IF I’M NOT mistaken, veteran comedienne Nova Villa must be 63 at present. Taong 1962 nang magsimula raw siyang mag-artista, she was 15. Pero at one point in her career ba’y kumatok sa kanya ang pagkapagod?
Oo raw. Mahigit tatlumpung taon na raw siya sa negosyong ito nang maabot niya ang saturation point. Dalawa hanggang tatlong regular show sa TV ang kanyang kina-career. Kulang na raw sa tulog ay kapos pa siya sa panahon to turn to her hobbies such as farming, sewing and cooking.
Umabot daw si Tita Nova sa puntong hiniling niya sa Itaas na kung puwede’y isa na lang ang kanyang show. Request granted. Kaso, ang nag-iisang show na lang na ‘yon folded up, yet it allowed her the much-needed time to embrace her interests. Mga kulang-kulang dalawang taon daw ‘yon.
But the moment of truth dawned on her: nais na niyang bumalik sa pag-arte, the major thing she knew best and did best. To top it all, she was down to her last P5,000, obviously insufficient to pay up her bills including her housing loan.
Next thing was, Tita Nova found herself speaking to God, nakikiusap na bumalik ang kanyang trabaho kasabay ng taimtim na pagsisisi. Ito ang aral na natutunan ng komedyante, na gusto rin niyang ibahagi sa mga kapwa niya artista, datihan man o baguhan.
Now, Tita Nova can’t be any happier. “Feeling ko, bumalik ‘yung energy ko! Kaya ko pa hanggang otsenta!” deklara ng seasoned comedienne, who leads the wacky cast of TV5’s newest sitcom, ang Hapi Together, kung saan Tita Nova (Nympha) plays an atribidang dyowa to Leo Martinez (Atong) and an intrimitidang madir to Carla Humphries (Hillary).
Isa ang Hapi Together sa limang programa na bubulaga beginning next week sa 8-9 p.m. time slot. It airs every Tuesday under the direction of Al Tantay.
WALA PALANG ANAK-ANAK sa premyadong aktres na si Gina Alajar sa tuwing wino-workshop niya sa pag-arte ang kanyang mga estudyante, even her son Geoff Eigenmann was not spared from the lady director’s tantrums.
May dalawang buwan during weekends din sumailalim si Geoff sa pagtuturo ng kanyang ina ng acting lessons, with nine other workshoppers. At tulad ng mga mag-aaral who could not deliver what was expected of them ay sinisigawan/ minumura rin ni Gina ang anak.
“She’s not my mom when she teaches me,” sey ni Geoff, “when we’re at the workshop, she treats me like anyone else.”
Ramdam daw ni Geoff ang pressure bilang artista sa taas na rin ng expectations sa kanya, being the son of acting stalwarts Michael de Mesa and Gina Alajar. While comparisons may seem a bit unfair, pinagbubuti naman ni Geoff ang kanyang trabaho lalo’t todo-suporta ang kanyang mother studio, ang GMA, where he signed a three-year contract (to expire in 2012).
Naitanong ko kay Geoff kung noon bang kasagsagan ng “artist piracy”ay nagparamdam nga ba ang TV5? “Yeah, but the one who contacted me didn’t pass through my manager. I was personally contacted, but at that time I already had an existing contract with GMA,” na hindi raw niya iiwan lalo’t he’s cast in Grazilda that pairs him with Glaiza de Castro.
Pepperoni
by Ronnie Carrasco III
