VHONG Navarro and Solenn Heussaff
Actor-TV host Vhong Navarro, who hogged the headlines recently after getting mauled by a group of men, said he relived his traumatic experience while filming his latest horror-comedy movie, in a scene with Joey Marquez.
During the press conference for “Da Possessed” on Sunday, Navarro said the scene called for Marquez to beat him black and blue, not unlike what he went through only three months ago.
“When the camera started rolling, I set aside my personal problems and focused only on the scene. It helped that I fully trusted my director (Joyce Bernal) and coactor, Manong Joey,” Navarro added.
In January, model and entrepreneur Deniece Millicent Cornejo, 22, accused Navarro of raping her. The actor identified businessman Cedric Lee as the “powerful and influential man” who led six others in mauling him, purportedly in an attempt to “rescue” Cornejo. The actor filed perjury and other charges against Cornejo and Lee following the incident.
“Da Possessed” is Navarro’s first big-screen appearance since then. He earlier returned to hosting chores on the noontime program “It’s Showtime” on ABS-CBN.
“I never imagined that something like that would happen to me in real life,” Navarro said. “I don’t want that to happen to anyone, especially people I care about.”
He was slowly picking up the pieces, and working on “Da Possessed” served as a form of therapy for him, Navarro added. “My character, Ramon, is a wimp. He’s scared of a lot of things, but he finds a special something that helps him overcome his fears.”
He told reporters, “It’s hard for me to sit in front of all of you now. It’s like I’m starting over. I’m regaining my confidence little by little.”
Professional
French-Filipino actress Solenn Heussaff, who plays Navarro’s sexy boss in the movie, was all praise for her leading man. “Filipinos are best known for our ability to laugh away our problems. I saw this in Vhong. I learned a lot working with him. He is such a professional.”
The film also features comedians Empoy, Smokey Manaloto, Joy Viado, Beverly Salviejo and John Lapus.
“I bet that Vhong’s personal experiences helped him portray his character well,” said Lapus. “I play a ghost in the movie. Whenever he sees me, takot na takot talaga siya. I’m guessing, he motivated himself by imagining he’s inside a condominium lift!” Videos of Navarro in the elevator with Cornejo and his alleged attackers minutes after the incident were uploaded in various social media websites.
“Da Possessed,” a coproduction of Star Cinema and Regal Entertainment, hits local theaters on April 19.
(E-mail mcruz@inquirer.com.ph)