Toni Gonzaga (left) and Joey de Leon in “My Teacher”
For Joey de Leon, being an actor or a celebrity is one of the most enjoyable jobs anyone could have. And it’s not even about the possibility of achieving fame and fortune. The best part, he said, is meeting your idols, the people you look up to in life.
What’s not so enjoyable, however, is working with people who don’t respect other people’s time. “Some confront their coactors. But that’s nothing. Matindi ako kapag laging may nale-late. I walk out. Or I have the show stopped altogether,” Joey said at a recent press conference for his Metro Manila Film Festival entry, “My Teacher,” which he coheadlines with Toni Gonzaga.
Such was the fate of the late 1980s sketch comedy program “T.O.D.A.S. (Television’s Outrageously Delightful All-Star Show)” on IBC 13. “You know why the show went off the air? It was because of me. I got angry because the cast was always late. So I said, ‘Let’s just end this,’” he related.
But if for whatever reason an actor can’t be on set on time, the least he or she can do, Joey said, is call the production team, and give them a heads-up. “Just say you will be late. But some would rather lie and claim that they’re already on Edsa when the truth is that they’re still in Bulacan. There are actors who are like that,” he said.
“Or sometimes, you will find out that they just went on a date or something. And I always arrive on the set very early,” he said.
If he were to give the younger generation advice on how they can achieve career longevity, Joey said that—aside from being on time—aspiring actors should work hard and learn how to grow their network. “You have to mingle, get involved… make friends,” he said.
Unjustly dismissed
Produced by TinCan Films and Ten17P, and directed by Paul Soriano, “My Teacher” follows the life of Emma (Toni), a teacher who was unjustly dismissed by the school she worked for abroad. And so, Emma returns to the Philippines and accepts an offer to teach at the hometown high school, which she left in the first place.
There, she finds herself overseeing a class that includes a “senior” student, Solomon (Joey), who’s determined to graduate from high school and learn English, so he can communicate with his granddaughter in the United States.
While Joey has made various guest or cameo appearances in recent movies, he hasn’t topbilled a movie in more than a decade.
“Toni pitched the story to me, and I liked it,” Joey said, adding that so much has changed about the filmmaking process over the years. “The cameras are a lot smaller now and the lights aren’t as tedious to set up. I was fascinated by that. It was nice to see all the new technology.”
The movie is a reunion of sorts for Joey and Toni, who used to be part of “Eat Bulaga!” during the early 2000s, before making the jump to ABS-CBN. Toni’s decision to leave, Joey admitted, was something he took to heart. “Galit ako sa kanya noon kasi nilayasan niya kami. Nagtampo ako kasi baby namin siya sa show,” Joey related.
But as they say, time does heal wounds. “One day, I just called her, and that’s it,” Joey related. “I admit that we were selfish back then. But good for her. We’re happy about how things turned out for her.”
Grade school days
Asked if he has any memorable experiences in school, Joey recalled his Grade 4 days with veteran show biz writer and manager Lolit Solis. “Medyo kaaway ko siya, kasi inggitera,” he said, drawing laughter. “She accused me of being a teacher’s pet, because I used to dress nicely and sit in front, while she sat at the back.”
Interestingly, Joey said, he discovered his knack for acting after a failing grade almost prevented him from graduating high school. “I had a grade of 65, so I made a deal with my teacher and said I would design the stage and buy the materials myself for the graduation. I begged him to give me a passing grade—kawawa naman ang nanay ko,” he related.
“That’s when I knew I could act. May paluhud-luhod pa ako! That’s what got me into the arts, because I had to make decorations… and cut letters out of cartolina,” he added. “Luckily, I did graduate with my classmates!”
As an actor, there’s nothing more Joey could wish for. “I just want to write. It’s what appeals to me now. When I get asked which comedians I look up to, I always cite comedians who can write material, not only for themselves, but for others such as Mel Brooks,” he said.
Needless to say, winning the best actor award isn’t something that he thinks about. “A trophy is a bonus, but the important thing is that people watch our entry,” he said, adding that the film is meant to shed light on the plight of teachers in the Philippines.
“We have to uplift them, not only by giving them better salaries, but by giving them the respect they deserve,” he said. INQ