Why Cesar's life is full of Sunshine

Render unto Cesar what’s Cesar’s?

Life’s not fair. Cesar Montano has been getting more than his lion’s share of life’s blessings.

He has a beautiful wife who provides the Sunshine of his life – Sunshine Cruz, as if you didn’t know – and his career continues to spring surprises, contrary to speculations that marriage might derail it a bit.

Any day now, Cesar will be a father four times over as Sunshine braces for her much-awaited date with the stork. The couple is calling their new bundle of joy Isabel Angela and the baby will surely add more Sunshine to the Montano household (also including Cesar’s two children from his first marriage, Angela and Angelo; his other son is with the mom, Teresa Loyzaga, in Australia) and a new spring in Cesar’s life and career. Not that Cesar will be constrained to work even harder because, for sure, he has stashed away a fortune that can make them (and the next generation of Montanos) enjoy a comfortable life.

"Mas inspired lang ako," said Cesar.

In his latest outing, Maverick Films’ Mananabas, Cesar (who also directed the movie) veers away from the "heavy" roles he has been associated with, the National Hero in the multi-awarded (and, so far, most expensive local movie ever made) Rizal and as a master deep-sea diver in Muro-Ami, both produced by GMA Films and directed by Marilou Diaz-Abaya who’s again at the helm of Cesar’s other movie, Star Cinema’s Bagong Buwan (as in Crescent Moon, formerly titled Mindanao) which is calculated to equal, if not surpass, the unprecedented records of Rizal and Muro-Ami.

Mananabas (executive-produced by Eric M. Cuatico), based on a story/concept by Vic Dabao and a screenplay by Senen Dimaguila, tackles a timely issue (especially with the recent terrorist attack on The Pentagon and the World Trade Center): Terrorism. In the movie Cesar leads a "lost command" of the army hunted in the jungles by the authorities.

Tough roles are not new to Cesar. For Rizal, he blended with the persona of the National Hero, the way he talked (at times in Spanish), walked, suffered, and died. And courted women, too. For Muro-Ami, he mastered swimming underwater, after a rigid workout and diet schedule which made him lean and mean.

Cesar had to be on top physical condition along with his fellow Mananabas, living like real jungle fighters, climbing steep mountains and crossing deep rivers. Snakes, leeches, mosquitoes, wild animals and plants are all around, including a plant which gives them extraordinary strength and speed. Survival of the fittest is the name of the game.

What have been the changes in your life after you got married?

"Well, I became busier. Nadagdagan ang trabaho ko. Kailangan asikasuhin ko si Shine, although most of the time she’s the one taking care of me. Unlike before, ang iniisip ko lang si Angelo at si Angela. Now I have to always think of my wife – you know: is she okay? Hindi ba siya nabo-bore sa bahay? I have to check on her every hour on the hour dahil manganganak na nga siya, especially if I’m out working."

What kind of a wife is Sunshine?

"Maasikaso. Before, things that I needed for my shooting were a mess. I would take out a shirt, for example, from the cabinet and when I realized that I didn’t need it pala, hayun, itinatapon ko na lang uli. Now, it’s different. Shine would pick it up at tinitiklop muna niya bago i-arrange uli sa cabinet. It’s Shine who prepares the things that I need for work. Inaayos niya lahat."

Oh, she’s organized, orderly.

"Very! I feel secure with Shine around. I’m confident that everything will be in place, hindi lang ang mga gamit ko."

It had been a long time since you were married (to your first, late wife). You didn’t really experience married life that long before (because you and your late wife soon separated), did you? Nag-a-adjust ka ba uli to being married?

"In a way, yes. When I first got married kasi, I was very young. Teenager pa ako noon; very immature pa. Angelo and Angela started living with me talaga only after their mother died."

Did you have to adjust to having somebody beside you in bed? Or talagang sanay ka na ng palaging may katabi sa kama?

(Blushing self-consciously) "Before I married Shine, sometimes katabi ko matulog si Angelo. We would watch movies in bed together hanggang makatulog kami. Now, iba na ang set-up. Dati, malungkot akong madalas mag-isa sa room ko. With Shine around, masaya na. There are now the two of us using everything in the room – the bathroom, the TV set, everything! If you can’t sleep, may ginigising ka para makipag-kuwentuhan. If you get hungry in the middle of the night, someone is there to share snacks with you."

What if you both feel the need to use the bathroom at the same time? Who gets to use it first?

"Si Shine siempre. Ladies first. I can always use another bathroom."

Being older, are you the one guiding Sunshine along?

"Ako ang umuunawa. If there’s a little tampuhan, siempre, being more experienced and more mature, ako ang umiintindi."

How is Sunshine when having tantrums?

"Quiet lang siya. She refuses to talk to me."

Doesn’t she throw things around? You know, plates or spoons or anything she can lay her hands on.

(Laughs) "Hindi naman. She doesn’t have violent tendencies. Basta, quiet lang siya. Kabisado ko na si Shine. When she’s making tampo, I let her be. Otherwise, if I touch her, i-explode ’yon! I let her cool off a bit before I start making lambing to her."

How do you make lambing to her?

"As I’ve said, during the first few hours huwag mo siyang kikibuin. Delikado. After a while, ‘yon, lalambingin ko na siya. I bring her food, capuccino. If she refuses to get the ‘peace offerings,’ it means mainit pa siya. When she starts eating the food, that’s the sign na okey na siya. I guess it’s also because she’s pregnant. She got pregnant three months after we got married (on Sept. 14, 2000). When she was infanticipating, Shine ate a lot – siopao, etc. Gusto niya ako palagi makita. But once I was with her, parang ayaw niya akong makita. They said it’s normal among pregnant women."

Nagbago ba ang lifestyle mo?

"I’ve never been fond of going out; I’d rather stay home, nagpi-pinta-pinta. After work, I rush back home para mag-pinta. I hate going to bars dahil may allergy ako sa smoke (That’s why he turned down a million-peso offer to do a cigaret commercial. – RFL). I’ve never smoked in my whole life ... sa pelikula lang, but I never inhale the smoke, kunwari lang."

Haven’t you ever thought of doing a painting of Sunshine, portrait maybe (Cesar does mostly abstract impressions)?

"In fact, naipinta ko na siya – in the nude. From memory lang. Naka-sideview. She didn’t like to pose but she knew that I was painting her kasi padaan-daan siya while I was working."

Which part(s) of Sunshine’s body do you love most?

"Her legs and her breasts. She is long-legged; proportioned ang legs niya. And her breasts, perfect ang size. Not so big, not so small. Tama lang sa katawan niya. Every part of her body is original, natural. Nothing has been altered."

Her lips are very sensuous, very sexy!

"Oo nga. Very kissable. I’d watch her when she’s asleep at ang ganda-ganda nga ng lips niya!"

Do your sleeping habits jibe?

"Little by little. I’m always the first one to sleep kasi mas pagod ako. I’m also the first one to wake up. We’re comfortable both with the lights on or with the lights off; with the TV set is on or off."

Isn’t Sunshine possessive, jealous?

"I don’t think she is, although I noticed that lately, tanong siya nang tanong."

Was she affected by rumors linking you to your Mananabas leading lady, Jo Canonizado?

"No, she wasn’t."

Did Sunshine really visit the Mananabas set to check on you (and Jo)?

"Shine went there to visit but not to check on me. Nagusap naman sila ni Jo. Kawawa nga si Jo; ke bago-bago na-intriga na, natsismis na kaya inalalayan ko siya."

Do you still look at other women?

"Of course, I do. Natural lang ‘yon, di ba? But that’s as far as I go – hanggang tingin na lang. There are a lot of temptations. Depende na yon how you deal with them."

Anyway you have Sunshine at home.

"Yeah. She’s everything I like in a woman. So why settle for another one? Na kay Shine na lahat. Ano pa ang hahanapin ko?"

You’ve been a father thrice over. What sort of a father would you be the fourth time around?

"The way I’ve always been to Angelo and Angela. Tinuturuan kung paano maging masipag, teach them the right values and the right attitude in life. I never spoil them with money or material things. I make them realize na mahirap kumita ng pera so that later on, when they have families of their own, mas matututo sila sa buhay."

If and when Sunshine decides to go back to showbiz after giving birth, what would be your do’s and don’t’s?

"I guess Shine would prefer to enjoy being a mom first; aalagaan niya ang anak namin. Well, if ever ... Hindi na siya puedeng mag-sexy o makipag-kissing scene. I’ll tell her, ‘Ako na lang ang gagawa n’un.’ I’ll do it for her."

What about her singing career (Cesar himself is a recording artist, having done an album called Subok Lang for Star Records)?

"‘Yan ang puede niyang i-pursue."

You’ve done two movies with Sunshine (Bullet and Alas Dose on the set of which their courtship started and bloomed). If ever you direct her again, what sort of movie would it be?

"Siguro something like Eyes Wide Shut (last directorial job of Stanley Kubrick) which starred Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman."

As a director, do you have any dream project?

"Something like Enemy at the Gates. Dapat hindi limited ang budget."

Mas okey ba if you’re directing yourself?

"It can be exhausting physically and mentally because you’re doing two jobs at the same time, acting and directing, but for an artist it can be fulfilling. It’s hard, nakakadami ng puting buhok. But it’s worthwhile because you have complete control of the movie; you are free to execute your ideas the way you want to."

You’re lucky, having several outlets for your artistic interests (acting, singing, directing). Are you serious with your painting?

"I am. Right now, I’m participating in two exhibits, one at the Philippine Heart Center (three pieces) and the other at the Shangri-La EDSA Plaza (two pieces). It’s flattering because ang mga kasama doon sina Amorsolo, Onib Olmedo at Ang Kiukok. My most expensive work is the biggest one, P300,000."

In hindsight, what do you think is your biggest mistake in life, something that taught you a very good lesson?

"I guess ‘yung nahiwalay ako sa mga anak ko. I missed important episodes of their growing-up years. I’m trying to make up for it. As much as possible, I go home for lunch or dinner with them. Sagrado sa akin ang mga meal together."

Have your kids gotten adjusted to Sunshine (just slightly older than Angela and Angelo)?

"Okey na sila. Madaling pakisamahan ang mga anak ko, ganoon din si Shine. Mabait si Shine. It’s hard to find somebody like her."