What’s weird is that this 21-year-old native of Ohio (his father is American, his mom Pinay) wasn’t even supposed to be on the show. Pinoy Big Brother, the latest spinoff of a UK reality series, auditioned 25,000 people from Manila, Cebu and Davao. Sam, the wildcard of the bunch, only came in after housemate Jenny Suico’s departure.
Since his departure, his star has clearly been on the rise. Immediately after leaving the set, Sam was besieged by fans at the house’s entrance. "I was so worried people didn’t like me since I got voted out," he said humbly. Everywhere he goes, people either grab him and make him pose for their cellphone cameras or scream like crazed infomercial hosts.
The day of the shoot, Sam arrives weary but friendly. Ceaseless photo shoots and meetings with potential endorsers have clearly worn him out, but despite his flagging energy he gamely tries on the outfits that designer Joey Samson put together. As the makeover stylist, Joey went to Bench, which kindly gave away the clothes for free (no YStyle makeover is complete without the fabulous freebies!), and put together a set of clothes that would push Sam from blah boy next door to gorgeous movie star. "I know I need a push in the right direction," Sam said as his face was being prepped. "I want to experiment; I just need guidance I guess."
Joey, along with Char Navarro, set out to find stylish pieces that would suit Joey’s hectic and suddenly-in-the-public-eye lifestyle. "Styling a man who has the makings of a matinee idol was certainly easy," said Joey, "when put into the right perspective. It was relevant to dress Sam in nothing but basics that were comprehensible to all so that his style, when emulated by his fans, brings them a step closer to their aspirations."
Joey mixed tailored pieces with practical ready-to-wear apparel, updating Sam’s look and giving him a refresher course on stylish menswear.
By the end of the shoot, Sam was ready for his next appointment (another exhausting photo shoot for a magazine cover), dressed in his fashionable new duds. Of course, no celebrity exit is complete without a few semi-deranged fans. Screams of "Sam! Are you there? We love you!" could be heard through the door as fans gathered in the tiny hallway outside the room. Word had filtered through the building that the Big Brother star was shooting on location and fans managed to fill the hallway. While Sam chivalrously posed and smiled for every single cellphone camera, a woman sidled up to me and asked, "Is it possible for Sam to pose with the staff of the bank across the street?" in Tagalog. "I’m not sure," I said doubtfully, "he’s got an awfully tight sched." The woman sniffed and looked at me, then began dropping names. "Well, lots of famous people go to that bank, you know."
I couldn’t help but laugh. Lesson no.1 in celebritydom: you can’t call yourself a star until someone name-drops to get to you.