Body Talk with Chris Martinez

Onstage at a gay bar on Timog Ave. in Quezon City, newcomer Chris Martinez was "macho-dancing" with Terence Baylon (the child actor who played Vilma Santos and Christopher de Leon’s little son Jun-Jun in the Viva drama Ipagpatawad Mo) before a mixed spectators of local and foreign journalists and some balikbayan invited by director Mel Chionglo and producer Dante Mendoza to watch the last shooting day of Twilight Dancers, part of a four-film series by Ricky Lee (after the late Lino Brocka’s Macho Dancer, and Mel’s Sibak: Midnight Dancers and Burlesk King, all acclaimed both here and abroad), intended for exhibition at the Toronto International Film Festival next month.

From the way the two actors undulated, you would think that they were real macho-dancers. In fact, they were trained by a choreographer and went gay-bar-hopping as part of their "conditioning" before the shooting began.

Chris and Terence are supposed to be among a new batch of macho-dancers easing out the old ones (thus they were called twilight dancers), among them Allen Dizon and Lauren Novero. Hadn’t Chris chickened out, he would have played the lead role which eventually went to another newcomer, Tyron Perez (of GMA’s StarStruck).

"I auditioned for the lead role," said Chris, 23, who finished second in last year’s CloseUp to Fame talent search launched by ABS-CBN, "but I begged off when I was told that I would do a frontally-nude scene and a kissing scene with William Martinez (as a gay benefactor). I wasn’t ready for it yet."

A native of Hagonoy, Bulacan, where he was brought up by his lola, Chris said that he and his two siblings were abandoned by their father. He was set to work at a luxury liner (after graduating with a degree in Information Technology from the Bulacan State University where he was Mr. BSU in 1997) when movie writer Joey Diego (now his manager) saw him at a disco joint in Angeles City. Joey convinced Chris (Acosta is his real surname) to try showbiz. Chris was already doing bit roles on TV (Love to Love, It Might Be You, etc.) and movies (Otso-Otso, etc.) when he joined CloseUp to Fame. He’s in the cast of the ABS-CBN fantaserye Super Noypi (with singer Makisig in the title role) as the love interest of Nova Villa (when she becomes a teenager in some instances).

"Do you know how I got Martinez as Chris surname?" asked Joey. "I saw the pictures of Albert and William Martinez at the Comfort Room of that Angeles City disco. Acosta wasn’t cinematic so I changed it to Martinez."

Chris stands 5’11", weighs 150 lbs., with a 31-inch waistline, and wears small-sized shirts and size-10 shoes.

Aside from training with a choreographer and gay-bar-hopping, how else did you prepare for your role in Twilight Dancers?

"I watched the DVDs of Macho Dancer, Sibak: Midnight Dancers and Burlesk King."

What’s your most difficult scene in the movie? "Direk Mel asked me to kneel on the floor and make a 180-turn on my knees. I did it with my knees all bruised. I was the only one who could do it. It’s supposed to be my specialty as a macho dancer."

What about workout? "I worked out every day. I lifted light weights and did sit-ups and push-ups. I also play basketball."

What about your diet? "I didn’t eat rice. My diet consisted mainly of banana and potato or camote."

How much liquid do you take daily? "More than eight glasses."

Being in showbiz is very stressful. How do you cope with stress? "I felt that my body clock was changed. In Bulacan, I’d be fast asleep by 10 p.m. Now, in Manila, I sometimes work up to 6 a.m. I unwind by catching up on sleep. When I’m stressed-out, I get pimples. Every now and then, I go home to Bulacan and visit my friends. I play with my three dogs – and American-bred, a boxer and a Labrador."

How much sleep do you get per night? "When I’m busy, five hours at most. So I spend my free time sleeping."

Favorite sleeping wear? "Boxer’s shorts."

Last thing that you do before you sleep? "Wash my face."

First thing that you do when you wake up? "Pray. Then take a shower and, if there’s no work, rush to the gym."

As a CloseUp guy, you must have a nice set of teeth. "Yes, I have."

Are your teeth your favorite part of your body? "Yes, my teeth. And my chest. It’s firm."

What part of your body do you think needs some improvement? "My abs and my legs. Kailangan ma-firm up."

What turns you on in a girl? "The butt and the boobs. I like girls who are a bit chubby and sexy."

And what turns you off? "‘Yung mga model types."

Do you have a nightlife? "Seldom. I don’t go to bars; I just hang out with friends."

Sex life? "Okay naman. Hindi naman nawawalan."

Love life? "None. I don’t have a girlfriend. No time."

What kind of movies do you watch? "Action and fantasy-adventure. The last one I saw was Superman Returns."

Any role models? "Brad Pitt and Robin Padilla."

Favorite fantasy figure? "Catherine Zeta-Jones."

Name three women you think have nice bodies. "Iza Calzado, my ideal girl. Diana Zubiri. And, of course, Catherine Zeta-Jones."

And three men... "Jericho Rosales. Brad Turvey. And, of course, Brad Pitt."

Using body language, how would you make a girl know that you admire/like her? "I make pa-cute."

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