. I met a lot of people while working there, different kinds of people. I busted out one...alam mo yung retainers?

Yeah.

Jericho: Natapon ko sa basurahan. This customer kasi, left her retainers on the table and then they left. Eh, binust-out ko lahat yon...tinapon ko lahat sa basurahan. She was coming back na, I saw her coming back. Tapos, hinanap niya yung retainers niya. I said, "Ah talaga, meron ba." Alam mo ginawa ko? Nagkalkal ako ng basura, hinanap ko yung retainers tapos binalik ko. Kulit di ba? And every night pag-closing ako, what we do...we clean the oven, yung oven ang laki. We clean it like that, uling lahat, tanggal yung bread ‘dun sa ano kasi puro pizza di ba? And then magtatapon ako, siguro mga one kilometer away, ng basura.

And I’d take it the pay wasn’t even that good?

Jericho: Sometimes I’d work for five hours including break time, which is like 30 minutes so that’s four hours and I would spend for my lunch. I guess it was P21 an hour.

Complete these sentences. I can’t go a day without......

Piolo: Brushing my teeth.

Jericho: Praying.

But I can surely live without...

Piolo: A mirror.

Jericho: Without material things, without the basic material things. It’s just not important, parang ganon.

I wish I could have more…

Piolo: Time for myself.

Jericho: Surfing time.

If I weren’t a celebrity, I would...

Piolo: I’d be a businessman.

Jericho: Be a surfer.

The best part about being a celebrity is...

Piolo: Umm...everything.

Jericho: Being famous and getting the privileges (laughs). Eating free sa mga restaurants, getting free clothes.....sa Kai tsaka sa Ebun, Itlog Ebun!

The thing I like most about me is my…

Piolo: Simplicity and my faith.

Jericho: Being easy.

The part of me I’d want to change is...

Piolo: Nothing.

Jericho: Being fickle-minded.

I don’t mind getting into trouble for...

Piolo: Anything, just as long as I can get away.

Jericho: For....friends.

What is the most expensive thing you’d want to get your hands on?

Piolo: Umm...a Bible.

Jericho: A Breitling watch or a boat or a yacht and an airplane. Coz’ I wanna study flying...next year, I’m really going to study. In 10 hours you can fly by yourself, 40 hours you can fly with your girlfriend or 100 hours you can fly commercially.

So, are you saving up for a private jet anytime soon?

Jericho: Yeah, I’m actually saving up. I’m actually almost about to realize my dreams. The beach house, an airplane, the kind of plane that lands on water, surfing and just having good quality moments, ‘yun lang... First goal is to help build the movie industry. If it booms, then I can work on my career. I don’t have to work every other day for taping...like 24 hours, ganyan. I’d like to work three months straight and then rest, surf, surf, surf the rest of the year. Sweet, right? Very sweet.

What is the wildest thing about you?

Piolo: Wildest thing about me? (pauses to think) That I’m boring.

Jericho: That’s a pretty wild question....rroarr, roarr...I’d only go nuts really. My likes...what do you call this, this sudden urge or sudden surge...parang you’re giggling about something....this very moment you ‘wanna go here, you ‘wanna go there...you ‘wanna be like this and like that. That’s pretty much the wildest thing about me. I don’t party wild.

You can get wild? Surfing, you can get wild?

Jericho: Yes and acting, I can get pretty wild.

What kind of a president are you voting for?

Piolo: One who’s God-fearing, one who’s a Christian, a Christian, definitely a Christian.

Jericho: I’m ‘gonna vote for an honest person. I’m ‘gonna vote for someone who’s really interested in building the country. Interested in the condition of life and not interested in the money they can get. I’ll be blunt about it, I’ll be open about it. Corruption is really big so (I’ll choose) somebody who isn’t corrupt.

What’s the one thing you understand about women?

Piolo: Umm....makeup.

You don’t like women wearing makeup?

Piolo: I prefer that they keep it simple.

Jericho: I’d love to understand women talaga. Talagang ako, gustong-gusto kong intindihin sila lahat talaga and they are all different, they are all special in every way. Siguro, tsaka na lang when I grow old is when I ‘wanna understand them but for now, I just want to study them along the way.

Who do you think is the sexiest woman alive?

Piolo: My mom.

Jericho: There are a lot. Maraming areas akong inaano eh, pagdating sa sexiest. May mga girls na may brains, I find them sexy...may body, I find them sexy.

But if there were only one woman, who would it be?

Jericho: I’m so bad, I can’t name one. I’m so bad, let them all be sexy.

Who was your first crush?

Piolo: My kinder classmate, Pamela.

Jericho: My first crush was Sharon Cuneta from that Johnson’s commercial...yung parang bottle na ganun na yellow, parang Johnson’s baby shampoo something.

How old were you then?

Jericho: I can’t remember, young...I was young, elementary days. Meron akong tinatagong picture ‘nun sa cabinet ko. Sisilipin ko yon tapos smile na ko, ayos na ko.

Have you worked with her?

Jericho: Ah...nah, I’ve guested in her shows pero hindi pa ako ano eh....nag-guest lang ako sa mga shows niya.

Do you think she’s still adorable up to now?

Jericho: Oh yeah.

Describe your first kiss. How old were you at that time?

Piolo: I ‘wanna forget about it. I was very young and didn’t know how to do it right.

How young?

Piolo: Not even a teenager.

How did it turn out?

Piolo: Worse.

Did she slap you?

Piolo: No, she was my girlfriend.

Jericho: Elementary din ‘ata ako ‘nun eh....with an older woman.

With an older woman, was she a girlfriend?

Jericho: No.

How did it turn out?

Jericho: Good.

No slap on the face, whatsoever?

Jericho: Wala, it was different. It was like my entire body was twisting and turning and parang there was a big explosion, parang ganon....parang ibang klase. It’s a feeling na parang wow...ano yon! Parang nagdikit kayo dun ah.

Is there a woman in your life right now?

Piolo: Other than my mom and my sisters, no one.

Jericho: No (shakes his head).

Totoo yan ha! Do you like being single?

Jericho: I have to be single.

You have to be? Is that because of the career?

Jericho: I just have to do a lot of things...coz’ I plan to do a lot of things.

But then, you plan to hook up with a girl in the near future?

Jericho: Oh yeah, of course. You mean, if I ‘wanna have a girlfriend in the future? Yes, of course. But at the moment, I’ll prioritize. Myself first kasi....I’m bad....I’m bad pagdating sa ano eh...I forget about myself...it’s hard, it’s hard.

Describe a perfect date.

Piolo: Just a simple romantic date...beach setting.

Jericho: Easy, funny, happy, smiling...no awkward moments.

What’s the craziest thing you’d ever do for love?

Piolo: Sacrifice my job.

Jericho: Give up a big, big part of your life. For example, getting married is crazy if you’re not ready.

Can you see yourself married?

Piolo: Of course.

Jericho: Oh yeah. I ‘wanna get married, I ‘wanna have kids in the future.

Describe your ideal wife.

Piolo: Someone who’s simple and someone who’ll take care of me, but who is also independent. Someone who’s God-fearing and knows what’s the best for the relationship and what’s best for the kids...someone who can take care of my kids...someone who can take care of me.

Jericho: Someone who understands the most un-understandable part of me. Someone who will really dig my world, sit in my world...would share the same interests. Someone intellectual, someone who’s sporty din, who’d share my passion, who’d like to go with me no matter what.

Do you think you’d make a great dad?

Piolo: Oh yeah.

Jericho: Yes.

Do you think you’d make a great husband?

Piolo: Yes.

Jericho: Yes.

What’s your take on having children? How many do you plan to have?

Jericho: Children...okay, five came to my mind.

Piolo: I plan to have six, I already have one. So, that makes it seven.

But don’t you think your child will have any problems with your other children?

Piolo: Well, I’m dealing with it. We’re making him understand the things in life that are not easy for him. But we’re making him understand, we’re trying to make this easy for him. We’re civil about it.

You’re a single dad, right?

Piolo: Yes.

How do you find time to take care of him?

Piolo: I try to find time. I spend Sundays with him. We go to church, we go to the service.

Is it hard to be both a dad and a mom at the same time?

Piolo: No, he stays with his mom so I get to see him once a week or whenever there’s time.

But how’s your relationship with his mother?

Piolo: We’re civil, we’re okay, we’re friends. That’s what’s good about the relationship because we only want what’s best for the kid.

What would you name your future son and daughter?

Piolo: I wouldn’t know, I want names of angels.

Jericho: I would name them Chariot, I would name them Rain, I would name them Storm, I’d name them Mountain....all nature or all powerful.

Who is your ultimate female fantasy?

Piolo: Winona Ryder.

Even after she was caught stealing?

Piolo: Oh yeah.

Oh really? Was it after the incident or even before?

Piolo: Ever since I was a kid. I had a huge poster of her in my room.

Jericho: Lara Croft.

Not the one playing Lara Croft ha?

Jericho: No, actually si Lara Croft and si Natalie Portman or umm...sino pa...let’s say Lizzie McGuire (laughs wackily).

Is that a joke?

Jericho: Actually, there’s this girl. I don’t know her name. I love her face...this girl from A Knight’s Tale and 40 Days and 40 Nights. You know me, I don’t really fantasize about one girl. I just find them....

Basta you’re cute, tapos?

Jericho: Parang gusto ko...oo, sobrang na-appreciate silang lahat.

How do you see yourself 10 years from now?

Piolo: Married with a lot of kids.

Jericho: Still surfing, owning a restaurant, having a beach house and my airplane.

Who’s the person you’d like to portray onscreen?

Piolo: Marcos.

Jericho: Mr. M, Johnny Manahan.

What’s your biggest dream project?

Piolo: A life story of maybe, Marcos.

Jericho: An action movie, the likes of Matrix.

Do you think you’ll ever tire of being a celebrity?

Piolo: No, I’d want to be a celebrity even when I’m already 70 years old. For as long as the business likes me, for as long as there’s a job for me.

Jericho: That’s part of me already, I know how to deal with it.

What is the ultimate fulfillment for you?

Piolo: I’m free.

So right now, you consider yourself fulfilled?

Piolo: More or less, I’m blessed, fulfilled, overwhelmed and grateful and I’m safe with that.

But in terms of career?

Piolo: It’s been overflowing, it’s overflowing with blessings beyond my expectations.

Jericho: Just to have a great time.

In everything you do...

Jericho: All my life!

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E-mail me at ice_wave_42@yahoo.com.