Comebacks ‘contagious’

VELEZ. Tackles meaty and “nasty” role on “Misibis Bay.”

It’s “Catching”: Veteran stars are in demand again on TV and in the movies, so a number of luminaries whom we’ve missed watching for years are making “it’s about time!” comebacks. —Call the most welcome “trending” development Comebacks Contagious! For starters, we’re  happy that TV5 has “rediscovered” Vivian Velez and given her a really meaty and “nasty” role in its new teleserye, “Misibis Bay.”

Vivian may not have been seen in mainstream productions for a long time, but we’ve loved her exceptional portrayals in short films at Marilou Diaz-Abaya’s film school for years, so we know that she’s become a really good actress who fully deserves the showcase she’s now enjoying on “Misibis Bay.”

We hope that her exposure on the drama series will remind other producers and directors of her exceptional talent, and that they will cast her in their own productions.

Directorial debut

On the international film scene, Keanu Reeves has been much less visible than before, so his fans wonder what’s been happening to him. Well, wonder no more: It turns out that Reeves has been focusing on his debut as film director—by way of the current martial arts actioner, “Man of Tai Chi.”

Reeve’s first full-length feature took him all of five years to develop and shoot, plus more time for post-production, so it’s really been a big deal for him.

The film is a “trilingual” production based on the life of stuntman Tiger Hu Chen, who first caught the new director’s eye when they worked together on the “Matrix” film franchise. Reeves’ involvement in the project includes his playing the villain in its story, a wealthy businessman in Hong Kong who runs a secret underground fighting ring.

We hope that Reeves turns out to be as good at directing as he is at acting, as he continues to develop himself into a versatile and mature film artist in the years to come.

Back on the local scene, we’re glad to hear that Sharon Cuneta is returning to television by way of her very first teleserye, “Madam Chairman,” on TV5.

She plays a barangay chairman in the new show, which is a “different” kind of teleserye, because it isn’t the usual dramatic-romantic-tragic package, but an upbeat show with a lot of heart and laughter. —Well, we certainly need to smile and laugh more these days, so that’s fine with us!

Finally, Judy Ann Santos’ ongoing drama series recently surprised viewers when it announced that Amalia Fuentes was going to appear on the show in a significant role.

This is an unexpected development, because some weeks ago, Amalia had backed out from another ABS-CBN teleserye that would have revived her iconic screen “rivalry” with Susan Roces.

Amalia’s surprise comeback in Judy Ann’s teleserye has made viewers more interested in the drama series than ever!