The reluctant artista who used to sell encyclopedias and "smuggled" high-grade Police and Ray Bans is now known as the Astig award-wining director GB Sampedro.
In an intimate sit-down dinner one rainy summer night in an Eastwood Mall resto, Giuseppe Bede Sampedro (GB's real name) took time to share with PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) some snippets of his colorful journey.
The story begins with his "raket" days, which go as far back as selling yema to his classmates. Most of his life, he says, "self-supporting ako." And believe it or not, he was already a businessman at the age of 13, and a sales guy for an encyclopedia at the age of 17.
Smiling, he recounts, "Ang uso noon Police at Ray Ban [shades]. Bibilhin ko yun ng 350 [pesos] sa Quiapo. Pinapasa ko ng 700. Kumikita na ako doon.
"Bumabiyahe pa ako sa Divisoria, namimili ako doon ng mga T-shirts. Sasabihin ko galing Hong Kong. Bibilhin ko ng 100 sa Divisoria, ibebenta ko ng 300, 350.
"May kapitbahay ako sa Bulacan na mag-aalahas, kumukuha rin ako ng alahas doon, hulugan. Kapag nakakaipon ako ng konting puhunan, mamimili naman ako sa mga subasta sa Villarica [pawnshop] doon sa may Gotesco. Nagbebenta ako ng subasta, sasabihin ko brand new, kasama nung mga binebenta ko galing doon sa Bulacan."
He had business savvy, surely, and a charmer's good humor. "Ang dami ko naloko nun, pero nagpapaikot lang ako hanggang makaipon," he adds.
ACCIDENTAL ARTISTA. But showbiz must have been written in his stars. In 1994, he was included, only by chance, in the popular Thursday group of German Moreno's That's Entertainment.
He narrates: "Nung sinamahan ko yung kaibigan ko na mag-audition sa Ang TV, may lalaking lumapit sa akin. Sabi niya, 'Gusto mong mag-artista? Punta ka sa Broadway Centrum.' Wala naman iyon sa plano ko, yung pag-aartista, pero pumunta ako. Naloko pa nga ako nun kasi, pinagbabayad ako para makapasok raw.
"Siyempre, hindi ako nagbayad dahil wala naman akong pera. Nung pauwi na ako, nakita ako ng crew ng That's. '[Sabi nila] Mag-o-audition ka?' Kinuwento ko yung nangyari sa akin 'tapos pinapasok nila ako. Ayun, napakilala ako kay Kuya Germs at tinanong niya 'ko kung kelan magsisimula."
Acting or performing, however, was not his cup of tea. "Hindi mo ako makikitang kumakanta o sumasayaw. Ang role ko noon, clapper...Pero kahit wala akong talent, grinab ko na. Ang allowance ko noon was 3,000 pesos 0 3,500 a month. Ikumpara mo naman sa 1,200 pesos kong kinikita sa pagbebenta ng encyclopedia."
Despite our prodding, GB chooses not to reveal his screen name in the show that eventually said "that's it, the end" two years after he joined.
He just underlines, "Para sa akin, it was something lang na makaipon. Kasi siguro, kung ikaw [ay] medyo tatanga-tanga, maloloko ka roon, lalo na yung mga gusto mag-artista, yung gagawin lahat kesehodang gumastos para maging artista. E, ako sanay ako sa hirap."
GB grins and laughs wholeheartedly as he tells us his crazy antics just to earn a buck. He sobers up though and remarks, "Sana huwag na natin sabihin sa kanila na niloko ko sila. Nakokonsensya ako ngayon. Ngayon ko lang nare-realize yun, a."
FROM ODD JOBS TO TRUE LOVE. Where Direk GB is today he probably could never have imagined as a student of Accountancy at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran, his high school and college Alma Mater.
He wanted to do something different after college, but what it was he didn't know yet at the time. An opportunity to write and direct a script came along, an adaptation of Beauty and the Beast.
Stage plays followed until one day direk Louie Ignacio asked him to be assistant director for a commercial he was doing at the time. GB kept assistant-directing for four years, progressing to productions like mall shows, music videos and concerts.
The circle "na inikutan ko nung assistant director ako, kumbaga, sila rin yung nagbigay ng break, ng opportunity, ng tiwala, siguro dahil mura ako."
Joking aside, Ariba!, which is the Letran's call to action is evident in Direk's go-getter attitude and perspective when it comes to work.
His sense of humor and positive outlook in life must have helped him handle a short stint directing Daisy Siete on GMA-7). Directing concerts for Kyla and Jaya became part of his bread and butter, too. He didn't shy away from directing a rock concert when he was asked to do Global Battle of the Bands on Channel 9, and his saying "medyo rak-rakan ng konti" is an understatement.
His first regular show with ABS-CBN, Real Pinoy Fighter, highlighted GB's gusto for life. This was followed by Home Boy, Boy & Kris, Ruffa and Ai, and the chance to direct Your Song when it was still airing weekly.
GB's TV work with Boy Abunda would prove to be a blessing when it came to his current and upcoming movie projects.
ASTIG DIRECTOR. From stage and television, he tried the big screen, and he had the famous host Boy Abunda and Noel Ferrer to guide him through the maze.
His first movie project, Astig (2009) lived up to its title. It has just finished its tour of the nations, reaping awards left and right, and the one that made GB proudest is the Korean special mention.
Astig stemmed from talks with Noel when GB expressed his desire to direct a shot. When they linked up with Cinemalaya Film Festival, the intention was just to try.
Last year, the film ended up becoming a last-minute project because the night before submission of entries, they hadn't finished the requirements. GB recalled, "Three o'clock ang submission, at dumating sa kanila last minute yung application forms and documents. Sa awa ng Diyos, sinuwerte ng konti."
Cinemalaya conferred four major awards on Astig and invitations to screen the film abroad followed. "Yung ang masayang part doon, especially for your first project. At ang sarap ng response ng audience abroad, lalo na ang mga foreigners."
He shares how he has learned so much from his interactions with the audience abroad and how these enrich him with ideas for future works. The most memorable trip is actually the one to South Korea, where Astig gained a special mention award.
The director's next project is on the horizon. And if he were to come up with a wish list of current stars and celebrities he'd like to direct, he answers: "Wala akong ka-idea-idea pa sa ngayon, pero kung may dumating na opportunity na ma-direct ang artistang 'yan, gagawin kong ideal ang project na yun para sa kanya. Kung before, mayroon akong mga gusto i-direct, halimbawa, sa isang music video, ngayon, mas mahalaga kung paano ko hahawakan ang isang project rather than the personality."
BEING KAPATID. At present, he is directing TV5's showbiz-oriented talk show Paparazzi and the weekly drama anthology 5 Star Special.
What are his preparations for the show week on week?
"Title pa lang, alam mong matapang, so pinag-aaralan ko kung ano ang click, ano ang babagay, ano yung puwede ma-improve. Di mo talaga maaalis na pinagaaralan mo yung mga ibang similar shows kasi gagamitin mo yun as peg. As much as possible, you just pick up kung ano yung puwede. Pero kakaiba yung show namin, na ang hope ko ay maka-mark siya dun sa format niya, na sasabihin ng mga tao, ''Eto yun, o. Paparrazi yun.' We want to live by the title of our show, na yun nga, matapang...."
On 5 Star, which has just finished the episodes of Maricel Soriano and Ruffa Gutierrez, and is presently featuring JC de Vera, direk GB likes the fact that there's variety.
"Iba-ibang directors, may rotation, four directors kami diyan. Iba-ibang kuwento, iba-ibang atake. It's a once-a-week special, at hindi talaga siya drama lang, action lang, kung baga, nagva-vary. That's the good thing about this show. Laging mayroon iba," he says. The other directors are Eric Quizon, Robert Quebral, and Rgel Joseph.
"Talagang first time ko to direct 5 Star is with JC, and first time ko rin to work with JC. Challenge siya because every time may bago, gusto ko may bago akong mailabas doon sa artista. Na-cha-challenge ako doon sa change ng character."
JC's character is a killer who uses a .45 gun to bring people down. Characters for the various 5 Star episodes are based on characters you'd meet in real life, "so talagang makaka-relate ang mga tao dito." The stories are developed based on the characters created, based on existing real-life pegs.
Having found a new home in TV5, GB describes the relationship as "personal, at ako, natutuwa sa family namin dito." It's not to say he didn't enjoy his previous homes in GMA-7 and ABS-CBN, where he stayed for quite a long time. But he says the people in the Manny Pangilinan-owned network are "mas nakukuwentuhan mo, mas nakakausap mo."
There's just one word to describe his drive in life and his ride: Astig!