"I want to pursue my singing career so I joined showbiz."

This is how 26-year-old Guji Lorenzana introduced himself to PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) and other members of the entertainment press, during the media junket for the May birthday celebrators of Star Magic talents last Friday, May 29.

Guji was born and raised in California. He finished Bachelor of Arts in Rhetoric and Communications, minor in Theater Arts, at the University of California.

In 2006, with a dream to become a singer, the nephew of former OPM singer Joann Lorenzana came to Manila. Unfortunately, he couldn't find a major label willing to help him release his compositions in a music album. But this did not stop Guji from pursuing his passion for music. He released two independently produced albums, a self-titled album in 2006, and Without Your Love in 2007.

Guji admits that it's "very difficult to be independent." To promote his album, Guji sometimes plays his own songs during his shift as a DJ at Mellow 94.7. "I also play at some bars like 19 East, Bagaberde, and Mag:net Café," he added.

In the interview, the Fil-Am singer was honest enough to say that he joined show business to make a "face" in public, which is what the record labels advised him to do.

"I came here originally to be a singer, so I had no plans of joining showbiz. I ended up falling into it kasi you can't do music by itself here. One thing that's different from the States in here, in the States, you can do music, pero dito hindi, e," he explained. 

Guji already had a guest appearance in TV5's Midnight DJ and ABS-CBN's I Love Betty La Fea. He acted as Snowboy in last year's  stage presentation of West Side Story. Last August 2008, he was formally launched as one of the new talents ABS-CBN's talent arm Star Magic. 

Guji was also part of the TV commercials of Globe, Clusivol, Hershey's, Jollibee, and Fundador. 

Now, he's being launched as an actor through the TV adaptation, titled Precious Heats Romances Presents: The Bud Brothers, of a popular Tagalog pocketbook series. In this afternoon teleserye, Guji plays the role of Ray, the love-team partner of Roxanne Guinoo in the episode called "Pepper's Roses."

"May background ako sa theater. I did West Side Story with Christian Bautista, so I decided, why not try and do acting na rin sa Star Magic. That's why I auditioned na rin for [Precious Heats Romances Presents: The Bud Brothers]," said Guji.

ON MARICAR REYES. Since his role in The Bud Brothers was mentioned, the entertainment press also asked Guji about his co-star, Maricar Reyes, one of the women involved in the much-talked about Hayden Kho video scandal.

Reports say that Hayden and Maricar had a romantic relationship while they were still in medical school.   

When asked to confirm whether Maricar flew to the States after the issue came out, Guji simply nodded and said, "Well, we taped last week."

Guji said that he and their other co-stars already knew about it, but they chose to keep silent and not talk about it.