Hitchhiker to stardom

Local producers have a way of thumbing their noses at the country’s elite – that is, by using rich-sounding surnames to kind of "elevate" the boldies to a "respectable" level.

Thus, there’s a Brandy Ayala who is not related to you-know-who. Or Rosanna Roces (no relation to the newspaper-publishing clan). Or Winston Elizalde (yeah, no relation to...). Or Rodel Velayo (a complete stranger, I’m sure, to the jewelers).

And then there’s Diana Zubiri who once figured in tabloid headlines as the "long-lost" sister of the Zubiris, a "claim" that turned out to be a big joke and only part of a publicity gimmick which Bukidnon Rep. Juan Miguel Zubiri good-humoredly took with the usual grain of salt.

Diana could have used the surname Abalos after that headline-making incident late last year when the good Mayor of Mandaluyong City sued (later withdrawn) the sexy newcomer for "public scandal" after she posed clad only in a red bikini as a hitchhiker on top of the EDSA Mandaluyong overpass for a cover pictorial for FHM magazine.

On screen, Diana can be as daring as any pussycat, daring to bare everything if needed. In person, she’s shy, very probinsyana, and she makes you wonder how she could change so abruptly at the sound of "Lights, camera, action!!!" or the click of a camera.

"It’s just a job for me," said Diana. "People should know how to draw the line between the make-believe Diana Zubiri and the real me."

A Seiko Jewel (as stars under the Seiko Films banner are known), Diana started in showbiz at 16. She has done four movies so far, including Liberated, her latest starrer directed by Mac Alejandre, where Diana has a grand time, uh, playing the field – and how!

Are you related to the Zubiris (Bukidnon Rep. Juan Miguel Zubiri, etc.)?

"No, I’m not."

What’s your real name?

"Rosemarie Joy Garcia. I’m from Manila, not Bukidnon."

Who gave you your screen name?

"Tito Robbie Tan (Seiko boss). Pina-feng shui pa niya ’yon. At first, he thought of Natalie Zobel but Tito Robbie said it sounded like the name of an old woman. Pang-matanda raw. Di daw bagay sa akin."

Was Diana derived from Princess Diana?

"Hindi naman siguro. Basta ayaw lang ni Tito Robbie ng Natalie. He also liked Zubiri more than Zobel."

Have you met Juan Miguel Zubiri?

"Yeah. During the taping of a sitcom two years ago."

What did he tell you?

"Nothing. He just said, ‘A, ikaw pala ’yon.’ No, he didn’t ask about my family background. Mayaman sila, kami mahirap lang."

How has stardom changed your life?

"Lifestyle ko nag-change. Lumaki ang gastos ko kahit lumaki ang kita ko. I have to pay the rent, kuryente, maids and the monthly installment for my car. I was able to buy a car only a few months ago. Dati, even when I was doing movies already, nagta-taksi lang ako. Sometimes, I’d even take the jeepney."

You turned 18 last April 15 (Aries). Anong mga changes naman sa buhay mo?

"Before, I kept my age a secret. Now, I’m open about it. Minor kasi ako noon, e. Before, everytime I was asked in interviews how old I was, I’d say 19. At 18, feeling ko nagma-mature na ako. I should stop being isip-bata."

Do you decide for yourself?

"I’ve been deciding for myself, even before. But now, my manager, Tito Jojo (Gabinete), helps me make decisions. He’s like a brother and an uncle to me."

What kind of family did you come from?

"I’m not ashamed to say that I come from a broken family. My mother has another family; may isang anak siya. I grew up with my Mom. I haven’t seen my father for a long time. He has his own new family now."

Where did you grow up?

"In Subic. But when the Americans left, we moved to Manila. Na-enjoy ko naman ang childhood ko. I would play with our neighbors and I was able to study in Fairview, Quezon City, where we stayed before we transferred to Manila. I reached up to first-year college at Informatics where I took up Computer Science."

But what did you really dream to be?

"Artista talaga. I even auditioned for (the ABS-CBN) Talent Center but I was rejected. I was discouraged at first, so I went back to school. I even planned to go with my cousin to Japan to work as a Japayuki. I wanted to earn so I could help my Mom."

How did you get into Seiko?

"I was applying for Japan when a Seiko production manager spotted me. He was my manager for a while."

How did you feel when they told you that you had to go bold?

"Feeling ko kaya ko but I wasn’t sure if my Mom would allow me. When I asked her, my Mom told me, ‘You decide; bahala ka.’ So I made my own decision. I was introduced in Itlog. My kaeksena was direk Celso (Ad Castillo, one of the actors in the movie), so nadoble ang nerbyos ko kasi baka sigawan niya ako. It turned out that direk Celso was nice. He was very helpful. In Itlog, I played an oppressed wife, sunud-sunuran sa asawa."

Were you bolder in your succeeding movies?

"In Bakat, I played a schizophrenic, pero ako ang naging daan para mabuo ang isang pamilya. My leading man was Rodel (Velayo). Next came Kasiping where I played an unfaithful wife (also with Rodel Velayo) who goes with another man (Dante Balboa). In my new movie, Liberated, I play a woman na walang pakialam, happy making love to different men but not charging them a single centavo."

More love/sex scenes, I suppose.

"Only eight."

Only eight!?! Wasn’t it tiring?

"Ay, nakakapagod talaga! Three times with Christian (Vasquez), once with Winston (Elizalde), once with Donald Tan (a fashion model), once with Reggie Curley, and twice with another model."

What do you ask your leading men before doing a love/kissing scene? Brush their teeth? Gargle with breath freshener?

"They know. I don’t have to ask them what to do. Besides, we had a workshop before we started shooting."

Oh, the controversial "sensuality workshop" where you and your co-stars (including Francine Prieto) were all in the nude.

"Para we would be comfortable with each other during the shooting... Para daw mawala ang inhibitions at malisya namin. Okay naman. It was a big help."

When you did a pictorial (for FHM magazine) on top of that flyover in EDSA Mandaluyong City, Mayor Benhur Abalos nearly hauled you to court. That incident got wide publicity. Did it help your career?

"Of course, it did. Malaki ang naitulong. I should thank Mayor Abalos for that. I was pretending to hitchhike in that pictorial; naka-bikini lang ako. Wala namang masagwa du’n. Marami ngang natuwa at naaliw, e. I must admit that if Mayor Abalos didn’t do it, the pictorial wouldn’t have been noticed. Hayun tuloy, pinag-usapan ako."

Have you met Mayor Abalos?

"Not yet."

Would you like to meet him?

"If there’s a chance, why not?"

Off-camera, what kind of person is Diana Zubiri? Fond of gimik?

"Not at all. I’ve become sickly lately. Palaging pagod, e. Instead of going around, having gimik, I’d rather stay home and rest. I work everyday, e."

Do you go for things a typical 18-year-old goes for – you know, clothes, etc.?

"I’m fond of clothes. Kailangan, e, dahil artista ako. They’re also investments, aren’t they? Movies? I watch a lot of DVDs lent to me by Tito Jojo. All kinds of movies. He’d tell me, ‘O, watch these movies and you’ll learn from them.’ I watch them all."

Are you a wise spender? Do you save?

"Matipid ako. I let Tito Jojo keep my money. I just ask from him if I need any. When I have a tendency to overspend, he’d remind me, ‘O, sumusobra ka na.’ Thanks to Tito Jojo nakakaipon ako at nakakapag-invest."

What about boyfriends?

"I used to have one, non-showbiz. But he didn’t understand the ins and outs of showbiz so our relationship went sour. Nahirapan ako sa kanya, so we broke up. I told him, ‘I don’t want to be unfair to you. I can’t promise that I’d be faithful.’ You know how it is in showbiz. You do love/kissing scenes with different leading men. If your boyfriend doesn’t understand, if he’s not broad-minded mag-aaway lang kayo palagi. I explained everything to him. I hope he understood."

What about DOMs (Dirty/Darling Old Men)? Do they run after you?

"It’s Tito Jojo they call. They think Tito Jojo’s phone is my phone."

Any indecent proposals?

"A lot!"

Such as?

"They name a price. They promise to buy me this or buy me that."

Aren’t you tempted?

"Not at all. I never dreamed of having a house or a car or money by selling myself."

Don’t people taunt you? You know, call you names (bomba star, etc.) and all that?

"Before, they did. Just because we are bold stars, some people think we are, you know, ‘easy girls’. I make it a point to be decent when I’m not shooting. I never go out wearing sexy clothes."

What kind of guys turn you on?

"Chinito, sweet and thoughtful."

Name one actor who turns you on.

"Vic Sotto. Because he has a sense of humor. Mabait at tahimik, kaya nakaka-challenge."

Vic is a noted womanizer. What if he courts you?

"Mahirap magsalita ng patapos. Nothing wrong. Binata naman siya, di ba? Charing!"

What’s the first thing you would tell Mayor Abalos once you meet him?

"Thank you, Mayor. I wouldn’t be where I am now if not for you. Thank you po, talaga!"

Christmas is just around the corner. What’s your Christmas wish for Mayor Abalos?

"Sana mag-meet na kami. One year has passed after that ‘hitch-hiking’ incident at hindi pa kami nagkikita."

And for yourself?

"More projects. A good role that could win me an acting award. I wish I could be like Maricel Soriano, my idol. That’s my big dream. Sana, sana!"

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