Who are the next biggest names in the biz?

Updated 11:34pm (Mla time) Nov 26, 2004
By Jojo T. Nones
Inquirer News Service
http://news.inq7.net/entertainment/index.p...&story_id=19395


Editor's Note: Published on page H1 of the November 27, 2004


OVER cold latte in an almost bare coffee shop one afternoon, my friends and I were musing: We are a nation hopelessly obsessed with the stars.

And in a way, yes--we are our own breed of stalkers, religiously following the stars' every move, drinking in their every heartbreak, lapping up their every scandal, rejoicing for each and every one of their controversial acting awards.

But above all, we love stalking the big ones, the superstars. And as if their enormity isn't enough, we contribute more to their vastness by endlessly making them our wallpaper, our screen saver, our ring tone, the hub of our conversations, the core of our daily viewing habits, the mainstay of our lives.

We probably know who today's big names are. The list is as long and tedious as the stars' complex lives. But are we all aware of those bubbling under? Do we notice the small, unlit signs grappling for attention under the mammoth billboards on Edsa? Shouldn't we be on the lookout for the next big stars to stalk?

So I dared ask my friends: Who are the 10 Next Biggest Names in local show business?

I almost half-expected my friends to be racing to the plastic latte cup, imagining it to be a game show buzzer, and breathlessly enumerating every up and coming TV and movie star in mind. So, to avoid national disaster and sticky latte goo on the floor, I passed around a soiled table napkin with a brown lipstick mark from some girl who previously occupied our table, and asked my friends to write on it some names that instantly come to mind. The answers I got were very interesting.

The short list was dominated by up and coming matinee idols, mostly products of teen searches. But more interestingly, however, some already big names were also on the list. My friends explained the presence of big names--while these stars are already immense, they can still become bigger. Makes sense.

And so, from the table napkin list of the next big stars, here are 10 of the Next Biggest Names in local show biz, with potential to even be bigger, more massive, and more colossal.

Richard Gutierrez. When will he ever cease from being increasingly gorgeous in every pictorial, increasingly captivating in every appearance? He's one actor who can't seem to stop becoming more and more attractive. My friends said, the more he comes out on TV and film, the more he grows beautiful.

Angelica Panganiban.

Christian Bautista. Okay, some say he can't exactly sing in perfect pitch, some say he has very limited stage presence. But why is his name getting bigger by the minute? Why can't his song stop ringing in my head? Is he well on his way to being the next major balladeer of this country?

Sandara Park. No one can really figure out what her real talent is. Neither is it apparent why her endorsements work. But by some twist of Korean magic, this girl is slowly inching her way to the big time. Why? How? Beats me. I won't exactly line up for her concert, but I can't seem to detest her either. She's just so cute. Like a stuffed toy brought to life by some mischievous witch.

Rebekah. Judging by her young and gentle frame, you'd be surprised to hear a voice as powerful as any regular pop diva's. It's as if she interbred Whitney Houston with Regine Velasquez, and Lani Misalucha with Sarah Geronimo. But creepy as the thought of interbreeding may be, the result is a fabulous performance from one of the freshest young performers we have around. Yes, she will be big.

Pokwang a.k.a. Marietta Subong. Three months ago, mentioning her name would have simply merited blank stares. But in as short as one TV airing season, this fast-rising 30-year-old comedienne is already creating waves. She is a graduate of ABS-CBN's "Yes Yes Show-Clown in a Million," a competition among comedians, and she passed it with high-flying colors. Critics hailed her as the funniest and most candid. According to a friend, she is, hands-down, the unanticipated scene-stealer in the movie Bcuz of U.

Nadine Samonte. The only "Starstruck" finalist in this shortlist is, surprisingly, not even one of the final four. This Dina Bonnevie look alike) is expected to outshine her contemporaries Yasmien Kurdi and Jennelyn Mercado, and may even move on to leading lady status as soon as she sheds off some of her baby fat. (While many people swear she looks like the irrepressible Ms D, my friends and I still think she suspiciously looks like Tuesday Vargas in the GMA 7 daytime soap Leya.)

Sid Lucero. Another Eigenmann in the house: He is Timothy Mark Eigenmann in real life. But to avoid confusion with other cuties of the same family name, his manager Ricky Gallardo decided to use another name. His dad, Mark Gil, suggested the use of his character's name in the classic Batch '81 and it fits perfectly. Now, Sid is seen as the most promising among all Eigenmanns of his generation, and projected to be one of the biggest names that ever came out of the Eddie Mesa-Rosemarie Gil tree.

Kitchie Nadal. Even when she was still known as the lead singer for Mojofly, her vocal style had already been hailed by many, crossing over from rock to pop and back. Now that she has gone solo, many predict her to be the next Cooky Chua, endowed with the same fervor and passion for music and all the "angstful" trimmings that go with it.

Angel Locsin. Yes, she may already have the plum role in GMA's flagship drama program Mulawin--and may already have had either Richard Gutierrez's or Dennis Trillo's heart--but no one, not even her own little facial tics, can stop her from growing even bigger and brighter. Just a year ago, she was still just a nobody, having only one pitiful line in the entire film Mano Po 2. Now, she's off saving entire planets along with engkantos, winged creatures, and little kids who turn into owls. By golly! She has her own Brotherhood of the Wing!

We've relentlessly stalked the superstars of every decade and made them intoxicated from all the attention. We've dauntlessly hounded the idols of every generation and unknowingly manipulated their lives. We've become the voice in their heads--making them confuse good taste with atrociousness, good sense with camp, politics with show business.

And yet, do we show even a tiny bit of remorse? Hell, no. Our appetite for stalking the stars will never be quenched. As long as we are entertained, frightened, amused, or outraged, we will forever be obsessively stalking the stars, the next big stars, and the even bigger superstars.

So who else is getting bigger?
SOME of the other names that got listed down on the table napkin with the brown lipstick mark were: Iza Calzado, Gabby Drilon, Sam Bumatay, Geoff Eigenmann, Karel Marquez, Heart Evangelista, Maxene Magalona, Joross Ocampo, Bea Alonzo, Hero Angeles, Toni Gonzaga, Dennis Trillo, Vhong Navarro, Mark Herras, Sarah Geronimo, Anne Curtis, and even Joey de Leon, film director Quark Henares, and screenwriters Jade Castro and Michiko Yamamoto.

Some of my friends argued that Joey de Leon should be on the list since, at present, his star seems to be growing more massive than it already is. Despite the recent MTRCB sanction he got from Mrs. Laguardia et al, he is still lording it over at GMA 7, hosting all sorts of shows and making everyone laugh through all sorts of comedies.

Of special mention are filmmakers Quark Henares and Michiko Yamamoto. With the right projects and PR magic, this director and this writer are both well on their way to being behind-the-scene show biz royalty.

Anne Curtis seems to be always knocking on the door of immensity but, alas, never really makes it inside. Why? (I'm not being sarcastic here. I'm actually really asking.)

Sarah Geronimo is already huge, but is she still going to be bigger? We're not saying no or never, but probably not soon. This is as big as she gets--for the meantime. But we're not discounting the fact that, among the lot mentioned in this article (aside from Mr. Joey de Leon), hers could be one of the biggest names at present.

I think the next biggest names in the Philippines showbiz will come in Starstruck 2 and Star Circle Quest winners for this year.

Sandara Park. No one can really figure out what her real talent is. Neither is it apparent why her endorsements work. But by some twist of Korean magic, this girl is slowly inching her way to the big time. Why? How? Beats me. I won't exactly line up for her concert, but I can't seem to detest her either. She's just so cute. Like a stuffed toy brought to life by some mischievous witch.

The witch would be the Filipinos themselves

I'll get you my pretty and your little dog too.

I thought kirly was a Sandara Park fan?

Yeah she is

But let us admit that Sandara Park is really amous now in the Philippines

of course, I see you have been post whoring alot lately.

What about Sarah Geronimo...i havent heard any news about her recently...laos na ata siya eh

Oops sorry I was so involved with AF lately. That I had forgotten to post up the latest Sarah news. Don't worry I will post them up shortly.

May movie si Sarah Geronimo together with Mark Bautista " Lastikman" to be shown in Film festival

I know about that already

Yung mga Finalist ng Starstruck like Kirby, Mike Tan and Star Circle Quest like Theo, DM, Michelle, Erich, Ahron