Gabby Concepcion sparks ’Gabbymania!’ at ABS-CBN; will do teleserye, films for Star Cinema

By RAMIL DIGAL GULLE
abs-cbnNEWS.com

Are we seeing just the beginning of Gabbymania?  Less than 24 hours since actor Gabby Concepcion set foot in the Philippines on Sunday--for the first time in 13 years --he already sent fans and production staff a-screaming when he came to ABS-CBN.

He sparked a mini-stampede at the studio where The Buzz was airing live, and even the usually grimly serious staff at the ABS-CBN central news desk--women and men--were reduced to a frenzy of giggles and digicam-and-cellphone cam-flashing when he dropped by the news room.

Concepcion confirmed in his interview over The Buzz on Sunday that he already spoke to Malou Santos, managing director of Star Cinema (the film production outfit of ABS-CBN) and he was already offered two film projects.

He added that ABS-CBN has also offered him a teleserye.

It is undeniable proof of Concepcion’s star power--his thirteen years away from show business notwithstanding. Thirteen years away from show business seem to have done very little to diminish Concepcion’s romantic leading man looks.

In fact, The Buzz host Boy Abunda’s first question to the actor at the interview was, "Bakit ang guwapo mo (Why are you so good-looking)?" Concepcion had to pause for a beat and mumbled something about genetics.

Indeed, the actor is several pounds heavier and age is already evident on the face that was first discovered some two decades ago as a model for a toothpaste commercial.

But his winning smile and finely-chiseled features remain. Whatever roughness that maturity and hardships have etched on his once boyishly handsome features only seems to have heightened his appeal.

Comeback
Concepcion left the country in 1995, several months after the 1994 Manila Film Festival scandal where he returned his Best Actor trophy after it was found out that the real winner of the award was, in fact, Edu Manzano.

Concepcion was the one who blew the whistle on his then manager Lolit Solis, whom he tagged as the mastermind behind an attempt to fraudulently proclaim him and then young actress Ruffa Gutierrez as the winners in the Best Actor and Best Actress categories.

"Nung umalis ako nung ’95, nilagay ko na yon sa likod ko (When I left in ’95 I left everything behind me. Yon, sabi ko I think I need to move on. Not everyone has the chance to succeed in show business. I felt I had my time)," he told Abunda.

In the United States, Concepcion used whatever savings he had from his very successful Philippine showbiz career to study at Lincoln University. He finished two degrees simultaneously then went into the real-estate business. He eventually became one of the top ten real estate brokers in the US state of California.

He said that for the longest time, he was dead set on never returning to the Philippines.

"Ayaw ko na sana bumalik. Maraming nangyari. Nasaktan ako. Hindi ko na rin naisip na babalik akong Pilipinas," he told Abunda.

(I never wanted to come back. Too much had happened. I was very hurt. I never thought of coming back to the Philippines)

Concepcion said that he felt compelled to return for the sake of his father Rolly, who is suffering from a heart condition. It has become serious enough for his father to become wheelchair-bound.

"Dumami ang dahilan kung bakit kailangan kong umuwi. Dahil sa ama ko. Maysakit na siya sa puso. Hindi ko pwedeng sabihin sa sarili ko na well ganyan ang buhay. Idadasal ko na lang. Pag may nangyari sa kanya hindi ko mapapatawad ang sarili ko," he said.

(The compelling reasons for me to come back piled up. My dad has heart disease. I can’t just tell myself that that’s life and then pray about it. If anything happens to him I won’t be able to forgive myself.)

Concepcion also clarified an issue of his supposed welching on a contract with GMA Films for a movie with Jolina Magdangal. The actor said that he is still committed to the project, except that there’s "slight conflict" that has to be resolved.

The actor also admitted that part of the "slight conflict" is the emphasis that the movie would place on him. He explained that since any film he would do with GMA would be his comeback movie, he would want such a film to have greater focus on him.

"Maraming dahilan eh. Kung ito nga ay magiging comeback. it has to be a comeback kasi kung hindi ko magiging comeback, bakit ko gagawin?" he said.

(There are several reasons. If this would be a comeback for me, it has to really be a comeback. Because if it isn’t, why would I bother doing it?)

The actor then said that he already spoke with the GMA Films executives and clarified that he is still honoring his contract for the movie with Magdangal.

Movie with KC and Sharon?
Concepcion also expressed great interest in someday making a movie with his ex-wife Sharon Cuneta, his daughter KC or a movie with all three of them together.

"Sharon has been part of my life. Of course I’d like to do a movie with her. I’d love to do a movie with KC.  She’s my daughter after all. Sharon is the mother of my daughter; it would be nice if we could do something together.

"Maraming intrigang papasok dyan. Katulad nga ng sabi ni Sharon paglalaruan lang. Pero kung maiiwasan natin yan why not, you know?  Gumawa tayo, ipakita natin sa tao, tutal yon ang gusto nila," he said.

(I know there would be a lot of intrigues. Like what Sharon said, some people could just make a circus out of the whole thing. But if we could find a way to prevent that from happening, why not? Let’s make the movie because that’s what people would love to see.)

Concepcion also said that he’s very happy about his coming projects with ABS-CBN although there aren’t any specifics as of yet. "I’m very excited about the projects kasi, I know kung paano gumawa ang Channel 2 (I know how good Channel 2 is at that sort of thing)."

Peace with Lolit
He also revealed that he is now on good terms with his former manager Lolit Solis. He said that he and Solis patched things up in Las Vegas, when they both went there to watch Manny Pacquiao’s last fight.

"Wala na kaming tampuhan ni Lolit. In fact, nagkita kami sa Las Vegas. Nagulat nga ako na lumapit sya sa akin. Nag-usap kami na-settle namin yon on the spot.  Sabi niya, "O sige bati na tayo. Pahingi ng 100 dollars.’  Buti meron akong 100 dollars. Kung hindi baka hindi pa kami nag-bati," he said, laughing.

(There’s no more bad blood between me and Lolit. If fact, we met in Las Vegas. I was surprised that she approached me. We talked and settled everything on the spot. She said, "We’re okay now. Now give me a hundred dollars. Good thing I had a hundred dollars on me or else we wouldn’t have patched things up.)

Abunda then asked if Concepcion is aware whether his ex-wife still has any gripes or grudge against him.

"Meron nga ba? Well, siguro sa mga naririnig natin noon may galit siya sa akin. But that’s all in the past. Kung ano man ang kasalanang nagawa ko sa kanya o kahit kanino, nandito ako para humingi ng pagpapatawad. So let’s put all the issues behind us now. I’m not here para mang-intriga. Nandirito ako to start a new life," he replied.

(Does she really? Well, before I used to hear from others that she’s angry at me. But that’s all in the past. Whatever mistakes I made, whomever I offended before whether it’s Sharon or someone else, I’m here to ask for forgiveness. I want to start a new life.)

Humbling lesson
The actor told Abunda that his experience of going from a showbiz superstar to hitting rock-bottom in the United States was a very humbling one.

"On my part, the United States is very humbling. Dun ako natutong wala kang alalay. Wala kang kasama ikaw gagawa lahat. Walang tutulong sa iyo maliban ang sarili mo. Dun ko nakita na sadsad ka pero babangon ka rin dahil sa sarili mong gawa. Yun mapagpagaralan mo yon. Mangyayari lang yon at mararamdaman mo lang yon pag napadpad ka don."

(It was in United States that I learned to live life without any assistants. Over there you have to do everything yourself. No one will help you except yourself. I experienced what it’s like to fall on your face and then get up again using your own hard work. You’ll learn that only when you go through it and feel it when you find yourself in that same place.)

He also thanked all the Filipinos in the United States who helped him out when he was starting to build his own life, away from the glamour, fame and comforts of a showbiz career.

"Mahaba ang 13 years. Unang-una gusto kong magpasalamat sa kapwa Pilipino natin na nasa Amerika na nagtiwala sa akin nung ako’y pumasok sa real estate. Sila rin ang tumatawag at sila rin ang napagbebentahan ko. At pinagkatiwalaan nila ako. Sino ba itong artista na ito na may nalalalaman sa real estate?  Pinagkatiwalaan nila ako," he said.

(Thirteen years is a long time. I give my thanks first to all our fellow Filipinos in America who trusted me when I went into real estate. They were the ones who called on me and they were the ones I sold property to. And they trusted me. I mean, it was good of them to give a chance to an actor who claimed to know about real estate. They trusted me.) more chica