Katatapos pa lang ng musical-comedy series na Diva, pero hindi nawawalan ng trabaho si TJ Trinidad. Ang aktor ang isa sa mga special guests sa nalalabing mga araw ng fantaserye na Pilyang Kerubin, kasama sina Iza Calzado at Jiro Manio. Ang role niya rito ay si Abet, isang lalaking nabaliw at ikinulong sa isang hawla. Ang sanhi ng kanyang pagkakakulong ay dahil sa nawalang pag-ibig.
"I came to the set na hindi ako nag-shave. Sinabi nila na kakabitan ako ng prosthetics. Sabi ko, huwag na lang, ganito na lang," turo niya sa mukha niya, nang makausap siya ng PEP (Philippine Entertainemnt Portal) sa taping ng Pilyang Kerubin last week sa Manila Zoo.
Ayon kay TJ, gusto niyang subukan ang mga comedy lalo pa't dumarami na naman ang mga sitcom sa Kapuso network.
"Gusto ko mag-rotate sa mga comedy shows like Show Me Da Manny at Kaya ng Powers. I'm very happy na it's keeping me busy. Comedy kasi is the hardest thing to do, harder than drama. Kailangan matalino ka para mag-comedy. May timing 'yan and you definitely need to be smart and witty. We'll see what happens," sabi ni TJ.
HELMING HIS FIRST FILM. Dahil wala pa siyang regular show sa Kapuso network, abala ngayon si TJ sa pagpu-promote ng kanyang pelikula, ang MKAK (Mga Kahihinatnan ng Aking Kabalbalan), na naging entry sa Cinemalaya Film Festival last July. Kasama niya sa pelikula sina Gina Alajar, Epi Quizon, Ketchup Eusebio, Jodi Sta. Maria, at Bobby Andrews.
Nakatakdang ipalabas ang pelikula ni TJ sa September 1-14 sa Robinson's Cinemas.
Si TJ din ang sumulat ng script at isa sa producers ng pelikula under his production company called Blackbus Films.
Sinimulan daw niya ang idea para sa pelikula noong 2007. Apat na buwan niyang pinag-ukulan ng panahon ang script. Another five months to revise the script. Mga 10 shooting days ang inabot niya para gawin ang pelikula at isang taon niya inaayos ang post-production.
"This is sort of my first step into production. Pinakita ko sa mga bosses sa GMA at sa manager ko [Annabelle Rama]. Nagustuhan naman nila. Hopefully, in the future, I can do more of this.
"Napanood niya na at si Tito Eddie [Gutierrez, Annabelle's husband]. Nagustuhan niya. Alam niya rin na ang career path ko na gusto ko rin yung pagdi-direct at pagsusulat. I would love to direct eventually. Mabigyan sana ng assignment sa TV. If given the time to attend film courses, I would also love to do that as well," saad ni TJ.
STILL A BACHELOR. Nagsimula si TJ via a Swatch commercial with Joan Pascual, and he has been in showbiz more than six years. Sa dami ng plano at gustong gawin pa ni TJ, parang wala nang balak magpakasal ang 34-year-old bachelor.
"It's somewhere there," TJ said about marriage. "It's just hard to talk about it and I might end up getting superstitious on preempting things. Coz normally it never happens whenever I talk about it. If it were to happen there would be this element of surprise."
TJ admits that he has a non-showbiz girlfriend with whom he has been going steady for more than three years. Sabi niya, hindi conscious para sa kanya na maging non-showbiz ang girlfriend niya. Ang mga nakakatambal ni TJ noon ang mga magagagandang artistang tulad nila Kristine Hermosa, Iza Calzado, Rhian Ramos, Glaiza de Castro, at Regine Velasquez.
"I don't choose... I like things to happen on its own. I don't force things. I can't really say if its better na non-showbiz. How can I make a point of reference, I never had one," TJ said.
He feels though that he has a long way to go in the industry.
"It doesn't feel that long," TJ commented on his career. "Some people have been in it practically all their lives. They're even younger than me or same age. I'm still pretty young for showbiz age. I hope to get directing jobs. Maybe, I'll do another film in the next two years."