D as in Drop-Dead Gorgeous

Mother knows best.

Says Gina Alajar of her son Geoff Eigenmann, "When Geoff was growing up, I knew deep in my heart that he was going to be a heartthrob."

True enough, the second of Gina and estranged husband Michael de Mesa’s three sons (the two others are Ryan and AJ, also both actors) is the current Crush ng Bayan, Mr. Heartthrob himself, who is featured in those huge billboards all over the Metropolis, flashing that bedimpled killer smile that has surely upped the sales of the products he’s endorsing – Globe, Human and No Curfew Watch (which sponsored Geoff’s birthday bash last month at the Plaza Ibizza along Timog Avenue, Quezon City).

"Geoff was a planned baby," continues Gina. "When I was conceiving him, I was fond of Cattleya (orchids) and the scent of Sampaguita so I thought he was going to be a baby girl."

Now you know why the quiet and shy heartthrob smells that sweet.

When ABS-CBN launched him as its newest find last year, Geoff drew a collective swoon from both young (who instantly fell in love with him) and old (who took him as a cuddlesome little brother or an ideal son). He was an overnight sensation, helping propel his debut soap, Hiram (with Kris Aquino, Dina Bonnevie and the two girls cast as his love interests, Anne Curtis and Heart Evangelista) to the top of the ratings chart.

"When Geoff was a small boy," recalls Gina, "he had curly hair. (Directors) Lino Brocka and Mel Chionglo used to call him Sto. Nino." (The late Brocka directed Gina in her first movie, Kaibigan Ko ang Sto. Niño, with another child star named Roderick Paulate.)

During the week of this Conversation, Geoff was running here and there. He had just celebrated his birthday (where he happily posed for posterity with his estranged parents) and preoccupied with a hundred and other things. He sounded sleepy during the Conversation, after which he had to rush to Baguio to shoot for Hiram.

Find out more about this Crush ng Bayan as he plays the Alphabet Game.

A – Animals. I love animals. At home, I have four dogs: Reefer, Kif, Lilo and Hush Brown. Athletic. Yes, I am athletic. I’ve tried almost all sports, from tennis to badminton to basketball. But my favorite is Frisbee. Ambition. Now that I’m in showbiz, my ambition is to be a good actor; I also want to be accepted by the public for what I am. I wouldn’t want anybody to hate me. Anne (Curtis). We’re close friends, nothing more and nothing less. I like her happy disposition. She’s always smiling; I’ve never seen her frowning. Aries (born on March 23). I’m a typical Aries. Tahimik. I rarely open up; I hardly talk unless I’m comfortable with the person talking to me.

B – Boring. I hate boring people that’s why I stay away from them. Body. Yes, of course, I take care of my body, my health. I eat the right food (no carbs and no rice) and I exercise regularly. I used to have a girlfriend whose name was Bettina. Matagal na ‘yon. She was my puppy love.

C – Christian. Like my mom and everybody else in our family, I’m a Christian. We go to church together regularly. City? My favorite is Las Vegas. There are so many things to see there. I was there when I was younger...when our family was staying in L.A. Comic books. I’m fond of comic books. My favorite comic-book character is Superman, ever since I was a kid.

D – Dreams. I still have a lot of dreams. As a kid, I loved airplanes so I wanted to be a pilot. When I grew older, I wanted to be a fireman, especially after I saw Backdraft (starring Kurt Russell and Robert De Niro). Up to now I still want to be a fireman. Why? Wala lang. A Dreamboy? When people tell me that I’m a Dreamboy, I’m flattered. Nakakakilig!

E – Eigenmann. I’m proud to be an Eigenmann. What’s the best thing about being an Eigenmann? Well, I think we are a great family, very closely-knit. The worst? Siguro ‘yung nako-compare kami sa isa’t-isa. I’m close to all my cousins pero mas close ako sa mga girl cousins ko, like Ira and Maxene (daughters of Mark Gil/Ralph Eigenmann). Education. I plan to resume my college studies (Physical Therapy freshman at La Salle Dasmariñas).

F – Frisbee (again!). It’s like a cross between soccer and basketball and football. Friends. Kung sino ang friends ko before I joined showbiz are the same friends I have today. Family. Having come from a broken family, I will try hard to keep my own family intact. There’s nothing like having a complete family.

G – Geoffrey. Love my name! Geoff. Spelling pa lang unique na. God, of course! I am God-fearing. I wouldn’t be where I am now if God didn’t want it to be. Gina, my mom. I’m close to her as I am to my dad. I confide in both of them. Girls. How do I deal with aggressive girls? I just stay cool, be myself! What type of girls do I like? Someone who’s a good conversationalist, someone I can laugh with. Preferably athletic, with nice feet. Globe. That Globe commercial was my launching pad into showbiz and I’m thankful for that.

H – Happiness. To me, happiness is being with my family. Heaven and hell. To me, heaven is when everybody is at peace with everybody else; hell is when you have no one to talk to. Hiram, of course, the soap that launched my acting career. Heart (Evangelista). She’s lovely. Is there anything between Heart and me? None. Like Anne, she’s my good friend. What do I like about her? She is makuwento. I like Heart’s eyes; I like girls who are chinita.

I – Inspiration. My inspiration is my family. They’re always there for me and with me whatever happens. Innocence? I lost it when I was 14 to a girl older than I was. Incubus, my favorite singer. My favorite Incubus song is Pardon Me. Intense? I can be. But I’m shy...sabi nila.

J – Jaguar, my dream car. I wonder how long would it take me to save even for the down payment for it?

K – Key. What’s the key to my heart? Well, since I love to eat, the best way is through my stomach. You just have to feed me! I love seafood – lobsters, crabs and shrimps. ‘Yung mga crustaceans. Kitchen? No, I don’t want to stay in the kitchen because although I love to eat, I don’t cook. What part of the house is my favorite? My room. It doesn’t have everything but it’s my favorite sanctuary. When there are many people in the house, I retreat to my room. I’m sharing my room with my younger brother, AJ (Andrew James).

L – Love. What does love mean to me? Love should be unconditional, it’s being generous and kind to the one you love. Yes, I’ve been seriously in love. How did I know? I just felt it. Life? I live it day by day. Losing? Yes, I’ve lost a game (of basketball, etc.) but instead of feeling bad, I take losing as a challenge, a learning experience. You learn from your mistakes, you know. Luck. I guess I’m just lucky.

M – Money. Earn some, save some and spend the rest. Enjoy it! Michael (de Mesa), my dad. The best tip I got from my dad? "Always keep your feet on the ground...Don’t let things go to your head... Be nice to everyone... Makisama ka... Those you pass by going up are the same people you will meet on your way down." My mom gave me the same pointers. Memory. I have a photographic memory. I remember faces more than names.

N – New York. That’s one city I love to visit one day. They say that it’s a city that never sleeps and I’m curious to find out why. Never. No, I never say never. The more I lose the more I feel challenged. I believe that you must try and try until you succeed. Never say die. Nightlife? I have practically none. I go out maybe once or twice every two months. You know, dinner with friends. I’m a homebody.

O – Observant. Yes, I’m observant. I have keen eyes and keen ears. I am quiet, I prefer to listen. Older women? If I like a girl, it doesn’t matter if she’s older than me, huwag lang sobrang tanda. To me age doesn’t matter; it’s just a number.

P – Peace of mind. I’m happy with my work, I’m happy with my family, I’m happy with my friends and that gives me peace of mind.

Prayer. Yes, I do pray. I pray for the safety of my family. I talk to God directly. I don’t always ask Him for anything; instead, I thank Him for whatever blessing that come my way.

Q – Questions? No, there are not too many questions in my mind. When I don’t get what I want, I don’t ask why. I don’t even ask what I am on earth for but I know there’s a purpose for my existence. Otherwise, God wouldn’t have put me here. As I’ve said, I live each day as it comes. I go with the flow without asking any question.

R – Ryan, my brother. I’m close to him as I am to AJ. We’re like barkada. We confide in each other; we share secrets. Of course, we talk about girls. If one of us has a crush on a girl, he seeks the opinion of the two others. Do we have the same taste in girls? Luckily, no. Ryan’s preference is different from mine or AJ’s. Magkakaiba ang gusto namin sa girls, so wala kaming away pagdating dyan.

S – Sleep. Now that I’m in showbiz, sleep is a luxury. That’s what I need most now. If I get five hours of sleep per night, happy na ako. Seduction? Nobody has dared seduce me. Maybe they know that I’m not vulnerable, thank you. But then, they can always try. Sex? Be careful! Sensitive. Yes, I am, in the sense that I can correctly tell how the guy next to me feels. Do you call it "sixth sense?"

T – Temptation. How do I deal with it? I think 10 times before giving in to temptation. I try to imagine what the outcome would be and if bad, I resist the temptation. How? I turn my back on it. Tension. There’s plenty of it in showbiz. When I feel that I’m getting tense, I slow down and listen to music. It’s very relaxing.

U – Universal Studios. I went there last year with my brothers and we were able to go backstage and enter ‘yung mga houses doon. The sets, you know. Untidy. I don’t like untidy people. Who does, anyway?

V – Victorious? No, I haven’t really felt victorious yet kasi so far, wala pa naman talaga akong napanalunan. Maybe when I win an acting award that’s when I’ll feel really victorious. Vain? No, I’m not. Vulnerable? Not really.

W – Winnng quality? Peope have been asking me that and it puzzles me. All I can say is that I have no idea what my winning quality is. They have that I have nice eyes and nice smile. Do I agree? Oh, well, I sometimes do.

X – XXX. One of my favorite movies, the one with Vin Diesel. Do I watch triple X films? I do, not as a habit but just out of curiosity. X-Men. I love them! They work perfectly well as a team.

Y – Youth. How do I look at it? Youth is fleeting. You wake up one morning and you’re no longer young. So, enjoy youth while you can but don’t abuse it, okay? My best year so far was 2004. That was when I did the Globe commercial, when I signed a contract with ABS-CBN, when I did my first movie (Bcuz of U, with Heart Evangelista). Everything I didn’t expect but wanted to happen happened in 2004.

Z – Wow, it’s hard to think of something or someone na nagsisimula sa Z. All I can think of at the moment is Zsa Zsa (Padilla). She’s a good actress and a good singer, and very sexy, isn’t she?