Michael V: The Man with Many Faces

Nobody but nobody can "un-glue" me from the TV set Friday nights when for one full hour with Bubble Gang, I enjoy the luxury of being entertained by Michael V or whoever he’s impersonating, whether Lipa City Mayor Vilma Santos (from the Globe commercial) or Mike Enriquez or President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo or, well, name any celebrity (who counts and who matters) and chances are Michael V has done him with flair and with gusto and with infectious hilarity.

Michael V is only one of the all-star cast of GMA 7’s Bubble Gang (which is marking its 10th anniversary with a five-episode package this month, with the one on Oct. 14 specially shot at Club Mwah) but he monopolizes my attention with his amazing ability to be somebody else in such a near-perfect style that, often, he ends up not just "a reasonable facsimile thereof" but an improvement of the original.

Right on, Michael V, The Man With Many Faces!

And yet, Michael V (for del Valle, his middle name) said he didn’t start as an impersonator (or, as Michael V wanted to correctly put it, an "impressionist") but as – would you believe – a rapper.

Back in 1991 when rappers (Andrew E., FrancisM, etc.) were starting to make their presence felt, Michael did three rap albums for OctoArts Records which he now casually described as "never heard." His flair for impersonating – er, "impressionating" – was honed first in ABS-CBN, sharpened all the more at ABC 5 and polished to near perfection in GMA 7.

Asked where he got the talent, Michael V surmised, "Maybe at the tenement in Taguig where I grew up." It’s the same tenement where the likes of singer Rachel Tuazon, supermodel Lala Flores and the late toothless comedian Rene Requiestas also came from. "It was a very colorful neighborhood," which Michael V recently visited when Jessica Soho’s Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho, did a feature on him. "Daming puedeng gayahin doon. All kinds of people live there."

Michael V and his family have moved to a less colorful and more quiet neighborhood in Quezon City. He’s married to Carol Borromeo, a PAL flight attendant for seven years, with whom he has three children – Milo, 11, a student at the Community of Learners; Yanni, seven, who studies at Poveda; and Migo, two.

The couple met and fell in love at the Pamantasan ng Maynila (a school for scholars and above-average students) where they were taking up Masscomm (Carol was one year ahead of Michael; among her teachers was GMA exec Wilma Galvante who also graduated from the same school). Michael finished secondary education at the Manila Science High School (another school of A-listers).

Besides Bubble Gang, Michael also hosts two other GMA shows, Bitoy’s Funniest Videos (Saturday nights) and Eat, Bulaga! (three times a week). But I’d rather chew gum with him Friday nights when he keeps me awake with his thousand and one "alter egos."

Where do you get all those ideas for Bubble Gang?

"It’s a team effort, actually. I’m not the only one putting in ideas; we have a pool of seven writers. Most of the time, it starts with a germ and then it grows and grows and develops into a script."

What about your impersonations? All your own?

"As required by the script pa rin. The execution is all my own, consisting of my impressions of the videos and pictures shown to me."

Who chooses the celebrities that you impersonate?

"Whatever or whoever we agree upon during our meeting."

You must be an avid TV-watcher. You seem to be familiar with all the commercials.

"Oh yes. Everytime I’m free, nakatutok ako sa TV."

The producers of the commercials you spoof on Bubble Gang must be flattered.

"In fact, advertising agencies would sometimes invite us for brain-storming. You know, we get ideas from each other."

Has any producer ever been offended?

"As far as I can remember, only one. Coffee commercial ‘yon."

How long does it take you to study the mannerisms and characteristics of a celebrity?

"I run the commercial again and again for me to get the essence of the person, not necessarily the way they look or they speak. I have to be as accurate as possible, down to the twitch of the eyes. Actually, kinukuha ko ‘yung pagiging caricature n’ung tao. It’s not really impersonating or panggagaya. There are some people kasi who make a career out of it; kina-career nila, eh. The whole shebang. Such as what Willie Nepomuceno and Jon Santos are doing."

Has any celebrity ever got mad at you?

"Well, so far may isang demanda kami. Si L.A. Lopez."

Who’s one person you love to impersonate?

"President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Why? Kasi, napakataas na tao niya, so you feel powerful when you impersonate her. And yet, literally, hindi naman ganoon kalaki si PGMA. And that’s the irony of it all."

What are PGMA’s characteristics that are easy to impersonate?

"The way she speaks. May certain flow ang kanyang pagsasalita, eh." (Proceeds to sound like PGMA). "Madali mong magagaya ‘yung kanyang intonation which is not hard to copy."

And what are PGMA’s characteristics that are hard to copy?

"Her being intelligent. You cannot copy intelligence. Abstract ‘yon, eh. So you have to have a bit of knowledge especially of her terminology. Kapag technical ang sinasabi niya, I have to rely on a teleprompter or an idiot board para hindi ako sumablay. I must make it clear that we don’t make fun of the people we impersonate even if we do it in a fun way."

Haven’t you received any, you know, "reminder" from Malacañang?

"None – so far. Although one time, it became an issue, so we received an order from the GMA 7 management to stop it muna."

When and how did you start this art of impersonation?

"I didn’t plan it. It just so happened that in the shows I’ve been in, niri-require nila ‘yon, eh, as early as my ABS-CBN days when I was with Ready, Get Set, Go! I started with that game show hosted by Eric Quizon. Eagle was also in that show. May mga sketches that required me to create a character. When we moved to ABC 5 for Tropang Trumpo, that side of me was kind of exploited."

Who’s your favorite impersonator?

"Willie Nep. Saludo ako sa kanya. You can see the great effort that he puts into his work. For some strange reason, he really looks like whoever he is impersonating. ‘Yon ang complete package. With me, it’s more of impressionism, not impersonation."

Who do you think is hard to impersonate?

"Miriam Defensor-Santiago. She talks fast; napaka-technical ng pagsasalita niya, so hindi mo basta-basta magagaya. It requires a certain amount of intelligence on your part. With her, hindi lang certain amount, medyo malaking amount of intelligence ang required."

How are you off camera? Just as funny?

"What you see is what you get. I’m the same person on and off camera. The only difference is that I don’t dress up like a woman off camera. Am I funny in person? Yes, I am. It’s hard to be a comedian if you’re not a jolly person. The impression that comedians are serious people off camera is wrong. It’s just that they don’t really have to make people laugh off camera. But once you get to know them well, kapag nakakakuwentuhan mo na, lumalabas na ang pagka-Kenkoy nila."

I presume that your wife and children watch your shows.

"Whenever they can. I make it a point to watch (my shows) with them so I can get their reaction."

What’s their reaction?

"They laugh, especially my eldest child. My children are my critics."

Do you test your jokes/gags on them to find out if they are effective?

"Usually. If I think of a joke, I try it on my children. If they laugh, then I bring it up during our brain-storming."

As a family man, what are your do’s and don’t’s as a comedian?

"Of course, there are some. If my children watch or hear something bad, it defeats my purpose of letting them watch my shows, di ba?"

What about jokes with sexual innuendos?

"As long as they are presented in a subtle way, okey lang naman siguro, di ba? But there’s always a limitation. Kaya nga MTRCB has a ‘Parental Guidance (PG)’ classification, di ba? I make it a point to watch with my children if the shows are PG-classified."

How are you as a father?

"A bit strict. Ako ang taga-sita kung ano ang dapat at kung ano ang hindi dapat. What’s proper and what’s not proper. My wife and I take turns bringing the children to and from school. We are very hands-on parents. I make time for the children."

How are you as a husband? Faithful, I suppose?

"Ask my wife."

How do you divide your time between career and family?

"Everyday I have to do something for them. I look forward to the day when there’s no work so I can be with them. If I have to drive my wife to the grocery, I do it."

You impersonate a lot of people. If you were somebody else, who would you be?

"With this ability and the appreciation that I get, I wouldn’t want to be anybody else."

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