Intimidating without being offensive

To be able to intimidate others in the world of entertainment is nearly impossible. Each of us has his or her own way of getting to people and earning their respect.

It must be very hard to be intimidating and still exude a nice vibe.

Most of the time, intimidating sounds a bit negative and scary.

However, this is one way of keeping certain parts of our lives  as artists private from the rest of the world.

The first thing that comes to mind when we say “showbiz” is having to live an open lifestyle and allowing the public to see what goes on inside and outside ourselves. 

It’s almost like not having a choice about keeping your private life private because of the saying “good or bad publicity is still publicity.”

Eric Quizon proves all this wrong. After over 20 years of being active in this business, he has managed to move along so smoothly while keeping his personal life to himself.

I recently attended my first official acting workshop along with Eric and other actors.

There was a part where we were asked to comment on how we see each other as actors. One of the comments that struck me is that most of us felt a little intimidated by Eric.

His presence just seems so dominant. Yet, when he speaks, he is so gentle and nice, as if he does not have a single mean bone in his body.

How can Eric intimidate people and gain respect in a snap? How can he still be considered the nicest guy in the room?

I was really intrigued since I know that I can be a bit too quiet sometimes around people. And a lot of times, people take it the wrong way.

Eric says, “I’m just being myself. Most of the time, this is the first impression people have of me. I guess it’s just the way I carry myself that makes me seem unapproachable.

“Honestly, I like it (being intimidating) in a way. In this industry, you shouldn’t be caught off-guard because people are always watching you. I’m not putting up a front. I’ve always been like this.

“I make it a point to be where people won’t have anything to say bad about me. It’s always good to keep your guard up. In a way, it can be an advantage because if you’re too approachable, sometimes people take advantage of it.”

Undoubtedly, Eric more than deserves the respect he has earned over the past so many years he has worked hard in this business.

He’s turning 41 next month and looking forward to three or four more years before he semi-retires.

Eric started directing and producing in 1996. “When I was 24, I started producing. My first love is acting.

“I try to do all sorts of things because I get bored right away. My attention span in doing something is very short, but when I do it, I give my all.

“I went to New York and studied, but I wasn’t happy with what I was doing. I’m always looking for more. I always want to improve myself. I love working under pressure. I like to be challenged,” Eric explains.

So, what’s next? He has done it all in this business from acting, directing to producing. He also wants to  go to culinary school.

“That’s what I really want to do. Actually, I want to go on semi-retirement now. I feel like I’ve done so much already. When I really retire, I want to have an island and just cook for friends who come for a visit. I want to relax and just enjoy,” Eric says.

It amazes me how all this time I felt like the public controls how an artist’s career should be. Eric proved me wrong.

For someone like me who hasn’t experienced even half of what he has gone through, he only says, “Just be yourself, because you cannot change yourself. That’s you, no matter what. In whatever you do, always do your best. And always find ways to make yourself better.”

This was probably the best advice anyone could give someone who doesn’t fully understand how this business really runs.

I’m looking forward to learning more as I work with Eric, one of the nicest guys in this industry.

Smile and have a wonderful day!

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