From waiter to veejay to actor

Opening today in Metro Manila theaters is The Chanting/Kuntilanak, an Indonesian horror film said to be the biggest blockbuster in that country last year. Directed by Rizal Mantovani, The Chanting should appeal to moviegoers not only in the Philippines but in other parts of the world, as did films of the same genre from other Asian countries like The Ring and The Grudge (from Japan) which have been remade by Hollywood.

Evan Sanders (short for Alexander), 25, lead actor of The Chanting, was here for a quick three-day visit but so pressed for time that he managed to plug the movie only during a brief guesting on two GMA shows, Unang Hirit and Eat, Bulaga!, the other day. On the same day, he sat down with Funfare for a quick interview before he rushed to the Discovery Suites (where he was billeted) to pack his things and then to the airport for his flight back to Jakarta.

Over a late lunch of pork chop (he said he’s Catholic) at Taste of L.A. (Roces Avenue, Quezon City), Evan happily revealed that The Chanting is only his second film, following Dealova, a love-triangle teen-romance drama based on a best-selling novel by 13-year-old girl).

"I’m happy because both of my movies are blockbusters," he said, breaking into a CloseUp smile. "In Dealova, my girlfriend dies of cancer. In The Chanting, I play the boyfriend of a girl haunted by an ancient chant connected to an Indonesian she-demon, the Kuntilanak. She dies a tragic death. Then, whomever she sings the chant to dies a horrible death. What happens to my character? He mysteriously disappears. It’s a scary movie."

One of three children of a single parent (his half-Dutch mother and his father separated when Evan was a baby), Evan was born in Papua, located in the eastern part of Indonesia, and grew up and studied in Kampong, near Menado, which he described as "a village place." In essence, he is a promdi (as in from the province). He had to go to Jakarta for his college education, finishing a degree in Social and Political Sciences.

"I am the youngest among us brothers. My two brothers look different from me. One looks a bit Chinese and the other one looks a bit Moloccan. And I look like this. So people have been teasing me that I am a stepson, an adopted son, even if I’m not."

He’s an accidental actor.

"What I really wanted to be was a pilot. I never dreamed to be an actor," recalled Evan who spoke very good English, which was not surprising because he worked for MTV-Indonesia before he was discovered for the movies. He’s a friend of Filipino VJs KC Montero and Cindy Kurleto whom he would bump into during MTV press junkets in the region.

"But my first job was as a waiter at The Dome, a very popular cafe in Jakarta. I was working and studying at the same time. Besides my course, I was taking up lessons in French. I hate being idle so I took a part-time job at night, as a waiter at The Dome. I was living alone in Jakarta and I didn’t want to get bored. But I stayed on the job for only one week. I applied for a job as a host in Nickelodeon and I was accepted. I apologized to the owner of The Dome for not keeping the job; he was nice to me. And then, the movie offer came. I passed the audition for the role (in Dealova). I was already with MTV by then. I asked the permission of the MTV management and they said, yes, ‘But only one movie every year.’"

Then came The Chanting which broke all box-office records in Indonesia, having attracted more than 300,000 viewers in its opening weekend and over 1.5 million during the first month of its release. It has been shown in Singapore and Malaysia, and now in the Philippines (released by Multi-Vision Films for MVP Pictures), and hopefully in other parts of Asia and, why not, in the US and Europe.

"The Chanting has a hanging ending," said Evan. "A sequel is now being planned and maybe another one after that. It’s going to be a trilogy."

Now a full-time actor, Evan quit MTV-Indonesia last February after the Viacom of MTV-USA localized all the programs in most Asian countries.

"So I told Cindy, ‘We should get out before we fade out’. Quit while the quitting is good."

Besides acting, he’s also branching out to singing. He doesn’t just sing, he composes songs, mostly ballads. He’s a big fan of Andrea Bocelli and he could hardly believe it when I showed him my cellphone photo with Bocelli taken when I chanced upon the Italian classical artist at the coffee shop of the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills last year.

"Oh, my God. It’s Bocelli, my favorite!" exclaimed Evan, almost jumping on his seat. "I love all his songs."

Asked if he’d like to do a movie or perform in the Philippines, Evan said, "Why not?"

Miss Unibarse not spawned by Miss Doll Universe

And here’s a rejoinder from the Miss Unibarse Organization to Funfare’s "other beauty expert" Celso de Guzman Caparas recent item about the Miss Doll Universe:

In your recent article about Miss Doll Universe, you mentioned that ...

"The Miss Doll Universe Pageant has spawned other doll pageants like Miss Doll World, Miss Doll International, Miss Doll Earth, Miss Doll Asia-Pacific International, Miss Doll Intercontinental, Miss Doll Top Model of the World, Miss Doll Global Beauty, Miss Doll Atlantico, Miss Doll Universo and Miss Unibarse."

We would like you to know that Miss Unibarse was not ‘spawned’ by Miss Doll Universe. As a matter of fact, the organizers of Miss Unibarse were not aware of the existence of these doll pageants until their first crowning in 2006. Miss Unibarse is a collaborative project from two Filipino-Americans living in Los Angeles that combined their passion to create one unique and amazing portfolio. We may not be the first to create a doll pageant, and neither does Miss Doll Universe, but we are the first with the concept of on-line judging system using real people from all walks of life to judge and participate. We also have the very first on-line voting, a system created to promote camaraderie with all doll and pageant aficionados around the world to enjoy our, do I dare say...  ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢femininity.’ Our competition categories also far exceed those that exist now in creativity. Check out our elimination process to get to the Top 5. We also pride ourselves with a beautiful, highly organized and professional looking website: http://www.missunibarse.com with gorgeous images made possible by F&G Photography: http://www.missunibarse.com/fandg 

 Miss Unibarse 2007 is scheduled during the summer and will be open to other doll pageant organizers around the world.  We are also planning to take it a step further by opening our website to non profit organizations to help them spread the word with their advocacy.

Thanks,

Miss Unibarse Organization

(E-mail reactions at [email protected])