Success came to Therese early

In Hollywood, Tatum O’Neal made history by being the youngest to win a Best Supporting Actress Oscar at age 10 (in 1974) for her performance in Paper Moon (with her dad Ryan O’Neal as her father).

In the Philippines, Therese Malvar achieved the same honor when at 12 she won Best Actress in the 2013 Cine Filipino for her performance in Ang Huling Cha-Cha ni Anita, her acting debut, beating Nora Aunor who was nominated for Ang Kuwento ni Mabuti.

Therese reaped another Best Actress award at the recently-concluded Moscow International Film Festival (MIFF, last June 30), this time for Hamog, the same film that won her Best Actress in the 2015 Cinema One Awards and the Screen International Rising Star Asia Award at the 15th New York Asia Film Festival (NYAFF) where John Lloyd Cruz was given the Star Asia Award for Erik Matti’s Honor Thy Father. (Hamog was produced by Ronald Arguelles for Cinema One Originals and Cinema One.)

Quite a record for somebody who is a greenhorn in acting and who hasn’t attended any acting workshop.

“I didn’t want her to do an acting workshop,” said Ferdy Lapuz, a co-producer of indie films and STAR correspondent who co-manages Therese with the GMA Artist Center (her contract expires in August). “I want her to retain her rawness.”

Ferdy related that Therese was discovered by chance.

“Her mom Cherry Malvar, a character actress who works at the NCCA (National Commission on Culture & the Arts), showed up for the auditions for Huling Cha-Cha ni Anita and she brought Therese along. Therese, who had long hair at that time, caught the attention of Sigrid Andrea Bernardo, the movie’s director.” (Cherry Malvar was a member of the UST Teatro Tomasino together with director Erick Salud.)

Sigrid: Do you want to audition?

Therese: Okay.

Sigrid: Are you willing to have your hair cut?

Therese: Okay.

Sigrid: There’s a kissing scene in the movie. Are you willing to do it?

Therese: What part?

“With that,” said Ferdy, “pasado kaagad si Therese. She plays a tomboyish girl in Huling Cha-Cha and the kissing scene is with Angel Aquino. It was worth it. Therese won an award.”

In Hamog, directed by Ralston Jover, Therese was convincing as one of the titular roles, called hamog (dew in English), referring to street kids who roam around the metropolis preying on unsuspecting drivers and commuters. The movie was cited for Outstanding Artistic Contribution at the SIFF.

Therese has four other films to her credit: Tumbang Preso (2014, directed by Kio Oebanda), Bitukang Manok (2014, Alec Figuracion), Matangtubig (2015, Jet Leyco) and Sakaling Hindi Makarating (2016, Ice Idanan), with another one coming soon, 1-2-3 (by Carlo Obispo).

Now in high school in Pasay City, Therese used to study at a private school where the nuns told her to choose: Showbiz or school.

“We waited for the semester to end and transferred her to another school,” said Ferdy. “What a waste of talent if she stopped acting.”

Lew Soloff, trumpeter, 71

This piece of sad news from Jose Mari Chan:

Lew Soloff, the celebrated trumpeter for Blood, Sweat and Tears, passed away at age 71.

I got this news from NYTimes.com

Lew played three different songs in the 2011 album Manhattan Connection: The Songs of Jose Mari Chan. He has also recorded in an upcoming recording of my song That’s When I Think of You with vocals by Janis Siegel who is a member of Manhattan Connection. Janis was the producer of the 2011 CD The Manhattan Connection.

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