Gwapings

When he first breezed through showbiz in 1992, Mark became an instant hit via the ragtag teen trio, Gwapings. Together with Jomari Yllana and Eric Fructuoso, the three hit show business by storm with their uber-gwaping looks and sweet-but-pilyo smiles. Everywhere they went, they made thousands of fan girls swoon. They churned out movies and they had their very own television show. Plus, their photos and posters were selling like hot, hot, hotcakes from Avenida to Quiapo.

Of the three, Mark was definitely at an advantage. He was pedigreed, with action star Rudy Fernandez as his father and former sexy star Alma Moreno as mother. Though the two were already separated when he was growing up, Mark was marinated in showbiz with stepparents such as Lorna Tolentino, comedy king Dolphy, and later, comedian Joey Marquez.

But he was more than just good-looking showbiz progeny. He became one of the most promising actors of the 90’s. In his post-Gwapings days, he proved he could do more than smile, wave, and dance “Extasi Extano.” His role as the probinsyanong U.P. scholar trying it out as an athlete in Manila in Mangarap Ka, where he was paired with then real-life sweetheart Claudine Baretto, showcased his superb acting capability. It was supposed to be the start of his career as one of tinseltown’s best dramatic actors. His star was on the rise.

But Mark and Claudine broke up. The young actor was devastated. Later, he resorted to substance abuse.

Dark Side

“ I don’t deny that I got hooked on drugs but it is only marijuana which I tripped on,” Mark said in a 2005 interview with The Manila Standard. “Really, I had never gone beyond marijuana. I became addicted to it. If I didn’t smoke a joint, I’d feel paranoid.”

Though some showbiz kibitzers believe otherwise, Mark’s addiction still became very destructive. His career went on a tailspin and his star dimmed even before it got a chance to truly shine. He spent months in and out of rehab. In his tapings for his previous shows, insiders recall how Mark almost always seemed “out of it,” sometimes even scaring off staff and crew while hiding in his trailer.

Dad Rudy Fernandez even reached a point where he blamed himself for his son’s situation and vowed to keep Mark in rehab. In his last stint, Mark spent a good 11 months inside the detox center and this, he says, did him a lot of good. In December 2005, he returned to the screen via the Metro Manila Filmfest entry Shake, Rattle, and Roll.

“ Totally healed and recovered na,” is how Mark describes himself these days. During the Kamandag presscon, he seemed happy and in control of himself. He remains child-like in many ways, but he now also sports the aura of a family man who is trying to become a more responsible father to his two children with wife Melissa Garcia.

“ Completely at peace talaga ko eh. Talagang happy ako. Thankful ako sa lahat ng bagay,” he says. “Kung personal ang pag-uusapan, kumbaga lahat ng pinagdaanan ko (nagbunga) naman para maging at peace ako.”

So how’s work these days for Mark?

“ Gusto kong bumawi sa GMA kasi maganda ang mga binibigay nila, pinagkakatiwalaan pa nila ko kahit na nadapa ako dati sa kanila, okay lang sa kanila ‘yun,” Mark tells the press.

Indeed, the network’s trust in Mark’s talent was unwavering. When the idea of Kamandag was first brought up, the network’s creative team thought hard about who could measure up to lead Richard Gutierrez’s star power. If a superhero is only as good as the villain, then the series needed someone equally makamandag to pit against the network’s prized talent.

It was an Aha! moment for the team when Mark Anthony’s name came up. Yes, who better to play Richard’s nemesis than the comebacking actor who received stellar reviews for his role as the martyr husband in the recently-concluded GMA teleserye, Impostora. But the question remained: was Mark willing to play the role of a villain?

“ Before I took the role, I (told) my advisor, ‘Baka ma-typecast ako ha. Natatakot ako,’” Mark says about accepting the role of Lucero. “‘Hindi,” his advisor said, “maganda ‘yan, maganda ‘yan.’”

“ Basta ang sabi sa akin ng isa kong advisor, basta babasahin mo lagi ‘yung script, at saka basta kung markado at maganda ba (ang role), why not?” Mark tells One Philippines. “True enough, maganda naman talaga.”

Rebirth

Mark’s Kamandag role could be the break this ultra-talented actor badly needs. Although he played a marked role in Impostora and did a remarkable stint in ABS-CBN’s Super Inggo, this is Mark’s comeback in playing one of the lead roles in a TV series.

“ Tuwang tuwa ako sa role ko, madami akong nagagawa eh,” says Mark whose venomous character, Lucero fights Richard’s Vergel for the love of a girl. Though not very new to making action films (he’s done Batas Militar with Senator Lito Lapid), Mark says that his role still demands that he becomes “physically fit, mentally fit.”

But for the most part, he tells us that, “Para akong naglalaro din sa set.”

Because of the good roles that are coming his way, Mark now appreciates what his dad has long been telling him: “Mahalin mo trabaho mo para mahalin ka rin ng trabaho mo.”

So how’s his relationship with his Dad?

“Tingin ko mas may time kaming mag-usap na lang at gustuhin naming mag-usap. May ibang closeness na hindi ko ma-explain,” says Mark, who seems to have turned contemplative at the mention of his ailing father. Rudy, who was diagnosed last year with periampullary cancer, is still undergoing treatment.

“Sinasabi ko sa kanya ‘yung mga hang-ups ko dati, hindi ko na hang-ups ngayon. Minsan gusto kong iparamdam sa kanya na parang ‘yung dati lang, na walang nagbago.”

Because of everything he has gone through, Mark seems to have learned his lessons well. Aside from his showbiz gigs, he works parttime as a “consultant” for Senator Lito Lapid. He candidly tells the press that most of the time, though, his job description includes serving as the senator’s proxy on weddings and baptismal rites. “Kumakain lang ako dun.” But the political stage is not for him, he clarifies. “Taga-support lang sa mga kandidatong gusto ko.”

His day job, his night job, his real job is that of an actor – something he’s good at and loves and plans to do for the rest of his life.

After all, after 15 years in showbiz, Mark says, “Feeling ko, gwaping pa rin ako!”