Osang mellows down, kicks drug habit

Rosanna Roces has mellowed down. “I shut out all the negative forces from my life,” she says.

She’s now at peace with her world, after kicking her sleeping pill habit. “Disiplinado na ’ko,” she beams, “kasi iniisip ko na marami ang umaasa sa akin. Wala namang tutulong sa atin kundi sarili din natin, at siyempre dapat sabayan ng dasal.”

She is a Lola Bombshell twice over since her daughter gave birth to a baby girl. “May kalaro na si Budoy (Grace’s lovechild with Jolo Revilla),” she says. “Pinakamasaya ako pag kapiling ko ang mga anak at apo ko. Sa kanila umiikot ang buhay ko. Deadma muna sa lovelife.”

Is she wary to fall in love again? “Medyo,” she says, laughing, adding that when she falls hard for a guy, “’di sapat ang salitang ‘Mahal’ para sabihin ko kung gaano ko siya kamahal. Naluluha na lang ako sa sobrang ’di ko maipaliwanag na saya.”

But what she’d rather do, she says, is love her work, “lalo na ang bongga kong kontrabida role in ‘Sa Ngalan ng Ina.’ Marami akong natutunan na acting techniques kay Guy at Boyet.”

Rosanna recalls being stunned in one instance: “Nag-a-la-Marlon Brando ang acting ni Boyet, so dapat sumabay ako sa galing.

She adds that she misses bonding with the cast on their days off, “kasi smooth ang samahan namin at magaan lahat ang katrabaho ko.”

The thorns are all gone in Ms Roces’ life which is in full bloom.

Joey up close

The staff of “Paparazzi” ribbed me non-stop when I did my Hello Dolly segment interview with my ex, Joey Marquez, in his pad on the eve of his birthday. We were so comfy with each other that our one-on-one turned out a breeze.

I teased Joey if he’s willing to guest in the show of his other ex, Kris Aquino. “Sure,” he says, “but there’s no invitation yet. Erased na ang poot at pait. At my age, dapat sarap at lasap na lang.”

Joey claims to be loveless at the moment which I find hard to believe. He also says he would rather not reconcile with any of his exes because, for him, it would never be the same again (“May lamat na,” as he puts it).

But his kids are the love of his life. Women come and go, but his children remain.

Dingdong on ghosts

Dingdong Dantes is enjoying shooting his horror movie with Kris Aquino, “Segunda Mano.” The actor says Kris “is such a pro, she always comes to the set prepared.”

For Dong, it’s tougher to scare the movie audience than to make them cry.

Does he believe in ghosts? “Those of us who have not seen ghosts are afraid of them,” he quips. “I do believe that they exist.”

I wonder if, for Dong, that includes ghosts of Girlfriends past.

Killer lines

Due to the phenomenal box-office success of “No Other Woman,” Viva Films is toying with the idea of a sequel — though there are no concrete plans yet.

The killer lines in the movie are destined to be part of classic Pinoy movie quotes. My fave goes: “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Pero sa ganda mong ’yan, siguradong marami kang alam na shortcut.”

Many women could relate to the roles of Anne Curtis and Cristine Reyes to the point that it has led to debates online and at parties: Would you prefer to be a boring housewife or a daring mistress?

Sometimes the only way to save a marriage for a wife in distress is for her to behave (and misbehave) like a mistress.

MMK specials

“Maalaala Mo Kaya” (MMK) celebrates its 20th anniversary by treating its loyal viewers with a month-long lineup of special episodes. The longest-running TV drama anthology hosted by Ms. Charo Santos has transformed itself into a socially relevant program that not only entertains but also reflects the real struggles and triumphs of the ordinary Filipino.

Catch the October 15 episode starring Jake Cuenca as a gay character, Louie, in “Barcelona.”

More surprises are in store for the October 22 and 29 episodes. MMK could very well stand for Makabuluhan, Madamdaming Kwento/Komentaryo.

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