Kapuso Stars

Pumanaw na ang mister ni Camille Prats na si Anthony Linsangan kaninang 8:45 ng umaga, September 23, sa Makati Medical Center. Ayon sa manager ni Camille na si Arnold Vegafria, "nasopharyngeal cancer" ang ikinasanhi ng pagkamatay ni Anthony. He was 31.

Ang nasopharyngeal cancer, ayon sa medicinenet.com, "is a disease in which malignant [cancer] cells form in the tissues of the nasopharynx [upper part of the throat]." Ayon pa sa nakuhang impormasyon ng Philippine Entertainment Portal), na-comatose daw si Anthony kahapon pagkatapos nitong mag-seizure. ANTHONY LINSANGAN. Ipinanganak si Anthony C. Linsangan noong October 12, 1979 sa Tondo, Manila.

Nagtapos siya ng B.S. Computer Science sa AMA Computer University-Makati. Sa naturang unibersidad din niya itinatag ang Wheels Auto Performance noong February 6, 2000, sa tulong ng kanyang kaibigan na si Christian V. Moises.

Pero walong taon ang lumipas, sarili naman niyang pamilya ang binuo ni Anthony. Ito'y nang ganapin ang civil wedding nila ng dating child star na si Camille Prats noong Enero 5, 2008, sa Los Angeles, California.

At dalawampung araw lamang ang lumipas matapos ang kanilang civil wedding ay isinilang ang anak nila na si Nathaniel Caesar P. Linsangan.

 Dalawang taon matapos manganak ni Camille Prats, ginanap naman ang church wedding nila rito sa Pilipinas.

Naganap ito noong March 5, 2010 sa Santuario de San Antonio sa McKinley Road, Forbes Park, Makati City.

 Ngunit sa loob pa lamang ng tatlong taong pagsasama ng mag-asawa, isang mabigat na pagsubok na ang dumating sa kanilang buhay. Kumalat ang mga usap-usapan na may sakit si Anthony.

Ngunit, nanatiling tahimik tungkol dito si Camille sampu ng kanilang pamilya. Hanggang noong nakaraang buwan, kinumpirma ni Camille Prats sa PEP sa thanksgiving presscon ng Munting Heredera na may sakit nga ang kanyang asawa.

 Ngunit, tumangging magbigay ng anumang detalye ang aktres sa kalagayan ni Anthony. Ngayong araw, September 23, sumakabilang-buhay na si Anthony dahil sa sakit na cancer.

 Ang mga labi ni Anthony ay ibuburol sa Heritage Park Chapel sa Taguig City. Sa kasalukuyan, nakikiusap ang pamilya Linsangan-Prats na respetuhin muna ang kanilang privacy sa oras na ito ng kanilang pagdadalamhati.

MONA Louise Rey, who plays the title role in “Munting Heredera.” celebrated her 7th birthday last Friday with the show’s cast members. Mark Anthony Fernandez and Camille Prats who play her parents in the show both wish her the best for her career “and don’t change, huwag sanang lalaki ang ulo mo.” Their director, Maryo de los Reyes, prayed that may she get her wish to win a best child actress award.

Other co-stars like Gloria Romero, Roderick Paulate and tot co-stars Barbara Miguel and Kyle Ocampo also expressed their love and well wishes for her. Mona really has reason to celebrate as “Munting Heredera” continues to rate very high that it’s been extended for yet another month.

All's well that ends well between Dennis and Mother Lily.

Maganda ang naging pagsisimula ng taon para sa young actor na si Dennis Trillo. Nauna na itong nakipagbati ni Mother Lily Monteverde noong January 24 sa Imperial Palace Suites.

Bago kasi natapos ang 2006 ay nagkaroon ng tampuhan sa pagitan nina Dennis, ang manager nitong si Popoy Caritativo at si Mother Lily nang hindi matuloy ang paglabas ng young actor sa Mano Po 5. Ang buong-akala kasi nina Dennis at Popoy ay si Dennis ang magiging kapareha ni Angel Locsin sa 2006 Metro Manila Film Festival entry, pero nagulat sila nang ibigay ni Mother Lily ang role kay Richard Gutierrez.

Noong January 24 ay sinorpresa nina Dennis at Popoy si Mother Lily sa Imperial Palace Suites, na pag-aari ng Regal matriarch. Kasama noon ni Mother Lily ang kanyang Wednesday Club (isang grupo na binubuo ng mga iba't ibang tao mula sa entertainment industry). Nagkataon namang nagpapamasahe si Mother Lily nang dumating sina Dennis at Popoy kaya hindi agad nakita ng nakadapang movie producer ang dalawa. Nilapitan at binigyan ng mga bulaklak ni Dennis si Mother Lily bilang hudyat ng pakikipag-ayos niya rito.

"Love ko naman talaga si Mother [Lily] ever since dahil ang laki talaga ng utang na loob namin sa kanya. Isa siya sa mga nagbigay ng malalaking breaks sa akin sa pelikula," pahayag ni Dennis sa panayam ng PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) sa press conference ng Super Twins last February 5.

(Ang kauna-unahang pelikula ni Dennis ay ang Aishite Imasu noong 2004 na nagbigay kay Dennis ng maraming acting awards.)

Paliwanag ni Dennis, "Kaya naman kami nanahimik din ng ganung katagal dahil sa sobrang pagmamahal namin sa kanya. Ayaw naming magsalita anything against her. So pinalipas namin lahat hanggang sa dumating yung [tamang] panahon. Tampuhan lang yun ng anak at ina."

Dagdag pa niya, "Kahit anong tampuhan naman talaga, hindi mo naman kailangang patagalin. Meron ding pagkakaintindihan. Kailangang simulan nating fresh yung taon. Mahirap magtrabaho na mayroon kang hinanakit na nararamdaman."

Sa ngayon ay inihahanda na ni Mother Lily ang susunod na pelikula ni Dennis sa Regal Entertainment.


VALENTINE'S DAY. Bagama't malapit na ang Valentine's day, wala pa raw plano si Dennis.

"Valentine's ko? Hindi pa malinaw ngayon dahil puro trabaho talaga, lalo na magsisimula na yung Super Twins. Kung malibre... Pero kung abutan ako ng Valentine's sa trabaho, okay lang din," sabi ni Dennis, na napakatahimik pagdating sa kanyang pribadong buhay. Ngunit bulung-bulungan sa apat na sulok ng showbiz na si Dennis at ang Bb. Pilipinas World 2005 na si Carlene Aguilar pa rin hanggang ngayon.

ANGEL LOCSIN. Ngayong single ulit si Angel Locsin pagkatapos makipaghiwalay sa boyfriend nitong si Oyo Sotto, tinanong si Dennis kung may balak ba siyang ituloy ang panliligaw kay Angel. Matatandaang habang ginagawa nila noon ang Mulawin ay nagkaroon ng "mutual understanding" sina Dennis at Angel, ngunit hindi rin ito nagbunga ng mas malalim na relasyon.

"Ayoko namang makialam. Kahit papaano, kaibigan ko si Oyo. Ayokong manghimasok kaagad. Sa ngayon, ayokong pumasok sa sitwasyon na hindi ko kayang i-handle e," safe na sagot ni Dennis.

Pagpapatuloy pa niya, "Ayoko namang pilitin, 'di ba? Hindi ko pa masasabi. ‘Pag nagkaroon na lang ng pagkakataon. Sobrang busy kasi siya [Angel]."

May nararamdaman pa ba siya kay Angel?


"Siyempre naman," pag-amin ni Dennis. "Kasi kahit na hindi umubra yung sa amin noon, ang magandang nangyari dun—na-develop yung rapport namin, at the same time, yung pagkakaibigan namin—kaya walang problema dun."

Bukod sa Mulawin ay nagtambal din sina Dennis at Angel sa mga fantaserye ng GMA-7 na Darna at Majika, at sa horror flick na TXT.

Sa Super Twins naman, na magsisimula sa February 12, ay ginagampanan ni Dennis ang papel ni Eliseo na siyang magiging mentor ng mga batang sina Sha-sha (Nicole Dulalia) at Tin-Tin (Ella Cruz). Kasama ni Dennis dito sina Jennylyn Mercado, Nadine Samonte, Patrick Garcia, Camille Prats, Bianca King, Tanya Garcia, Marian Rivera, at marami pang iba.

Most people knew her as the “McJelly Trio Girl” last year, before she made that big leap from McDonald’s poster girl to Captain Barbell’s arms. But this 16-year old half-British is far from ambiguity right now. As one of the newest stars on GMA’s primetime slot, she proves that there’s more to her than just a pretty face. She’s not just the “McJelly Trio Girl” anymore. Now people know her name. It’s time we took a closer look at Rhian Denise Ramos Howell.

“It was my very first commercial, and it was a lead part pa kasi kaagad in the commercial, so napansin (nila) kaagad ako” said Rhian referring to the GMA Artist Center executives who were looking for two girls to play Leah and Kit for Captain Barbell. “So, yun, they asked Artist Center to find me, tinawagan nila ako, they were saying na we’re holding auditions for the part of Leah and Kit for Captain Barbell. So I auditioned for both. Actually, every girl there auditioned for both. It just turned out na mas-bagay si Camille maging Kit, tapos ako, mas bagay maging Leah. So yun, I got the part!”

Although Rhian felt the stark difference between modeling and acting, saying that “In commercials, if you do something wrong, you can do it like, 50 times more,” the acting workshop she attended for Captain Barbell helped a lot, although it was only for two days.

Rhian shares that the hard part about being in the workshop was “they taught me how to get in touch with my emotions, kasi, di ba, usually, to be able to live life, you sometimes block off the negative emotions so that you’re fine. Pero when you’re acting, you have to accept it all. You have to remove all the blocks that you put on those. So that was hard, to get in touch with all the negative emotions, like, you know, sadness and anger.”

“Actually hindi ko masyadong napapansin yung difference,” says Rhian of her celebrity status. “Parang sa tingin ko, this is my new school. Parang all the tapings, I just treat it like it’s my new school. Parang nagpalit lang ako. And people don’t really treat me differently, especially my friends, they’re still makulit, they still treat me the same.” Rhian, who is on her junior year at La Salle Zobelle, will start home schooling this year.

In Mars Ravelo’s Captain Barbell, Rhian plays Leah, Teng’s childhood friend and love interest. “(Teng and I) grew up together, I mean, we were best friends when we were little kids. For some reason, I moved to Canada with my tita, then I studied there, but I came back for fourth year high school. And then when I came back, pareho yung school namin ni Teng, tapos doon na lang kami nagkita ulit. ‘Yun, we got close again, then we became good friends again.”

While Leah may be meek and soft spoken, Rhian is bubbly and full of life. She describes herself as “hyper,” and “makulit,” and says that she wants to try action roles in the future. “I wanna be a superhero too! So if ever they have left over superheroes to be played, I’m right here!” she says.

It cannot be denied that Richard and Rhian have great chemistry onscreen, which Rhian attributes to their being friends when the camera isn’t rolling. “Because off-screen we’re good friends as well, I guess that helps also, the chemistry onscreen. And we hang out, and you know, and ever since the workshop pa lang, he’s been really friendly, and he’s been helping me out with the acting and everything.”

We all know who Leah’s type is onscreen, but what’s the kind of guy that Rhian may fall for in real life? “My ideal guy is tall dark and handsome!” she says with a big grin. And what’s her number one requirement? “Before anything can happen between me and a guy, I have to make sure that he’s my best friend, parang we have to have that relationship first. So he has to be playful, funny, you know?”

Just because Rhian is a newcomer doesn’t mean she’s not prepared for the risks of showbiz. She knows there will be controversies to come, and she’s realistic enough to face its challenges. “You always have to bring something new to the table. I mean, if you always play it safe, then what’s gonna be new about you, what’s interesting?” Rhian says she’s prepared to be controversial, as long as it’s nothing too negative. “Just to show who I am, what I’m about,” she adds.

So what else is there to watch out for in Captain B? She mysteriously says “Oh, a lot of things” before going on with “Well, there are new faces! And the special effects are new, and they’re more realistic now, because they’re more advanced. They have really good actors and actresses Camille, and Richard, and Ryan, and also, the script is really, really awesome. Actually, everything about it is really great. We all work together to make it as best as we can.”

Catch TV’s new “It Girl” Rhian Ramos as she plays Leah to Richard’s Teng, on Mars Ravelo’s Captain Barbell after 24 Oras!

Source: iGMA.TV

Being in showbiz was the last thing in Rhian Denise Ramos’s mind. However reluctant she may initially have been, the acting bug still bit and took hold. Now the Welsh mestiza is Leah in the TV incarnation of the Mars Ravelo classic, Captain Barbell.

"A reluctant actress" is how Rhian Denise Ramos describes herself. The bubbly young lady who plays the role of Leah in the TV series Captain Barbell wouldn't be an actress right now if she had her way.

"If my father (Gareth Howell) could go back in time and tell me again that I would be playing Leah in Captain Barbell, I would playfully punch him," laughs Rhian. Despite her initial "no," her folks were insistent and finally convinced her to just give it a try.

"An opportunity like that doesn't come very often," Rhian's mom and dad told her. Fortunately, the young lady decided to follow their advice, to the delight of many fans today.

Getting The Call

"I was noticed because of my commercial for McDonald's," narrates the 16-year-old Rhian, who's half-Welsh. At that time, executives from the GMA Artist Center were looking for two actresses to play either Leah or Kit for the Captain Barbell series.

The network people were discussing the possibility of signing up Rhian for either of the two roles when, at this point, another GMA executive quickly asked, "Are you sure?"

As it turned out, the GMA executive was Rhian's aunt. Quite understandably, the latter had her misgivings because she knew it wouldn't look good for either of them if her niece got a role in a GMA-7 show. People could talk about Rhian snagging the role through nepotism, the aunt thought. And true enough, rumors to that effect went around after Rhian was cast as Leah.

“They’re only saying that because they (the rumormongers) didn’t talk to me about it.” Rhian asserts. “One of them just got in touch with me, saying that there were people looking for me.”

Rhian concedes that more rumors about her will make the rounds, but she has no choice but to grin and bear it. “Nasa showbiz na ko,” she equips. “Anyway, most intriga that come out aren't true."

The Audition

Rhian goes on to say that she still had second thoughts even as she tried for the roles of Leah and Kit.

"Although I agreed to go to the audition, a part of me didn't want to go," she relates. "I didn't read the script. I just glanced through it because I really didn't want to go through the whole thing. I ad-libbed na lang because I knew what the script was about, anyway."

To this day, she still expresses surprise on why she was cast as Leah. "Maybe because I wasn't nervous or anything," says Rhian. "I remember that I got along with them really well."

Rhian adds that the choice for Leah came down to between Camille Prats and her. "Camille was eventually cast as Kit because mas bagay sa kanya, so I ended up with Leah." In the series, Leah is the childhood friend and love interest of Teng (Capt. Barbell's alter ego).

Rhian, as Leah, now appears on TV regularly, alongside hot young actor Richard Gutierrez, who plays the lead role of Capt. Barbell.

Also in the cast are veteran actors Richard Gomez, Snooky Serna, Ricky Davao, Jackie Lou Blanco and Gloria Sevilla, together with young talents Patrick Garcia, Camille Prats, JC de Vera, Ryan Yllana, and Ms. Sunshine Dizon.

The show also has Dante Rivero, lan Veneracion, Paolo Bediones and Pinky Amador in special roles. Completing the cast are Rez Cortez, John Regala, Ryan Eigenmann, Jeremy Marquez, Ces Quesada, Dexter Doria and Melissa Avelino.

Dominic Zapata and Mike Tuvierra direct the series.


Learning To Act

Making the jump from acting in a commercial and being in a regular TV series was no walk in the park.

"In a commercial, it's okay to have several takes," she explains. "But in a TV series, you can't take too long on a scene. There's a timetable to meet."

Since Rhian had no real acting experience aside from a short summer gig with Trumpets, when she was 12 years old, she had to go through a two-day acting workshop. She describes her experience in the workshop as "grueling but worthwhile."

The most difficult part, she learned, was getting in touch with her emotions. She tends to block negative emotions and for a budding actress, that's a no-no. "You need to remove all the blocks. But it isn't easy tapping into emotions like anger and sadness when you can't relate to them."


Enjoying the Grind

"I have tapings on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays," says Rhian. "Free days are devoted to guest appearances on shows. But sometimes, tapings take 24 hours—maybe even 28 hours!" Sundays, she adds, are kept free as much as possible so she can spend time with her family and go to Church.

Rhian points out that she's still game despite the long hours, adding that she really hasn't been mindful of the little sleep she's getting. "Gosh!" she exclaims. "I really have no idea how many hours of sleep I've had lately."

It's not that Rhian is a work junkie. It's simply who she is, or more appropriately, how she is.

"Well, before showbiz, I did have this problem of going to sleep so the long taping hours are no big deal," she points out. "When I'm at home, I just listen to music. I rarely watch TV; I'm not an avid TV watcher. My peak TV time was when I was nine years old."


Getting Used to the Change

"Whenever I needed to shop for clothes, I used to go to the men's section where there are lots of jeans and T-shirts," says Rhian. "I always go for comfort because it never goes out of style. Now, I’m learning to fix myself up. Kailangan kasi.”

The changes extend to her eating and sleeping habits, even her personal ties. "I haven't seen my friends, like forever," declares the showbiz newbie. "Before showbiz, I'd prefer to go to a mall on my own. I was quite a loner.

"But I've changed. And I'm enjoying all the changes in my life. Because of my job now, I've learned to be a more social person."

Rhian's regular schooling has been affected, too.

"I'm enrolled in a home school program but I haven't really done anything yet because of my hectic schedule," she reveals. "That's why I took an acceleration test given by the Department of Education."

According to Rhian, if she passes the exam, she'll qualify for fourth-year high school even if she hasn't completed her junior year. "I wouldn't say the test was easy but it wasn’t tough either," says Rhian. "It was surprisingly short, just a hundred items. I expected it to be longer."

She also takes pride in pointing out that she took the exam seriously to the extent that she even went through a review program. "In fact, I was so engrossed in my review materials that I even took them with me to the set."

Because of it, she had to bear with some good-natured ribbing from the show's cast and crew. "In scenes when I was in a school uniform, I actually carried and read my review papers. The cast and crew would tease me about being so serious that I was sobrang internalizing my role. Actually, I was actually just reviewing for my test."


Simply Rhian

But despite the changes, one thing that remains constant in her life is her bedroom. "It's still a mess but I know everything is. Organized disorder is how I can best describe it," she laughs.

And her taste for music hasn't changed much either.

"Rock and chill out music, I like listening to them. On the set or at home, they’re my constant companions,” she reveals, referring to the sounds of the bands lncubus, Red Hot Chili Pepper, Urban, Kapatid ... Radioactive Sago. "Radioactive Sago, they're really good."

Does this indicate that Rhian could consider singing as a career? She laughs at the question. "Yes, I sing but I really am just an actress. I can sing well, but only when I'm in the shower."

1. How do you think other people see you?

Jolly and positive. I'm very hyper all the time. But when I'm alone, I'm at peace.

2. If you were a box of crayons, which color would most reflect your personality and why?

Green. I love the color green. It's nature's color. It's relaxing. Maybe that's why God made the grass green.

3. What's the single biggest mistake you've made in your life?

Gosh ... I really do not know.

4. Let's rephrase that. What's the most embarrassing thing that you've done in your life?

That would be when I was in Grade 5. I was beginning to develop crushes then. It was 4 a.m. and we were rehearsing for a school play. While sitting on the floor, I dozed off. When the call came for us to stand up and begin dancing, I was still on the floor because I was asleep! I was so embarrassed that I just pretended that I had a stomachache, and promptly left the scene.

5. What is it about you that not many people know?

My teeth have a weird color because I used to wear braces. I'm also somewhat sentimental. It's hard for me to throw things away, especially if they were given as gifts. I hate the color pink. There's something about it that bothers me. I've never had my nails treated in my life, nor my hair.

6. If your life were a movie, what movie would it be?
Peter Pan

7. The boy who didn't want to grow up? Why?

I love the idea of not growing up, of just being a kid and having fun forever. The sad thing nowadays is that too many teenagers are in a rush to grow up. They don't know what they're missing.

8. What is your favorite pick-me-up when you're depressed?

Hmmm ... I eat avocado shake and just sit somewhere with music and I'm a happy person. Give me some chocolates and avocado shake any time—they're so good.

9. Which person has been the single biggest influence in your life?

Probably my sister, Nadine.

10. In what way?

She's very capable! She's just a couple of years older than I, but she cheers me up and gives me good advice. When I need help, she's always there. I really respect her. What's more, she wants to be a chef. It's a perfect relationship. She loves to cook and I love to eat!

11. What's your favorite travel destination?

I love going to Thailand because of its beach resorts. The Philippines has great beaches, too. They're so different. They're so diverse.

12. Who's your favorite traveling companion?
My sister!

13. What time in your life do you have the happiest memories of?

I don't know. As I just go along, it keeps getting better. The best, I believe, is yet to come.

14. If you had an unlimited amount of cash and could give yourself a present, what would you buy?

I'd produce my own movie or something ... maybe a movie or a show. Just so I can say that I'm the boss.

15. What's your biggest fear?

What am I afraid of? I'm pretty daring. I'm a risk taker. Well, maybe I'm afraid of being afraid. I like extreme sports, I dream about extreme sports. I'll try anything.