Sef is happy but not gay(!)

Almost two weeks after he was named Best Comedy Actor (for the GMA gag show Bubble Gang) by the 28th Star Awards for TV of the PMPC (Philippine Movies Press Club), Sef Cadayona still can’t believe that it was possible. Who could have predicted that he would beat such big-time co-nominees as Vic Sotto (for GMA’s Vampire Ang Daddy Ko), John Lloyd Cruz (ABS-CBN’s Home Sweetie Home) and Michael V. (GMA’s Pepito Manaloto)?

“Not me!” said Sef, and neither, I guess, did any of the child actors Harvey Bautista, Bugoy Carino and Clarence Delgado (all for ABS-CBN’s Goin’ Bulilit) who also competed for the same award. It’s Sef’s third award. The first was for Breakthrough Performance By An Actor (for Gayak, an entry in the New Wave category of the Metro Filmfest); and the second, Best Supporting Actor (for Bubble Gang), from the Golden Screen Awards of ENPRESS (Entertainment Press Society).

In April next year, Sef will be celebrating his second anniversary with Bubble Gang now into its 19th top-rating year unbeaten by the competition, brazenly copied but never equaled. (Trivia: We watch it in the office Friday nights while closing the pages or at home when we finish work early.) He’s hilariously funny (and quite credible) in a character that he described as “extremely gay,” a role once avoided by actors especially those over-protective of their sexual preference.

“The first time I played a gay character, na medyo ‘mild’ at hindi ‘extreme,’ was in Dream Of My Life with Kris (Bernal), directed by Mark Reyes,” explained Sef. “It was my second teleserye.”

Who were his role models for the character?

“Si Mang Dolphy in Ang Tatay Kong Nanay,” revealed Sef. “I have a DVD copy of that movie (directed by Lino Brocka) and I’ve watched it several times. Pinag-aralan ko talaga ng mabuti. But when people noticed that my portrayal was Dolphing-Dolphy, I decided to change it a bit. I started observing our make-up artists and studying them…kung paano ang pitik ng daliri, ‘yung tawa nila at ‘yung mannerisms. My other favorite Dolphy movies are Facifica Falayfay and Fefita Fofonggay. Tito Joey (de Leon) is also my favorite comedian, and Kuya Bitoy (Michael V.) who is not only a talented comedian but also a talent writer.”

His gay character seems to have become second skin to him. Isn’t he worried that he might turn out to be one off camera?

Laughed Sef, “Ang nanay ko, worried na,” adding without a doubt, “pero hindi naman.” In fact, if it proves (or disproves) anything, Sef said that he has had several girlfriends. “Correction po,” he hastened to clarify, “hindi po several, dalawa lang po, charot!” one of them Yassi Pressman. Did Yassi know that they were “on”? Sef answered with a straight face, “Sa palagay ko saka lang niya nalaman nang nagkahiwalay kami, hahahaha! Now I am single…and available.”

His full name is John Paul Joseph Cadayona, which took him time to write down in grade school at Maris School in Quezon City. Then, the family moved to Las Pinas where Sef finished high school at Divine Knight Academy. He graduated with a Media Arts degree (major in Broadcasting) from San Beda College Alabang.

A product of the GMA talent search StarStruck 2010 edition (last batch with Steven Silva, the winner, and Sarah Lahbati), Sef appeared in Ilumina, Time Of My Life (also with Kris Bernal), Alice Bungisngis (with Bea Binene) and Mundo Mo’y Akin, playing non-gay roles.

He is in the cast of the trilogy My Big Bossing, a 2014 Metro FilmFest entry starring Vic Sotto (who is co-producing it with OctoArts Films and APT Entertainment) and Ryzza Mae Dizon.

But it was in the Selecta Corneto commercial that he caught the attention of the public, casting him as a guy given P20 and asked to do whatnots. That was his first “starring” commercial after nine others, which was such a hit that nine more versions followed after the first.

The Cadayonas come from Laguna but Sef grew up in the big city.

“I am an only child, so my childhood was medyo malungkot,” he confessed. “As I grew up, I only had my mom with me. She was a single mom at kaming dalawa lang talaga ang palaging magkasama. She was working as a secretary in a company and when she was away, she would leave me with my lola. I am a Lola’s Boy. Sa lola ko ako lumaki.”

Then, his mom (who separated from Sef’s dad when Sef was a toddler), remarried.

“From my lola’s place, I moved in with my mom and my stepfather who works at a company that rents out equipment for events. I wouldn’t say that my life than was hard; I would rather say that my life was really ‘challenged’ when I was in Grade 4 until I finished college.”

Now 25, Sef saw his biological father five years ago after a long time.

“Saka lang siya nagpakita sa akin when he saw me on TV. I was just starting at that time.”

Aware that showbiz is not forever, Sef is saving up and preparing himself for other pursuits like scriptwriting.

“I can’t be playing gay forever,” he admitted. “This year, didn’t you notice that so many actors are doing becki (gay) roles, pati mga leading men? I still want to do gay roles na hindi lang pang-comedy, ‘yung medyo serious na may leksyon na maibabahagi sa manood at may family values, like the one played by Mang Dolphy in Ang Tatay Kong Nanay. But I want naman to widen my choices. I think I should start writing scripts next year.”

Christmas this year will be different from the past ones. 2014 has been a lucky year for Sef and he has a good reason to celebrate.

“It’s a grand family reunion for us,” he wished, “and I hope my relatives, most of them are abroad, will come home. I owe it to my mom (who has quit working) because from way back, kaming dalawa ang talagang magkasama.”

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