Gabby Concepcion follows his gut feel

CEBU, Philippines - With their TV drama’s storyline hitting painfully close to home for his co-star, Gabby Concepcion makes sure he’s extra delicate with her during emotional scenes.

“I’m very sensitive with that, since she is going through something similar in real life. Nakaalalay ako sa kanya,” says the actor of his ‘Ika-6 Na Utos’ cast mate Sunshine Dizon who is going through annulment proceedings after a widely publicized infidelity on her husband’s part.

“That’s why when the director says ‘Actor’s cue,’ I know that means it’s a cue for her. Whenever she’s ready. Once she becomes emotional, iiyak na yan. Guess where she’s pulling her emotions from? Sariwang-sariwa, parang kahihiwa pa lang. [Her wounds] still have bandage, tapos bubuksan mo ulit. So I’m more focused on her when we have emotional scenes. Inaaalalayan ko talaga.”

When the 52-year-old matinee idol learned of the uncannily parallel circumstances between Sunshine’s betrayed wife scenario, both off and on screen, “Sabi ko sa kanya, ‘Shine, hindi kaya this was patterned after you?’ Sabi niya hindi naman. The scriptwriters said it was purely coincidence.”

While he’s not saying that this is a justifiable silver lining, Gabby says real life heartaches, personal upheavals and a rich, colorful life experience in general is beneficial to a serious actor’s craft.

“Sunshine, ang galing niya. I think she’s more relaxed doing this teleserye compared to if she was not hiwalay. Kasi maghahanap pa siya ng hugot,” explains Gabby, who, prior to “Ika-6 Na Utos,” had last worked with Sunshine when she was still a young girl.

“Although you can’t say she’s lucky in that’s sense. That’s the difference between an actor’s job to other professions: sa iba, yung mga masasama, tinatapon mo na. Binabaon mo na. As an actor, pinupuhunan mo yun. You just learn to place your emotions in imaginary drawers. Ang bukas nitong isang drawer, hanggang dito lang kunyari, not all the way.”

GMA-7’s afternoon drama “Ika-6 Na Utos – referencing the Bible’s sixth commandment of not coveting a neighbor’s wife/husband – sees Gabby playing hunky pilot Jerome ‘Rome’ Fuentebella who lost his first wife to a car accident. Rome meets Sunshine’s meek, insecure Emma, and while she’s not the sophisticated, gorgeous bachelorette befitting Captain Rome’s stature, her caring, simple ways win him over and they get married.

Emma’s entry into Rome’s life – despite the protestations of his snooty mother – jolts him out of his mourning and injects renewed vigor into his existence. But in comes Georgia, the seductive interior designer who has the hots for Rome played by Ryza Cenon. Befriending Emma, Georgia plots to steal Rome. And while he plays the faithful husband at first, his willpower weakens and he eventually gives in to Georgia’s coaxing.

With a 29-year-old actress playing his paramour and with whom he’s working with for the first time, Gabby had to talk to Ryza to make her feel comfortable during their intimate scenes.

“Sabi ko ‘Ryza, pasensya ka na ha? Hindi ako sanay sa ganitong mga eksena. Matagal ko ng hindi ginagawa. Bata pa ako noon. Kasing-edad mo pa siguro ako noong ginagawa ko ito,’” he shares.

“Okay naman siya. She’s a happy child. Child talaga ano?”

The jolly interviewee adds of Ryza’s almost too-convincing act, “Kapag nilalandi ka, napapa-carried away ka din. Mapapaisip ka tuloy, ‘Aba, talagang nilalandi ako nito ah!’”

Asked if he too, could have pulled from personal experiences, Gabby was quick to the draw. “No, I haven’t been in such an experience, really. Everything that people heard about my past relationships, especially the one with, yung sa kay ano, it was just speculation. Yes, we had a problem, but we already parted ways when I impregnated someone,” he defends.

Grey role

What attracted the former Close-Up boy to his “Ika-6 Na Utos” character? “‘Because of You’ [his primetime series opposite Carla Abellana] just ended, and people thought, ‘Ah, Gabby is taking on another good guy role,’” he relates. “But then Rome is far from being good.”

“So viewers will be surprised. And viewers like being surprised. It makes them curious and they will stay tuned on the show. The story alone arouses a lot of curiosity since a lot of people are able to relate to it. When I read the script, I thought, ‘This is going to be interesting!’ You see, I also have a fan mentality. Upon reading a script, I can feel if there’s something here or not. It was like reading a novel that I couldn’t put down.”

Another reason Gabby liked the project was the flexibility of characterizations. “I like the dynamics of the story. Palaging nagchi-change, nagmo-morph ang mga characters. It’s not written in stone. I also like it when everyone in the set is open for suggestions – from the scriptwriters to the director and the actors. This is necessary to make the story more beautiful and relevant. There are a lot of movies from a lot of TV channels. We need to connect so we could thrive in the competition and stay longer,” says Gabby, who also stars in the Kapuso network’s weekend superhero-comedy series “Tsuperhero.”

He continues, “Given that the concept of the story is common, the basic, well, it’s like a diamond. Tatlo ‘yan, di ba? There’s always a third party. But there are twists. In fact, we don’t know what the twists are. There’s the element of curiosity for the viewers, kaya hindi nila bibitawan ‘yung istorya. And magagaling ‘yung mga kasama ko.”

Unwanted publicity

When talk veered to Star Cinema’s announcement of his movie reunion with Sharon Cuneta finally pushing through, Gabby was fired up.

“It’s unfair for GMA that you’re doing publicity while I’m under the contract of GMA. They’re stealing the thunder of GMA. I already have many hits with GMA. ‘Because of You,’ ‘Ika-6 Na Utos’…and they’re all rating. And then here comes ABS-CBN coming out with publicity even though there’s still no contract. Ayoko yung ginawa nila na nag-publicity sila na tuloy na tuloy na yung movie, eh wala pang kontrata. Si Sharon, Facebook, Instagram, kung ano-ano…’  Nanay ni KC, promote ng promote, Tatay, deadma!”

Gabby says he hasn’t signed on the dotted line because he has yet to give the movie script his thumbs-up. “I have not approved of the story line yet. When I read a script, kinikilig ako kapag maganda. If I don’t like it, I don’t push through with the project. For example, GMA Films’ ‘ITALY’ was supposed to be my comeback project, but I declined because it didn’t have any impact on me. I always follow my heart. That’s my only basis on accepting projects. So far, my gut feel is correct, because ‘Ika-6 Na Utos’ is rating right now.”

“Ito [the movie], kinakabahan ako. Ayokong pilitin kapag hilaw. At my age, I want to make sure that the projects I do will not only be good for me, but it should also be good for the relationship with the network that I’m in – that ensures my good relationship with them and the longevity of my stay with whatever network I’m in.”

He cites the intense competition on the TV and movie landscape now as reason for making certain what he participates in is of quality. “Back then, it was just movies. Not too much TV. Iilan lang kaming artista noon. So kung anong ibigay na istorya, isho-shoot na kaagad, kasi wala naming katapat eh. Ngayon ang daming katapat. GMA alone, they have so many stories. Sa kabilang network, ang daming stories din, ang daming artista, ang daming director, ang bilis ng turn-over. So you have to go with the times, reinvent and improve yourself.”

That’s not to say he isn’t eager on the Sharon movie happening. “As far as I’m concerned, the movie should push through. The fans deserve this. Sana talaga matuloy. I think the plan is a long overdue one. A lot of people have been clamoring for our reunion movie of sort.  Pero wala pa namang contract, so it’s hard to tell,” he insists.

Daughters as mirrors

Bringing up the subject of now having a beauty queen for a daughter after his offspring with Jenny Syquia won Miss Earth Sweden last year, Gabby exclaims, “Oo nga eh! Time flies really, right?” adding, “Nagkita nga kami eh, she was crying and crying. Yung iyak niya was a happy cry.”

On how he felt as a father seeing Cloie Syquia – who finished as semifinalist on Miss Earth 2016 on Philippine soil – compete on stage: “Well, I’ve seen KC kasi growing up in the industry. I was also imagining myself when I was young, and Sharon was young, I would see myself on TV and movies as a young actor – so my daughter is just like a mirror of me during my younger days. I say, go for it. You’ll get all your confidence that way. This is just for gaining confidence to face real life.” Rich Salibay   (FREEMAN)