Ready For His Next Close Up – John Lloyd Cruz is happy that he can now focus on his next big silver screen assignment under Star Cinema called A Mother’s Story where he shares stellar billing with Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos and fellow Kapamilya Luis Manzano. The Olive Lamasan movie is a good follow-up project to You Changed My Life opposite Sarah Geronimo. “I’m really excited to do this movie. It’s simply a big honor to be working with Vilma Santos. Everybody knows how an excellent actress is she. It’s also my first full-length film with Luis. The thought just thrills me. I’ll just tape my remaining scenes for I Love Betty La Fea then I’ll fly to New York to shoot for A Mother’s Story,” he says. The plot of the film is definitely one of its strong come-ons. “I think this is the first time that there’s a local movie that will tackle about the relationship between a mother and her gay son plus his lover. And what’s good is that it’s not a straight drama. As far as I know, we’ll have lots of light moments which make it more realistic and the characters more human.” This early, many are already curious how he and Luis will pull off their “kissing scene.” “I know! Truth is I’m already preparing for it. It’s not that easy to kiss a fellow guy in front of the camera. Luis and I trust our director that she will take care of us and that the scene will turn out fine. We will execute it based on how she visualizes the scene.” It’s the first time ever that he’s playing a gay character on screen. “Yes, and I’m challenged. Ever since, I consider every new role that comes my way a fresh journey. This one is no exception. I want to know more about the complex, intriguing but colorful world of gays.” As part of his preparations, Lloydie watched the critically acclaimed Hollywood flick Brokeback Mountain which also tells the story of two men falling in love with each other. “I can say it’s one moving film. It made me cry in the end. But definitely, Luis and I will not do the same kissing scenes as what Jake Gyllenhaal and the late Heath Ledger did in the movie. Theirs were torrid. I think ours will be tame,” he states.
- Joseph Peter R. Gonzales, Manila Standard Today, March 3, 2009
Luis Manzano says team-up of Angel Locsin and Sam Milby is nothing to be jealous about – Sa pagtatambal nina Angel Locsin at Sam Milby sa Pinoy adaptation ng ABS-CBN ng Koreanovela na Only You, hindi siyempre maiiwasang lumabas ang mga balita na magli-link sa kanilang dalawa. Sa katunayan, may balita na nga na madalas daw dumalaw si Sam kay Angel nang ma-confine ang aktres dahil sa sakit na dengue. May lumalabas din na nahuhulog na raw ang loob ni Sam kay Angel, lalo’t noong nasa loob pa lang siya ng Bahay ni Kuya sa unang season ng Pinoy Big Brother ay inamin nitong “ultimate crush” na niya si Angel. Sa pakikipag-usap ng PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) sa boyfriend ni Angel na si Luis Manzano, tinanong namin siya kung nagseselos siya kay Sam at kung totoo ngang dumadalaw ang Fil-Am actor sa kanyang girlfriend. “Really, bakit ako magseselos?” balik-tanong ni Luis. “Walang akong narinig na ganung interview and I highly doubt na mangyayari ‘yan, imposible. Buo ang tiwala ko kina Angel and Sam. “Nung dumalaw si Sam kay Angel, ako yung unang tinawagan niya. Weird kung bakit may lumabas na ganung issue. Nung makarating nga ‘yan kay Angel, tumawa siya at nagtanong kung paano raw nangyari yun. Everybody knows the truth. It’s funny kung sinuman ang source ng issue na ‘yan at kung bakit niya ‘yan naisip,” saad ni Luis. Ayon kay Luis, kung mayroon mang consistent visitor si Angel noong nasa hospital ito, ito ay walang iba kundi siya lamang. “Ako talaga ang nagbabantay sa kanya,” diin ni Luis. “After work, nandun ako sa tabi niya. Nakakatawa lang ang balitang ‘yan because si Sam was there only one night. And just like what I said, tinawagan pa niya ako na pupunta siya. “Okay lang ba kay Luis kung sakaling may kissing scene o may kaunting love scene sina Angel at Sam sa Only You? “Nagawa na ni Angel yun with Piolo [Pascual], nagawa na rin niya yun with Richard [Gutierrez], I don’t see any probem if it is a requirement sa istorya. Ang gagawa ay si Direk Rory Quintos, I’m sure maganda ‘yan and definitely, hindi sila gagawa ng love scenes for TV. “Alam ko na maganda ang following ng tao sa Sam-Angel, sa MMK [Maalaala Mo Kaya], which is their first project together, maganda yung response and chemistry nila. Of course, kailangan singitan ng kissing scene or love scenes, which is perfectly all right with me,” sabi ni Luis.
Kissing Scene with John Llyod - Humingi rin kami ng update kay Luis tungkol sa pelikulang pagsasamahan nila ng inang si Gov. Vilma Santos at John Lloyd Cruz, kung saan may torrid kissing scene daw sila ni John Lloyd. “Hindi pa kami nag-i-start,” sabi niya. “Si Mommy pa lang ang nakaka-two days of shooting. Kami ni John Lloyd, mag-i-start kami ng shooting on April 23 sa New York. “Regarding the torrid kissing scene, kung kinakailangan, and the way na na-explain sa amin ni Direk Olive [Lamasan], I’m not saying it’s really torrid, I’m not saying that… Pero kung anuman ang kinakailangan sa eksena, I’m sure na yung execution ni Direk Olive, nandun yung respect niya sa amin bilang artists at nandun ang respeto namin sa kanya, na alam niya ang ginagawa niya at maganda ang kakalabasan. “I assure you it’s something really, really different. Gaya nga ng napanood ng mga tao, nakikita nila na ako kasama ko si Anne [Curtis], si John Lloyd kasama si Sarah [Geronimo] na nagpapakilig. But we promise to offer you something different. “Let’s not focus on the kissing scene. I promise that the story itself is something na dapat abangan. Whether it be yung interaction namin sa Mommy ko, or yung interaction namin ni John Lloyd,” sabi ni Luis.
- Melba Llanera, PEP, March 3, 2009
