Assessing past & present StarStruck winners

(First of two parts)

StarStruck crowned last Sunday night Marky Cielo and Jackie Rice as its new set of winners – with Marky later emerging as the ultimate sole survivor.

Before we set our hopes and expectations on Marky and Jackie, let us trace and assess first what has become of the previous winners of this now very popular artista search.

Mark Herras – He first impressed the public by being the "dance floor’s bad boy." This is one title that he still keeps. In fact, in last Sunday’s StarStruck Grand Finals presentation at the Marikina Park, he showed everyone that he is still the best among them all during a production number that featured him with the past and present male survivors and avengers.

Today, two years after he was declared the first StarStruck ultimate male survivor, Mark doesn’t only rule the dance floor, but is also fast becoming a competent actor – the proof of which we all saw in Blue Moon during the last Metro Manila Film Festival (with topnotch director Joel Lamangan guiding him, there was no way he or his co-stars could go wrong).

There is one aspect in Mark’s character that hasn’t changed, however: His being so good-natured. Stardom hasn’t changed him a bit. He has remained humble and so easy to get along with. The fact that he has become best friends with Rainier Castillo – his fiercest rival in the profession – speaks a lot about his good character. Sure, he is the ultimate male survivor and Rainier is only his runner-up. But Rainier had also become hugely popular that he could have been a threat. But Mark – the good person that he is – never saw it that way.

Last year, skeletons also started rattling in his closet with the appearance of his real father, who is still in prison on drug charges. It was a big issue that tore open his private life and had it exposed to the public. That sad experience didn’t embitter him mercifully and all throughout that dark chapter of his life, his basically good nature shone all the time.

Of course, there is one aspect in Mark’s character that some people (the girls actually) are hoping he could change: His being a playboy. If that’s a crime, have him arrested and get him locked up in jail. But then, for as long as he is single and is not committed legally yet to anybody, I guess he can still play the field.

Jennylyn Mercado – StarStruck’s first ultimate female survivor had always been pilloried for having bad PR. Two years after her victory, things haven’t changed much – except for the fact that people around her have finally understood why she had always been aloof to everyone (she was a battered child and is still in the process of healing wounds of the past).

But I do appreciate her for her honesty and for not covering up her true feelings. If she’s annoyed, then that’s that. Never mind if that would entail a walkout from her end, which was what happened in a few instances.

The girl could also be headstrong, but admirably independent-minded. At the height of her big break-up last year with screen partner Mark Herras, their handlers had tried to save the situation by making sure they didn’t display coldness toward each other at least during their on-cam interviews. But then, Jennylyn had agreed to do a live phone patch with Startalk and Startalk being Startalk (the program really ferrets out the truth), the real state of their soured relationship just showed for everyone to feast on.

I remember that Mark was with us in the studio and – with sincerity – said "I miss you" to Jennylyn, who was on the phone. To that, the girl’s icy retort was simply: "God bless."

Fortunately, their careers had become so stable that the break-up hardly affected their projects as a love team. In fact, Jennylyn, who initially just excelled in singing, had also become a good actress – an award-winning one, having received the Tanglaw Best Supporting Actress trophy for Blue Moon.

In the future, I see Jennylyn as one of our top leading actresses excelling in the field of drama. Beautiful and talented, there is no doubt she’ll become bigger than what she is today. (To be concluded)