Enchong Dee on Erich: ‘Lahat ng pinagdaraanan namin, alam ng isa’t isa’
Ask Enchong Dee which girl from among those in showbiz he’s being linked to he is closest with, he would tell you in a heartbeat, “I would say Erich [Gonzales], kasi I’ve been working with her for two years already.”
Proximity aside, theirs is a friendship that developed from all the time they spend working together. “Lahat ng pinagdadaanan namin, alam ng isa’t-isa. Even, kunyari may tampuhan kami, napag-uusapan namin without hiding anything,” he tells Bulletin Entertainment in an exclusive interview.
Yes, even if the misunderstanding was more personal in nature, instead of work. “Kunyari ano, naasar, ganun lang… away bata,” he smiles.
Enchong didn’t always imagine himself to be a showbiz personality, but the champion swimmer-turned-showbiz heartthrob has indeed learned that intrigues will always come with the territory. “Kasi doon sa swimming, iintrigahin ka na, ‘Wala, mahina ‘yan!’ Pero ‘pag nag-perform ka na, wala na, tahimik na sila. Dito hindi! Minsan nakakatawa kasi… talagang pinipilit nila. Iintrigahin ka… and from out of nowhere, they can create fire. Ang daming nagsasabi na it’s all part of the business, and you can’t get away from it, lalo na kapag maingay ‘yun pangalan mo, there’s gonna be a lot.”
He points out, “Like one time, lumabas kami ni Kim (Chiu)—na bibihira lang talaga kaming magkita—‘yung barkadang labas, naintriga siya in another way. Sabi ko nga, bibihira lang mangyari, naiintriga pa. So sabi ko, ganun siguro, so you really have to be careful.”
But when asked to reveal if there’s one girl he really likes, Enchong was evasive. “Meron, pero siyrempre ano… ‘Wag muna kasi magiging malaki nanaman siya. But of course, ano, even before sinabi ko nga, I admire Erich, I admire Kim. Pero hanggang dun na lang muna ‘yun.”
Clear about concentrating on his budding career for now, he nevertheless admits when it comes to relationships, one can never say never. “I can’t say that kasi baka mamaya niyan, after two weeks biglang may lumabas,” he laughs.
Could this be a hint, then? Enchong wouldn’t say so. “Sinasabi ko nga kay Erich, I’m really very private with my life. Kung ano man ‘yung ginagawa ko, kung baga, I embrace it because it’s the only thing I have right now. So not at the moment.”
And what he has, for now, is an upcoming soap. Airing this month, Enchong says he is a bit surprised with how fast he’s going to have another show, a remake of Maxican soap, “Maria La Del Barrio,” that would put him back together with Erich onscreen.
“Sobrang pressured din kasi kinuha from Mexico, [at] nung binasa ko sa Internet, if not the best, it’s one of the best na teleserye na ginawa ng Mexico. So sabi ko, ‘Grabe, ganun pala!’ Kasi honestly, I haven’t heard of it. Ang nadinig ko lang dati, ‘Marimar,’ ‘yung ‘Maria Mercedes’… pero not really ‘Maria La del Barrio.’ So nung binasa ko siya, kinabahan ako bigla kasi nga it’s such a big responsibility for me.”
Although not his first time playing lead, he notes, “Pero siguro it’s one of the biggest pressures kasi nga, lahat ng storya pinapa-approve pa, ‘yung characterizations, pinapa-approve pa sa Mexico. So kung baga, kailangan naming pantayan o kahit papano, higitan ‘yung ginawa dati.”
With matters of the heart being put on hold for now, and a possibility of another hit soap under his belt, Enchong is undeniably gaining momentum, much like a swimmer who just hit the water and is coming up to hit that perfect stride. Enchong is currently the face behind the new Jollibee Floats campaign.
“It’s a privilege to be a part of Jollibee family kasi they’re the biggest fast food chain in the Philippines,” he says with obvious gratitude. “Tapos, it takes a lot of consideration before you become an endorser. Hindi sila basta basta kumukuha ng endorser. And I’m just so happy that I’m one of them.”
As new addition to their menu, Jollibee’s Coke Float and the Watermelon Sprite Float aren’t such odd choices for this athletic young man. “When it comes to diet, mine is: eat everything. Kasi once na hinold mo ‘yung isang food group, kapag nag-crave ka, you’re just gonna binge on it. So sabi ko, eat everything, but in moderation. You don’t have to limit, ‘yung walang carbs or walang sweets… Ako I can’t, kasi umiinit ulo ko kapag hindi ko nakakain ‘yung gusto kong kainin.”
Embodying the coolness factor and the exuberance of youth, Enchong makes the perfect endorser for these products. Still undergoing swimming training whenever his schedule would permit, and because “hinahanap talaga ng katawan ko,” Enchong is a picture of good looks, great disposition and positive energy—something he’s shown during the dance number he did at the Great Float Fair on March 3 at the Trinoma Mall. It’s also this attitude that his fans—who even bought Jollibee Floats to get into the meet-and-greet with the actor—like about him.
But Echong has another theory. “Siguro pala-ngiti [kasi ako],” he laughs when asked why the fast food chain signed him up. “Kamuka ko si Jollibee kasi.”
source: Manila Bulletin
ASAP 2012
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