And in comes Jennifer Connelly

When I attend a Hollywood junket, I always see to it that I squeeze in even only just a few (very precious!) minutes with my friends during the short breaks in the tight print and TV interviews. It’s always a welcome breather spent reminiscing the good old days and catching up on showbiz goings-on.

During last month’s junket for Underworld: Awakening, my traveling companion Raoul Tidalgo (on his way to San Antonio, Texas to visit his sister Cora) and I were invited by Giji Kocher to an early dinner at the 208 Rodeo resto in Beverly Hills, together with Giji’s friend Rica del Rosario (whose family used to own the Casa Marcos chain of restaurants), Tim Evans (of the US Immigration) and immigration lawyer Jemela Nettles. It was our second reunion with Giji (a.k.a. Djoanna Garcia during her showbiz days) in two years. Giji has retained her pretty face (she played the title role in Nepomuceno Productions’ Ang Larawan ni Melissa, directed by Cesar Amigo, in the late ‘60s, with the late Cachupoy among her co-stars) but is now several pounds richer. She’s the owner/CEO of the Helping Hands of Beverly Hills (Home Care Services).

Giji (third from left) with (from left) Tim Evans (of the US Immigration), your columnist, immigration lawyer Jemela Nettles, Rica del Rosario and Raoul Tidalgo after dinner at 208 Rodeo resto.

We were enjoying our salads and exchanging pleasantly when guess who would come in presumably trying to be incognito, very beautiful even when unmade-up, wearing casuals and trailed by a nanny tugging a little boy. Yes, Jennifer Connelly! A few years ago, I saw Jennifer, wife of Paul Bettany (the albino in The Da Vinci Code and the subject of two previous interviews with The STAR), nursing a baby at the lobby of L’Ermitage Hotel, also in Beverly Hills, and I presumed that the boy in her company was that baby.

Not many people at the resto must have recognized Jennifer (leading lady of Australian actor Eric Bana in Hulk, directed by Ang Lee) who quietly settled in the farthest corner (from our table near the entrance).

We resisted the temptation to approach Jennifer and maybe have a picture with her. You don’t do that to Hollywood stars who prefer to be treated like ordinary mortals and left alone in their own space.

Giji was her usual bubbly self. During her heyday as a Villar Records contract artist, she recorded several albums and starred in a few movies. She was only 17 then. Her showbiz career was rudely interrupted when she fell in love with Boy Asistio whom she described as “the first man I ever went to bed with…my great love. Napakabait niya!”

Jennifer Connelly in a stolen shot at the resto.

After she broke up with Boy, Giji decided to migrate to the US. She has been there for more than three decades.

Giji has two children by Boy. She has a few grandchildren, two of them are here, one with Boy and his current love Nadia Montenegro and the other with former actress Veronica Jones (Boy’s ex and Jaclyn Jose’s older sister).

Up to now, Giji said that she and Boy are very good friends.

“My current husband, Vincent (Kocher, pronounced Ko-ker) knows that and he respects that. Napakabait din ni Vincent. I’m happy with him. I met Vincent in Manila during a Bible study. It was Katrina (Ponce-Enrile) who introduced us. Vincent’s brother is Katrina’s husband.”

Although she doesn’t miss showbiz, Giji does oblige invitations to sing in events hosted by kababayan.

“Sa awa ng Diyos, okey pa naman ang boses ko,” she said.

After dinner, we had the usual “family picture.” I zoomed in my Canon G-10 on Jennifer and took a stolen shot. A man’s arm partly covered Jennifer but I didn’t take another shot lest she complained.

When the waitress came with the bill, she let us in on what Jennifer ordered: Organic Mix Greens, Granny Smith Apple, Candied Pecan, Crumbled Goat Cheese and Grilled Chicken Breast with Red Wine Dressing, downed with red wine. Her bill: $18.

Oh well, thanks to the unwitting Jennifer for giving our dinner date a sprinkling of stardust.

My Waray kababayan Rose Katz and husband David Katz.

(P.S.: The next day, Raoul and I were treated to lunch by my Waray kababayan Rose Katz at Ivy restaurant, also in Beverly Hills, which is frequented by Hollywood stars. We were not lucky. That day, no stars showed up, only the paparazzi waiting in vain.)

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