Super Tekla
Before trying his luck in show biz, all Super Tekla ever hoped for was a “job that paid minimum wage.” Now, the comedian has a thriving television show and an upcoming movie that carries his name.
“Nakakaiyak. I was shocked when I was offered this project. Before I knew it, I was already shooting. I’m just so thankful for the trust being given to me. And I hope to reciprocate by giving my best,” he told reporters in a recent visit to the set of the comedy flick “Kiko en Lala,” where he plays both titular characters.
Tekla, who also hosts a self-titled talk show on GMA 7 with Boobay, is starting to get recognized by the public. A recent show in Pangasinan gave him a taste of that.
“There were a lot of people—dumog. The fans go after you. My young daughter was shocked seeing all that, because she’s not used to it,” related Tekla, whose real name is Romeo Librada.
And should the film—directed by Adolf Alix and produced by GMA Films’ Backyard Productions—achieves box-office success, Tekla said he would make sure not to let it go to his head.
“That’s not going to happen. Never. This is something given to me by the Lord, so I will take it and just carry it out … Perhaps the only change is that I will earn more money,” he said, laughing.
Tekla, who got his start in the industry as a standup comic at bars, made headlines two years ago, after he was allegedly fired from the variety show “Wowowin” by host Willie Revillame for his penchant for gambling and other vices.
But that’s all in the past, he assured, adding that he wouldn’t let his past mistakes affect his livelihood.
“I don’t want to be a hypocrite and say that I had never done any ‘kagaguhan,’” Tekla pointed out. “But that’s something I don’t want to revisit anymore. I’m done with it. You won’t get anything [good] out of it. You won’t succeed; such things will only drag you down.”
Because his brand of comedy is spontaneous and instinctive, Tekla admitted that the biggest challenge in doing the movie was memorizing scripts.
“That’s my weakness. It always looks obvious that I’m reciting lines,” he said. “Luckily, our director wasn’t intimidating and gave me some freedom to do my usual ad libs. He put me at ease and made me feel comfortable about acting. Everyone on set was very supportive.”
“The experience so far has made me realize that I could also do other things, like a bit of dramatic acting,” he added.
Tekla is fully aware that with newfound success comes harsher criticisms. “It’s hurtful when people start to question your skills or capabilities. You can read tons of positive comments, but a negative one can still make you feel down.”
“But I just try to absorb all these and hope that they make me stronger,” he added. “They inspire me to do my best in my scenes, do what’s right and give my kind of comedy.”
Comparisons, of course, are inevitable. Now, some observers are touting Tekla as GMA 7’s answer to ABS-CBN’s Vice Ganda.
“I don’t have any illusions of competing with him. No one can replace Vice Ganda. He’s already there. But the comparisons are natural, I think,” he said. “This is just work for me. My purpose is to make people happy.”