Richard Gomez can give Bea Alonzo love advice

RICHARD Gomez says Bea Alonzo is “exploring her single life.”

Richard Gomez said he would be willing to give relationship advice to Bea Alonzo, if his “The Love Affair” costar asked for it.

At the press conference of their latest movie, Gomez said Alonzo was “exploring her single life.”

He said that “she’s doing well now. She’s happy with her friends. She goes out to enjoy. I would hear her discuss [personal] things on the set, but I’d rather not share them [with reporters]. Besides, they are probably the subject of stories in newspapers by now.”

Working it out

At the same event, Alonzo addressed the rumor that she has called it quits with her longtime boyfriend, actor Zanjoe Marudo. Alonzo, however, said they’re “working things out…We’re happy where we are now.”

She added: “I’m OK. We’re OK. We did go through something, but isn’t that normal in any relationship? What’s more important is how you handled yourself after all that has happened to you…Do I look like I’m in pain or broken? I’m happy. I owe it to myself to be happy.”

Female actors have difficulty maintaining romantic relationships in show biz compared to other professions, Gomez pointed out. However, he said he would still advise them to look for partners in the same field.

“It’s hard for nonactors to understand this kind of work, especially if his wife or girlfriend would do kissing scenes with another man. That’s kind of hard to digest.”

Gomez, who is married to Ormoc Rep. Lucy Torres, added that “my relationship with Lucy is different because she understands my kind of work and loves watching my movies.”

Emotionally broken

In “The Love Affair,” Gomez plays Vince, a man who hopes to be an ideal husband. Dawn Zulueta is Patricia, a wife seeking forgiveness after committing the biggest mistake of her life. Their paths will cross with Adie’s (Alonzo), a woman who is emotionally broken and is searching for happiness after a failed relationship.

In one scene, Gomez was made to touch Zulueta’s breasts. The veteran actress said she didn’t need much convincing. “As an actor, you have to look at everything with a broader perspective. You read the script and understand where your character is coming from and where it is going, only then will you appreciate the scene. I had no reservations because I understood why the scene was needed and I was comfortable with it.”

“I was the one who got excited,” Gomez quipped. “Seriously, we discussed what we had to do with the director (Nuel Naval). I told Dawn that it was really up to her. We’ve been working for so long that we’re so comfortable with each other.”

Zulueta added: “It’s not like we’re doing a torrid love scene. The character of Goma (Gomez’s nickname) is angry and that’s why it happened.”

“The Love Affair,” with story and screenplay by Vanessa R. Valdez, tells of three different individuals with love as the unifying element. The film premieres on Aug. 12.

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