Will the son also rise?

Last thing Funfare asked Jolo Estrada during a 15-minute exclusive Zoom interview was what three words best described him.

1. God-fearing. 2. Daring. 3. Honest.

He proved it by answering the rest of the questions with daringness and honesty, with no holds barred and without mincing words. A dream interviewee, far more vocal than most actors who are defensive (trying to cover up something) and evasive (trying to divert the topic) when the interview veers towards the personal.

Since he was born into a showbiz-cum-politics clan, Jolo can’t be considered a showbiz greenhorn even if he is a Johnny-come-lately who joined showbiz rather late (in his late 20s), eight years after he appeared in Ang Tatay Kong Sexy that starred his father, former Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, and Maja Salvador. He now belongs to Leo Dominguez’s stable of stars.

Come to think of it, sexy ba talaga ang tatay niya?

“Hmmm, yes, medyo pumayat siya. Just enough. Hindi naman sobra.”

An Entrepreneurship graduate from Enderun Colleges, Jolo is an inter-biking and boxing instructor. He’s the second among Jinggoy’s four children, coming after Janelle (one-time vice mayor of San Juan City), and before Julian and Jill. Like his siblings and dozens of cousins, Jolo was nurtured with the movies of his father and his grandfather, former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada, whom he looks up to as role models.

So how would he rate his Lolo Erap on a scale of 1 to 10?

“10/10, definitely!”

What about his dad?

“9.5. Oops, he might get angry, hahaha!!!”

Why enter showbiz and not jump into the political arena?

“Right now, I don’t see myself as a politician. I want to focus on showbiz.”

When he told Jinggoy that he was ready for showbiz, all Jinggoy said was, “You are 27. You can decide for your life and your career. Me and your mom (Precy Vitug) are just here to support you. It’s all up to you if that’s what you want. Go ahead, why not?”

Asked which three actresses he would like to work with, Jolo named Ivana Alawi, Angelica Panganiban and Bea Alonzo. The first (whom he hasn’t met) because he’s fascinated with her and the other two because they are good in any role they play.

Told that there are all sorts of temptations in showbiz, he said, “There’s temptation everywhere. It depends on how you handle it.”

He recalled having resisted some and succumbed to only one...so far.

“The reverse happened. It was the girl (non-showbiz) who courted me. She said, ‘Come on, it’s 2019; times have changed. It doesn’t matter now who is the one courting. Girls can now court boys that they want.’ She initiated it...and it happened.”

Jolo described his family as God-fearing.

“We hear Mass together. As you know, the Ejercitos (and Estradas) are closely-knit. We visit our grandparents every Sunday and have lunch with them.”

We did a “body talk.”

A health buff, Jolo makes sure that he counts his calories.

What kind of diet does he follow?

“A balanced diet.”

What workout does he do and how often does he do it?

“I work out every day. That’s aside from my job as an inter-biking and boxing instructor.”

Part of his body that needs improvement?

“A few parts.”

Favorite part of his body?

“My lips. Medyo makapal. ‘Yon ang unang napapansin sa akin ng nga tao.”

Favorite part of a girl’s body?

“Her eyes.”

How much water does he consume every day?

“Around four to five liters. That’s about 10 to 12 glasses, even more because I perspire a lot when working out.”

Does he get enough sleep?

“At the start of the pandemic, I had a hard time getting some sleep. Nahirapan talaga ako matulog. I would sleep at 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. and then wake up early. But since I’ve been working out regularly, things are okay na. I would sleep at around 11 p.m. and wake up at 9 a.m.”

Favorite sleepwear?

“Tank top and Boxers.”

Does he ever sleep in the nude?

“I have my own room so, yes, I do sometimes. But I get cold easily so I don’t do it often.”

Last thing that he does before he goes to sleep?

“Watch Tiktok videos and Netflix.”

Last Netflix series that he has watched?

“Bling Empire.” (Aside: Funfare watches it, too. Very interesting! It’s about the fabulous lifestyle of the rich and famous Chinese in America. Crazy rich Asians in the U.S. of A.)

First thing that he does as soon as he wakes up?

“Check my phone, brush my teeth and work out.”

How does he deal with stress (music, movies, massage or meditation)?

“All of the above. I prefer tropical music. Makes me feel like dinuduyan-duyan ako. The most effective stress-buster is working out. It gives me happy hormones.”

Favorite hideaway?

“The beach. Doing water sports. Just listening to the waves is so relaxing.”

Sexiest fantasy?

“Doing it on the beach.”

Sexiest thing he has done to himself?

“Standing naked in front of the mirror, hahaha!!!”

Sexiest thing he has done with somebody?

“Doing Magic Mike in front of a girl, with nothing on. She liked it! Hahaha!!!”

Three girls that he finds sexy?

“Ivana Alawi (again!). Pia Wurtzbach. And my friend Nadine Lustre.”

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)