Albert Martinez, 60, still defying his age

Playing an important role in the movie “The Housemaid,” a remake of an award-winning Korean film, is seasoned actor Albert Martinez who gives Kylie Verzosa her baptism of fire.

“It has an interesting story. It would be a big disappointment for me as an actor if I didn’t accept this project,” said the actor at the Zoom conference of the latest Vivamax offering.

“It is a role that will challenge you,” said Albert, who at 60, is a certified senior citizen but had to prepare himself to look young in the film as he is playing a 50-year-old.

If you happen to see Albert in person, he doesn’t look his age. He is physically fit and makes sure he keeps himself healthy and youthful at all times. A writer jokingly told the actor that he is probably a vampire because he still looks young and fresh.

“We owe it to our audience to look good always because our body is our most important asset as an actor. We always have to be fit and healthy so that we can do more roles and look credible in them,” the award-winning actor remarked.

Kylie was all praises for her amazing leading man. “He is very good and I know I had to be on my toes. I couldn’t afford to be complacent. I have to give my best in our scenes together,” the beauty queen said.

Albert also complimented Kylie, saying she delivered what the role demanded of her.

“The Housemaid”, now streaming on Vivamax, also stars Jaclyn Jose, Alma Moreno and Louise delos Reyes.

****

“I enjoyed working with them. They are both collaborative actors,” says award-winning filmmaker Adolf Alix, Jr. about Kelvin Miranda and Beauty Gonzales, lead stars of the upcoming GMA Network afternoon series “Loving Miss Bridgette.”

“Beauty tries to understand her character and does her homework. She tries to find out what the director wants and how best to show it,” added the director.

“With Kelvin, although he is still young in the business, you can see his passion and enthusiasm to act. He always asks questions especially because this is his first lead in an afternoon series.”

After getting good reviews in his first primetime show “The Lost Recipe,” Kelvin will strut his acting prowess anew in the afternoon block. Direk Adolf told Kelvin that the audience’s expectation for afternoon dramas is different from primetime shows.

According to Direk Adolf, he first worked with Kelvin in an epidode of “Wish Ko Lang” and with Beauty in the horror trilogy “Huwag Kang Lalabas.” He is happy to be reunited with the two actors.

****

The Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) will be postponing its onsite events for the Philippine Film Industry Gala Night and Elwood Perez Retrospective until further notice. Originally set to take place in the Manila Metropolitan Theatre in partnership with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), these events, as announced by the FDCP in its August 26 press conference, will be deferred to a later date in light of the rising Covid-19 cases in Metro Manila.

In the meantime, the agency announced that it will still be holding the “Philippine Film Industry Month Gala Night” and “50 Years / 50 Films: An Elwood Perez Film Retrospective Gala Night” at its FDCP Channel online platform on Sept.12 and Sept. 25, respectively.

The Gala Night will be a celebration of our film heritage and the journey of Philippine Cinema and will be streamed at 6 pm at the FDCP Channel. It will be hosted by Kakki Teodoro and will feature a performance by acclaimed artists Isay Alvarez and Robert Seña.

It will be followed by a special premiere screening of the newly restored film “Dalagang Ilocana” directed by Olive la Torre. The film was produced by Sampaguita Pictures and stars Gloria Romero, Ric Rodrigo and the King of Comedy, Dolphy. It was initially digitized by the Korean Film Archive and was restored by FDCP through the Central Digital Lab last year.