Tom Rodriguez stakes claim to matinee-idol crown

RODRIGUEZ (RIGHT, WITH MEGAN YOUNG). Portrays coveted role in the upcoming revival of “MariMar.”

Tom Rodriguez didn’t intend to stay in the Philippines after taking part in the “Double Up” edition of “Pinoy Big Brother” in 2009. He recalls, “I was reluctant about many things then. I didn’t come here to pursue a career in entertainment. ‘PBB’ was just a way for me to temporarily escape the downturn of the American economy at the time.

“My initial plan was to go back to the US as soon as things got better. I struggled here, and I was always itching to leave—until I realized that this was where I wanted to be! I am home. If I could go back in time and give advice to my younger self, I’d tell him to let things happen, because there’s a plan for all of us. Go with the flow!”

Six years after getting booted out of the Big Brother house and tranferring to GMA 7, the 27-year-old actor is getting ready to take charge and stake his claim to Tinseltown’s matinee-idol crown:

Next month, Tom will portray Sergio Santibañez in the anticipated revival of “MariMar,” with former Miss World Megan Young in the coveted title role.

His big-screen assignments are nothing to sneeze at, either: In “The Love Affair,” he’s been cast as the screen consort of Bea Alonzo, no less!

Diverse characters

Tom enjoys the diverse characters he essays more than the perks and “privilege” of network-hopping. He will play any character that allows him to stretch his thespic wings—even silly and wacky ones, like Janjaranjan, the gay kontrabida he portrayed in Vice Ganda’s 2014 MMFF entry, “The Amazing Praybeyt Benjamin.”

He shares, “I feel fortunate for the chance to work with actors and actresses I admire, like Bea. But, offbeat roles are just as exciting because, by tackling them, you discover what else you can do and the things you need to work on.

“It’s the same with painting, singing or acting in musical theater (he portrayed “Aladdin” in 2012), the more you explore, you pick up new skills along the way.

A lot of celebrities have taken the marital plunge in recent months. Is he as elusive as many eligible bachelors these days? What would it take to get him hitched? Tom muses, “I never saw myself as the evasive type. When I was a kid, I thought I’d be married at 26. Now that I’m 27, it’s still something that I look forward to—but, I no longer see it as a deadline.”

Is he serious about Carla Abellana? Tom quick reply: “I’m serious about the special people I hold dear in my life. She’s amazing!”