Why Dingdong Dantes finds it hard to give advice to aspiring actors
Dingdong Dantes was honest enough to admit that he found it hard to dispense advice to aspiring actors despite being more than qualified to do so.
The STAR asked GMA Network’s top male star, who has dedicated more than half of his life to the Philippine entertainment industry, about what advice could he give to budding and emerging artists, actors, entertainers, especially at this time when the media landscape, platforms and audience’s preferences have changed.
“You know, okay, it’s difficult to answer that because I don’t think I’m in a position to really give specific advice to aspiring actors and maybe also to the younger generation when it comes to this. I do not have control over how they will interpret (things) because the circumstances might be different if they do it tomorrow versus how I did it in the past and how I’m doing it now,” the 43-year-old actor said in an interview after his contract renewal with long-time home network GMA.
“Pero ang pwede ko lang sabihin ay kung ano yung nako-control ko ngayon at yun ay syempre maganda na meron kang appreciation sa mga nagbibigay sayo ng opportunity. In my case, I’m always grateful that GMA has opened its doors to me. GMA has given me a platform to showcase whatever I have. And in my case, it’s the ability to act, with television as the platform, para po makapag-(portray) ako ng mga roles. So, yun lang naman ang kaya kong ma-control — to be the best performer that I can be.
“On the personal side, what I can control is to become the best dad, the best actor, or the best husband that I can be, right? That’s all I can do but how they interpret it, that’s up to them because, again, their circumstances will be different. But I hope whatever it is, I know and I’m sure that you will be way better than whatever you’re saying right now — hindi lang sa akin kundi sa mga contemporaries ko.”
Dingdong has been with GMA for 28 years now, counting the years since he first set foot on stage as a dancer, not yet an actor, via the late German Moreno’s “That’s Entertainment” show.
“Mas nag-reminisce ako dun dahil yun yung first opportunity that was given to me to really perform and I had a feeling at that time, at 16 years old, na baka maaaring hindi pa tayo sure sa gusto nating gawin but because I was having this feeling of excitement of performing on stage, ito talaga yung gusto ko gawin forever. And true enough, I was able to prove that this is really my dream job. So, I’m happy to be here, stepping on the same stage again.”
The actor never thought he’d last long in this business. “No, not really… But because now I’m looking at opportunities like this, things like this (contract renewal, etc.), as chapters,” he said.
“So clearly when I was starting — that story about me dancing — it was a very important chapter in my life and so many other chapters followed after that. There’s the entry into television, films, and hosting. Even my personal life, a lot of it is connected to GMA.” So, according to him, the “cycle” has restarted with a new chapter in his professional life and relationship with the network.
Through the years, Dingdong said he never came to a point of being tempted or entertaining the idea of shifting networks.
“I don’t even remember na umabot din sa sa ganun but ang ganda kasi ng working relationship namin ng GMA. Our relationship is very clear — me as a collaborator, I’m here as a talent and at the same time, this is what I appreciate about GMA because they are genuinely concerned and interested in the personal and career growth of every talent.
“Like with me, meaning, kung saan ako pwede pang mag-grow sa ibang larangan. For example, they permitted me to make a film with other producers, other networks,” he said.
One example is him co-producing and co-starring with his wife Marian Rivera in the ABS-CBN Star Cinema film “Rewind,” which went on to become the highest-grossing Filipino movie of all time.
“They allow that because they see the value in it, you know, it’s really for the benefit of that person, that talent. That’s something I’m really grateful for. So, kaya minsan hindi naman kinakailangan na yung dapat dito, dapat dyan, because they are very lenient and that’s really what they want, for each talent to grow. I am grateful.”
Dingdong teased new projects following his grand contract renewal dubbed as D-Day or Dingdong Day, including hosting “The Voice Kids Philippines” and a movie with GMA Pictures.
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