With
14 television shows to his name, including back-to-back
ratings
winners Mulawin, Captain Barbell, and Lupin; eighteen
movies to his credit ranging from comedy, drama
and romance; three special awards; and a clutch
of commercial
endorsements, Richard Gutierrez is, without a doubt,
the biggest male superstar of his generation. Now
that he plays Vergel, the lead character in GMA
Pinoy TV’s adaptation of Carlo Caparas’s
Kamandag, expect his star to shine even brighter.
Who would have thought that chubby toddler Richard,
together with twin brother Raymond, would transform
into a certified hunk? Except for a few commercials,
the twins were largely invisible to the public during
their growing-up years largely because they concentrated
on their studies.
Which sounds a little unusual as Richard is part
of the famous Gutierrez clan. Dad Eddie was a matinee
idol in his own right; feisty mom Anabelle Rama,
now a talent manager, was a former sexy actress.
Of course, sister Ruffa is the all-purpose diva – actress,
host, beauty queen, commercial model and controversy-magnet.
Half-siblings Tonton (Eddie’s son with Liza
Lorena) and Ramon Christopher (whose mother is
singer Pilita Corrales) are also very visible on
the boob
tube.
After living a “normal” life during
his wonder years, Richard returned to the limelight
by
being paired off initially with Chynna Ortaleza.
Together they appeared in a number of TV shows
and bubble gum movies.
But it was Richard’s team-up with Angel Locsin
that hit pay dirt. With the fantasy TV series Mulawin
(which also became a box-office hit movie and was
even given a dubious A rating by the Movie Television
Ratings and Classification Board), Richard and Angel
literally rode on the show’s wings to super
stellar status.
His team-up with Locsin (who admitted in one interview
that their screen partnership and friendship blossomed
into a “mutual understanding status”)
was so popular, producers made hay by pairing them
in a series of certified blockbusters including Let
The Love Begin, I Will Always Love You and The Promise
(a 2K version of the much revered Hihintayin Kita
sa Langit that sadly, despite its box-office strength,
was much maligned for falling short of the original
Filipino adaptation of Emile Bronte’s Wuthering
Heights starring Richard Gomez and Dawn Zulueta).
Another movie opposite Locsin that earned Richard
rave reviews was Sigaw (now remade into a Hollywood
scare flick, The Echo, with the lovely Iza Calzado
reprising her role as the ghost/battered wife).
So with Locsin jumping da GMA bakod into rival
network ABS-CBN, all eyes are on Richard as he
stars in Kamandag,
a popular comic strip written by pop icon Carlos
Caparas in an English tabloid that came out in
the 80’s. He plays Vergel, a half-human,
half-snake superhero who searches for self-identify,
progeny
and love.
Welcome to the jungle
The crowd, composed of mostly entertainment and lifestyle
correspondents, broke into a hearty applause as members
of the cast of Kamandag were presented to the public
for the first time.
The stage resembled a jungle kingdom, giving guests
a taste of the world of Ambog, a mythical universe
where deities of the animal kingdom rule and dwell.
In addition to Richard, the cast was revealed in
their mutant finery with live snakes actually slithering
on some.
There was Gardo Versoza as King Saban and his mortal
wife Queen Alicia (played by another ober da bakod
star Eula Valdez who moved from ABS-CBN to GMA).
Also present were Johnny Delgado, Zoren Legaspi,
Benjie Paras, Rainier Castillo, Francine Prieto,
Jewel Mische and Richard’s co-leads Mark
Anthony Fernandez and Maxene Magalona.
But after the retinue of stars, the night and the
stage belonged to Richard who emerged beaming like
a true super hero amidst an explosion of confetti.
Talking
with Richard
Of the many things Richard Gutierrez would not
forget about doing Kamandag is the many snakes
he had to get comfortable with as they play a
major role in the series.
“It didn’t feel natural at first, you know,
to have eight snakes crawling on your body,” Richard
confessed.
“I was nervous, of course – I
cannot deny that – but I had to remain calm.
Anyway, I was assured that the snakes being used
were not venomous.”
He guffawed. “Now, I just play with them,
a lot!”
He said that his new character differed from his
other fantaserye roles in that Kamadag’s
Vergel “is an edgier character.”
He added, “He has more angst, I guess. In
addition, it is not everyday I get to do someone
who has venom in his body. Also, I can move freely
with my costumes. You see, it is only the upper
part of my body that transforms here, unlike, well,
let us just say in Captain Barbell, mainit ang
costume.”
Richard said he was also excited to train under
Brandon Vera, a half-Pinoy mixed-martial arts heavyweight.
To prepare for the action sequences, Richard worked
with Brandon on Muay Thai and Brazilian jiu-jitsu
moves for two hours, two times a day. “I
prepared myself physically, mentally and emotionally
for this role. I think being away for two months
gave me a chance to recharge myself and be, as
they say a normal person in the U.S. It was a fun
and relaxing time, I got the chance to discover
my wild side,” he said.
As for his new partners, Maxene Magalona and Jewel
Mische, Richard conceded, “They’re
both beautiful and I am so happy to be working
with them. You know, what makes me feel good about
having new partners is this, it gives me a certain
sense of fulfillment that I am now in a position
to guide and give them pointers.”
This early, people are very excited about his team-up
with Jewel and some have even begun speculating
that she might be Richard’s next girl friend.
His two-year old relationship with model Georgina
Wilson have recently ended.
“
I’m still getting to know Jewel as a person.
To be honest, I am trying my best to be close to
her. I like her personality. We’re on that
level wherein we are trying to get to know each
other, to be comfortable. I don’t want to
give meaning to it, go deeper into it. Although
that is not remotely possible either since I like
the fact that she is a simple girl and a real person.”
Is it true that Jewel is a snob? “That is
not true! I will speak up for her because she doesn’t
speak up sometimes. She is not a snob at all and
I think she is actually very shy,” defends
Richard.
But returning to the literal big picture, Richard
said he considers Kamandag “my personal Big
Bang, career wise.”
With renowned directors Mark Reyes and assisted
by Topel Lee, a formidable cast and state-of-the-art
props, costumes, set design, and special effects,
Kamadag promises to be another vehicle for Richard
to seal the deal on his continued superstardom.
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