They used to be very visible on the boob tube. Critics shower Sid Lucero and Neil Ryan Sese lavishly with praises being the industry’s most competent of actors working on both television and movies, mostly in independent productions.
But, lately, we are missing the faces of these two fine actors in their home network’s drama series.
Well, we accidentally watched Sese for several days in the recently ended Beautiful Strangers as a doctor who diagnosed Jennylyn Mercado and Mikael Daez’s daughter as suffering from aplastic anemia, an incurable condition among children. Despite the brevity of his role, Sese brought some sensibility in terms of performance in the super melodramatic exercise on GMA Network’s primetime block.
Lucero, meanwhile, was last seen in 2014’s My Destiny playing supporting role to the Kapuso love team of Tom Rodriguez and Carla Abellana. After the show bade adieu, we didn’t hear what the guys over along EDSA were planning for the actor.
But then as they say, you can’t put a good actor down, and thanks to the flourishing independent movement in local filmmaking, actors like Sid Lucero and Neil Ryan Sese are a staple in movies with sensible storyline directed by zealous individuals who want to make a difference in the local movie industry.
I met Sid Lucero recently at the press conference for Toto, a certified indie project by John Paul Su, a Chinese Filipino Tisch School of the Arts Asia graduate with Master of Fine Arts degree major in Film and Television. Su was the student of Carlitos Siguion Reyna who lectured in the school’s Singapore facility.
Toto, Su said, was his thesis in the graduate program, but some enterprising young men and women, including Siguion Reyna’s wife, screenwriter/director Bibeth Orteza saw the potential of the project, pooled their resources ¡et voila!, Toto evolved into a full-length feature film.
Lucero plays Antonio “Toto Estares who is from Tacloban City and has a dream to be in the United States of America, thanks to his father who made it to Las Vegas and worked as a dishwasher, a far distant from his dream of becoming a stage act. What his father earned, he wasted in alcohol and gambling. And when he died, he left his family in the Philippines in penury.
Toto’s philosophy in life is summed up in just three words –whatever it takes – and that becomes his guiding rule in his goal to get a visa that will allow him entry to the land of milk and honey,
He works as a room boy in a hotel and tries everything he can to get anyone’s assistance to get him a visa.
Su, the director, sees this as an opportunity to fashion a comedy of errors about a guy obsessed with obtaining a US visa. As an immigrant, he is attracted to Toto’s story.
Lucero, on the one hand, finds Toto an amusing character and is honored that the director trusted him with the role. Though not known as a comedian, he is confident that the situations involving Toto will somehow carry him over from drama to comedy.
“No, this is not a physical comedy,” he said, “This is more about the funny things Toto does to make sure he gets a visa, including trying to seduce hotel clients.”
Neil Ryan Sese plays a bit role in the movie, as Toto’s friend who will try to help
Toto obtain bogus documents to be shown to officials at the US Embassy.
“My role is very brief, but it is essential in understanding Toto’s character,” he said.
The Film Ratings Board gaveToto an “A”, entitling it to a hundred percent tax rebate.
It will be shown at the New Wave section of the upcoming Metro Manila Film Festival a week before the scheduled festival opening on Dec, 25.
For this, those who are looking for no-nonsense performances of actors like Lucero and Sese, go and watch this film. You may find this better than most of the mainstream movies that will be screened during the festival.
In the meantime, I ask, when will Lucero and Sese get significant roles in Kapuso drama series? Are the network’s production people no longer interested in their services, or are they just willing to gamble on inexperienced talents that seem to populate their shows from morning till midnight? Oh, the shows are rating, they say, but some other networks are easy to say, “Not that we know.”
Well, I’m just asking, nothing personal though.
Susan Roces no plans to join politics
Senator Grace Poe was surprised to read that her mother, Susan Roces, will substitute for her in case she would be disqualified to run for president in 2016. “When we saw that item in the newspapers, it really surprised me because my mother and I never discussed about those things,” Poe said when interviewed about her reaction to that item.
Apart from the fact that there is no legal basis for Roces to substitute for Grace Poe on account of being an independent candidate, Roces has no interest in politics. That’s what Grace Poe said.
“She’s happy with what she is busy with while enjoying the benefits of being a senior citizen,” added Grace.
Yet, Roces is confident, Grace would be able to hurdle all the challenges she is facing now, particularly those cases meant to disqualify her from running in 2016.
★★★★★
Bailey, Ylona spice up OTWOL
Bailey May and Ylona Garcia spice up the evening viewing habit of TV viewers. The two joined the cast of the top-rating On the Wings of Love.
While Clark (James Reid) and Leah (Nadine Lustre) are on vacation in Ilocos, Clark’s cousin Harry (Bailey May) meets Leah’s second cousin Audrey (Ylona Garcia). Will their encounter mark a start of a new love story? When this happens, will their Kuya Clark and Ate Leah approve? Don’t miss the kilig moments in On the Wings of Love, weeknights on ABS-CBN.
★★★★★
Novotel Manila welcomes Jack Jones
Novotel Manila in Araneta Center will be the official residence in the Philippines of American singer Jack Jones.
Connie Junsay (President of ManCo Productions, Inc.), Beth Mercado (Managing Director of Royale Chimes Concerts & Events Inc.), Bernd Schneider (General Manager of Novotel Hotels & Resorts) and Joy De Mesa (Director of Sales and Marketing of Novotel Hotels & Resorts) signed the agreement.
Jack Jones Sings Songs From The Heart is on Dec. 29 and 30, 8 p.m., at KIA Theatre. Special guests are Jose Mari Chan and Gerphil Flores with the participation of the Kilyawan Consortium of Voices.
Part of the proceeds of the show will be donated to Kaagapay ng Tagaligtas, Inc., a non-stock, non-profit organization dedicated primarily to raising funds and organizing programs for the benefit of the orphans and dependents of the Forty-Four (44) Special Action Force personnel (SAF 44) who were killed in action during anti-terrorist operations conducted in Tukalinapao, Mamasapano, Maguindanao early this year.
Tickets are available at the Ticketnet box office and online.
For sponsorships, special ticket discounts and block buyers, call (0918) 4972121 or (0906) 4180786 and look for Murphy. You can also search for the official Facebook page of the concert, Jack Jones Manila 2015.
