JERICHO and Kim at a recent Gary Valenciano concert PHOTO BY RICHARD A. REYES
“It’s so painful to play Adrian. I don’t want to be like him. I’m content with having only one woman in my life,” said Jericho Rosales of Adrian de Villa, his philandering character in the ABS-CBN drama series, “The Legal Wife.”
Even so, Jericho, who will tie the knot with British-Filipino model Kim Jones on May 1, said playing Adrian was preparing him for marriage. “He’s weak, insecure, and what he’s doing is wrong,” the actor told the press during a gathering for the Rory B. Quintos drama. “I’d like to see Adrian face the consequences of his actions. The first thing a married guy should learn is contentment. I vow to stay with my wife for better or for worse, whether she remains sexy or becomes fat.”
“The Legal Wife” also features Angel Locsin, who plays Adrian’s wife Monica; and Maja Salvador as Adrian’s lover Nicole.
Jericho noted that the soap is based on research. He explained, “We learned that husbands cheat because they crave excitement. Adrian finds Nicole addicting because he likes feeling needed and worshipped.”
The actor admitted that he had experiences like Adrian’s when he was younger. “My life is an open book, but I’d rather not offend anyone I was involved with in the past,” he told the Inquirer. “Let’s just say that I was a cheater. I found it exciting to have two girlfriends at a time. I also experienced being cheated on.”
Jericho said viewers’ support of the show was “interesting.” They hate his character “but don’t hate me.”
Stressed bride-to-be
How does his fiancée react to his steamy scenes with Angel and Maja? Jericho quickly replied, “Kim is open-minded.”
If he had his way, Jericho wouldn’t let Kim watch the show. “I don’t want her to even think that anything like this can happen to us. I don’t want her to see the passionate scenes between Adrian and Nicole. It helps that she and Maja are fast becoming friends.”
Jericho and Kim will wed May 1 in a Catholic ceremony on Boracay Island in Aklan. “It’s 99 percent set. I’m not nervous; I’m just very excited. I can’t wait,” he said. “Kim is a little stressed. I feel bad because I’m busy and don’t have time to help her out.”
No telecast
Jericho refused to divulge the names of their guests and those included in the entourage, except, “They’re family members and friends who are witnesses to our relationship. It’s a small and intimate ceremony. We chose not to have it televised.”
The couple likewise decided to postpose their honeymoon plans for June or August (Kim’s birth month). “I’ll have a few days off after the wedding but will go back to work immediately after,” Jericho said.
He recalled a funny incident with Kim: “We tried to practice for the wedding. She placed a towel on her head and covered her face. As I was removing it, she suddenly cried and said: ‘It’s so real and romantic!’ I laughed so hard.”
(E-mail mcruz@inquirer.com.ph)