Body Talk with Carlos Agassi

Just between you and me. If you want to "victimize" Carlos Agassi, the rapper Hunk, like he gleefully does on his ABS-CBN show Victim Extreme, surprise him with a cockroach the next time you see him. Pretend to be a movie writer (don’t forget to lug along a tape recorder) and sit beside him for an interview. And then , when he’s not looking, throw the cockroach you’ve been keeping in your pocket (be sure it’s alive) on top of his sandwich and watch how he’ll scream his lungs out and where his sandwich will fly.

There. The victimizer as victim. Serves him right?

"Yes," said Carlos, "I’m afraid of cockroaches. Give me a snake anytime. Or even a tiger, ‘yung tame, ha. But, please, not a cockroach!"

Carlos’ real first name is Amir which is Iranian for "prince." He raps and his handlers have been touting him as Prince of Rap.

"I’m a wholesome rapper," said Carlos who stands 5’10", weighs 167 lbs., and wears medium-sized briefs (waistline: 28") and size 10.5 shoes. "That’s why my idol is Will Smith who was a rapper before he became an action superstar. He’s a wholesome rapper; he avoids using foul language."

Asked how he’d do so if he were to "victimize" Will Smith, Carlos said, "I’d pretend to be the real MIB – Man In Black. I wonder how he’d react."

Meanwhile, before Carlos prowls the city for more victims, let’s have some Body Talk with him.

How did you develop such beautiful muscles?

"I’m a frustrated basketball player. In school, I wanted to be one so I started working out. But I never became one. ABS-CBN beat me to becoming a basketball player. I was taken in as member of Star Circle, built up as a rapper and then included as member of The Hunks. Goodbye, basketball!"

As a Hunk, do you attract more girls than other guys do?

"I don’t think so, although when we Hunks have a concert, halos panay babae ang nanonood. It’s a dream come true for me. When I was a kid, my dream was to perform with an all-female audience."

I’m sure you and the four other Hunks (Jericho Rosales, Piolo Pascual, Diether Ocampo and Bernard Palanca) are proud of your beautiful body.

"Should we be?"

As a Hunk, don’t you sometimes feel like a piece of meat?

"No naman."

Have you ever been fat?

"I weighed 10.10 lbs. daw when I was born. I was chubby as a kid. Until age 12, I didn’t have two front teeth because I ate a lot of chocolates. Matakaw ako sa chocolates. Tabatsoy ako!"

What kind of diet do you follow?

"Actually, if I’m able to work out, I don’t go on a diet, especially when I’m tired from tapings. But when I have to do a sexy pictorial or if it’s required for a movie, I go on a low-carb, high-protein diet. Otherwise, I eat anything."

What kind of workout do you do?

"High-impact and high-intensity workout. I usually spend about 45 minutes in the gym, four times a week."

How much liquid do you take everyday?

"A lot – as in a lot!!! Halos every 30 minutes I drink a glass of water because I perspire a lot; pawisin ako, e. They say that Iranians are pawisin. Di ba I’m half-Iranian? They say that some people are born with a six-pack and others with an eight-pack. Being half-Iranian, I was born with a six-pack, with broad chest and big bones kaya konting workout lang ang laki ko na. I’m careful about working out because I don’t want to look like a bodybuilder. I prefer to have a lean frame full of muscles."

You don’t take any supplements, like steroids, do you?

"No, I don’t. But when I miss a meal, I eat a protein bar."

What kind of food do you avoid?

"Hot ones, ‘yung maaanghang. It gives me a stomachache. Otherwise, I’m a voracious eater; masarap ako kumain."

How much sleep do you get everyday?

"At least seven hours. Sometimes, if I’m tired, I can sleep 14 hours straight."

Are you grumpy when you lack sleep?

"Not really. Medyo sluggish lang."

What about nightlife?

"Zero! At night, I’m usually having meetings for Victim Extreme or nagbo-voice over. When I have free time, I watch a movie or play basketball. Or take my lola out; she’s here on a visit. I’m not fond of the nightlife because I don’t drink."

How do you pamper yourself?

"Either I have a full-body massage, plus foot massage at Foot Trip (At the ABS-CBN building; he and Kris Aquino are co-owners. – RFL) Otherwise, nagpapa-home-service ako. Sometimes, I go to G-Spa at Madaraka near ABS-CBN."

What vitamins and minerals do you take?

"Lots of vitamin C and vitamin A. Nagbabaon din ako ng lemonade and lots of sweets. I have a sweet tooth."

You aren’t sickly, are you?

"No, I’m not. I haven’t had a fever in four years, knock on wood."

But you’re not naman hypochondriac, are you?

"No, I’m not. My dentist has been scolding me because I’ve been so used to muscle pains due to workouts that as long as I can endure a toothache, I don’t go to his clinic. Mataas ang tolerance level ko sa pain. But now, I make sure I have a dental check-up at least every three months."

Do you apply anything on your face?

"Sometimes – products of Derm Clinic, like Dermisol. It’s a cleanser plus antibiotic... to prevent pimples... which I apply on my face only kapag sobra ang puyat ko."

Do you panic when you have pimples?

"Not really."

What about outlook in life? Are you an optimist or a worrier?

"An optimist, definitely! I’m the type of person who learns from his mistakes and learns something positive from those mistakes. I don’t worry. Why worry?"

How do you cope with stress?

"By playing basketball and working out in the gym."

What do you do when you’re under pressure?

"I think of a way out of it; I think of a solution. In Victim Extreme, unexpected things sometimes crop up and we end up as victims."

Who’s your favorite target as victim?

"During the campaign, the presidentiables sana. It was hard to pin them down."

So far, who’s your favorite victim?

"The Star Circle Quest guys (Sandara, Hero, Joross, Melissa and Roxanne)."

You were harshly criticized for that episode. Foul daw; below the belt daw; sobra daw.

"The SCQ guys were nakakahalata na and I think they were just playing along; kunwari di nila alam. I guess they were the ones victimizing us."

You yourself have been victimized, haven’t you?

"Several times. Almost everyday nagiging victim ako, especially when the shooting doesn’t turn out as expected."

Which part of your body is vulnerable?

"Either my back or my neck."

Which part of your body is your favorite?

"My abs. Very Iranian. I really work hard at it."

Which part of a girl’s body do you first notice or look at?

"The face. And how she walks and carries herself. And then, the eyes."

Any part of your body you want changed or improved?

"Yung balbon ko sana mabawasan. Too much. It takes time for me to dry my body after a shower. I trim my whole body every three months."

Do you have a love life?

"Now? None."

What about your sex life?

"Zero. I’m busy with Victim Extreme. I’m not only the host; I’m also part of the creative team. Tumutulong din ako sa editing."

Are you vain like most good-looking men?

"I don’t think so. But when you’re an artista, you have to look good all the time. I don’t try too hard, though. I don’t even put gel on my hair or anything on my face. If I had my way, I’d just wear shorts and sando. Kaya lang, I get ‘reminders’ when I do that." So I wear jeans, shirt and sneakers."

How much time do you spend in front of the mirror?

"A bit long. It takes time to shave my face."

And how much time do you spend in the bathroom?

"The longest is 30 minutes – in the bathtub. Kung shower lang, mga 15 to 20 minutes."

Do you sleep in the nude?

"No, I don’t. My Lola kasi comes in and out of my room. When I sleep I turn the aircon full blast, so I wear pajamas. Sometimes, we sleep in our mom’s room, tabi-tabi kaming tatlong magkakapatid on the floor."

Name three actresses with a beautiful body.

"Gretchen Barretto. Zsa Zsa Padilla. Heart Evangelista. They really take care of their body."

And three actors.

"Marc Nelson. Diether Ocampo. Brad Pitt."

Using body language, how would you tell a girl that you like her?

"When they touch my body, they’ll know. Some people think that I’m aggressive. In fact, I’m shy. When a pretty girl looks at me, I bow my head. Ganoon ako ka-shy."

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