Richard: Be Careful until end of 2014

MANILA, Philippines - Richard Yap, one of the lead stars of the top-rating ABS-CBN series Be Careful With My Heart, said the show would be extended until the end of this year.

“That’s what Ma’am Charo (Santos-Concio, ABS-CBN president) told me that they’re going to run it until the end of 2014,” Richard told entertainment journalists at the presscon for Giordano’s summer collection where he was introduced as its first local endorser.

“Watch out for the twists and other developments that will happen in the show. They’re cooking up something really interesting so the audience won’t get bored,” Richard enthused. 

He said that he’s leaving it up to the expert scriptwriters of Be Careful on how the show will end. Richard also ruled out that a movie version of Be Careful will be made.

“The series is made for TV. I don’t think you can adapt it into a movie,” said Richard.

He plays “Ser Chief” Richard Lim on the series about a nanny named “Maya” (Jodi Sta. Maria) who fell in love with him while taking care of his kids. The romance came full circle when Ser Chief fell in love with Maya, too, and married her in a fairytale wedding.

Be Careful, which first aired in 2012, became a sleeper hit and consistently topped ratings even on a morning slot. It made big stars out of Richard and Jodi.

Richard first gained attention in Binondo Girl where he played Kim Chiu’s father affectionately nicknamed Papa Chen. Suddenly, Richard was the fantasy crush of young and not-so young girls.

Be Careful further cemented his status as one of the bankable matinee idols in showbiz at 46 years old, breaking stereotypes in an industry obsessed with youth.

 Showbiz paved the way for lucrative commercial endorsements, a self-titled album and shows abroad.

After a busy 2013, Richard said he’ll have time to do a movie this year, but details are still under wraps.

He also bared plans to do shows for Filipinos abroad. After Be Careful, Richard plans to take a long-deserved vacation with his family.

 Right now, he’s busy with his restaurant Wang Fu Chinese Bistro and commercial endorsements, the newest of which is the Hong Kong-based clothing retailer Giordano. An issue that is already cropping up in fashion and showbiz circles is his age, given that he is endorsing a brand that appeals mainly to young people.

But at the presscon, Lloyd Lim, Giordano Philippines’ VP for business development, defended Richard as their choice and quashed all doubts about his credibility as an endorser.

“It’s not really about the age, it’s about how you present yourself. We believe that Mr. Yap represents the brand very well,” Lloyd said.

“And our tagline is ‘world without strangers,” that has been the philosophy of Giordano. It transcends age, ethnic groups and other borders. We’d like to reach different people and cultures,” he further explained.

Richard, for his part, is not bothered at all by the issue, saying these days “old is the new trend,” and age is just a number.

“I think old is the ‘in’ thing these days. Age is just in the mind. People are looking for something new, they like mature men.  Just like Hollywood stars Richard Gere, Brad Pitt, Christian Bale and Johnny Depp, these guys are in their 40s and even 50s but they’re still hot and desired. There’s still very much in-demand. I’d like to believe that there is a trend like this in local showbiz as well,” said Richard.

On being a Giordano model, Richard said he’s both flattered and honored, saying he has always been a fan of the brand since the ’80s.

He still has the white Giordano T-shirts which were all the rage in the early ’90s. “They’re very durable and soft. I use them as my pantulog (sleepwear) now. I’ve been using their clothes way back in the ’80s, even when Giordano was not yet in the Philippines. My sister, who used to work in Hong Kong, used to buy Giordano for me,” he told reporters, adding that the brand’s classic and timeless apparel appeals to his fashion taste since “I’m a T-shirt and jeans kind of guy.”

He also said that he has been wearing Giordano pants and shirts in Be Careful.

Giordano was established in 1981 in Hong Kong and it currently has over 2,600 stores in more than 40 countries.

Meanwhile, Richard shared that for his next projects on ABS-CBN, he wants to be more versatile and is very open to kontrabida (villain) roles, but it all depends on his mother network.

He largely credited his family for keeping him sane and grounded during the whole ride to fame, which, two years ago was unfamiliar to him.

Richard also commended his wife Melody for giving him a free hand in his career and for being never the jealous type. “She’s always there for me, always supportive and understanding. We’re always together, I think the key to a good marriage is constant communication,” Richard said.

It’s been difficult for him to juggle his career and fatherhood but his children understand, he said. “They know that when I have the free time, I spend it with them. In fact, I plan to take them on a vacation this year.”

 Since he always takes his family to his tapings, people are starting to notice how beautiful his 16-year-old daughter, Ashley, is.

 Asked if he has plans to allow her to enter showbiz, Richard said that she has to finish her college first. Ashley is an incoming freshman college this school year. “I can see her inclination, she likes to sing just like me, but I am strict with her to finish school first.”

 Just like he said in the past, he’s very grateful about the big break he got in showbiz but he’d like to keep things real.

In 10 years, he sees himself retired and concentrating on the business side. He keeps a practical attitude about his career in showbiz. “If showbiz still wants me in the years to come, then why not? I’ll still be here. But hopefully, after a decade or so, I’ll be focusing more on the business side.”