Are reports true that Enrique Gil has decided to bow out of showbiz?
Nah, the actor is not doing a Liza Soberano who’s just as hell-bent on pursuing her Hollywood dream.
Over Liza’s former manager Ogie Diaz’s online showbiz program, reports that Enrique’s first solo starrer last summer, “I Am Not Big Bird,” bombing at the tills is mainly the reason behind his early showbiz retirement.
Quen, as he’s fondly addressed, felt — in Ogie’s words — “medyo (quite) devastated” over its box office aftermath. Quite devastated indeed that he is said to have totally lost interest in what was supposed to be his next teleserye on ABS-CBN, “Incognito.”
Ogie couldn’t ascertain, though, on whose lap Quen’s role landed. Among the series’ major cast members are Richard Gutierrez, Ian Veneracion and Daniel Padilla.
The talent manager cum content creator is pinning his hopes, however, that Quen — whose career he handled over a short period of time — rethinks his mindset on quitting showbiz.
“Otherwise, Quen renewing his contract with Star Magic in 2023 will all be in vain,” Ogie laments.
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Veteran showbiz personality Lolit Solis manages the career of former professional basketeer Benjie Paras, all right. But it absolutely does not give her the right to meddle in any way in his son Kobe’s personal affairs.
Let Lolit and Kobe’s chance encounter at a recent event at the Okada Manila serve as a lesson or two for the talent manager whose gratuitous remark had apparently miffed the latter.
Not exactly chummy-chummy to each other, Lolit — who thinks she can always get away with her “punchlines” — was audacious to have told Kobe: “Sana man lang ka-level ni Sharon Cuneta o Kris Aquino ang kinuha mong girlfriend! (You should have at least picked the likes of Sharon or Kris for a girlfriend).”
Who else was Lolit referring to other than Kyline Alcantara?
Her tactless, if disparaging comment was enough to make a visibly irked Kobe turn his back and walk away.
“Nairita sa akin! (He felt irritated),” Lolit even proudly told a reporter-friend on the phone.
With a look of disdain, Kobe didn’t vanish from the scene without firing back at Lolit: “Please, walang bastusan! (No disrespect please). You don’t say that to my girlfriend!”
Yet if anything good came out of that particular encounter, it was Lolit’s no-longer-surprising discovery that Kobe and Kyline are confirmed to be in a relationship. More so, Kobe’s boldly taking the cudgels for Kyline only means that he — without a doubt — loves the latter more than the other way around.
Pretending not to be affected by Kobe’s still-polite albeit crystal clear reply, Lolit — as usual — tried to convince her stubborn self that any veteran reporter would have sounded off the same observation anyway.
Hers, though, was a bit too off — it could pass for a lèse-majestè. The peeved Kobe hardly looked at Lolit until he left the event. It was Benjie, who was also around, who apologized on Kobe’s behalf.
Speaking for his son, Benjie told his manager that he (Kobe) is not accustomed to showbiz jokes.
Hadn’t Lolit made an unfair comparison between Kyline and Sharon/Kris, Kobe would have still been nicey-nicey to her.
Plus the fact that it’s not what Lolit said but the manner in which she cracked the joke. Whether Lolit admits it or not, her jocular reference reeked of condescension.
As we all are used to it, it’s always Lolit’s sharp, double-edged tongue that gets her into trouble. Yet it’s also what makes so many others love her anyway.
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