Carlos Agassi has learned to laugh off rumors about him taking steroids or being dead. These perennial intrigues about the former member of The Hunks do not affect him anymore, especially now that he has a leaner body.
Although he tries not to think about these rumors, Carlos says, "It's sad. I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't go out at night, I eat healthy, I have a boring lifestyle and yet people still say ‘steroids, namatay.'"
But what's important is, he has put all the bad press behind him.
After finishing his Physical Training and Nutrition course last year, the 29-year-old actor is now busy with his new found passion: culinary arts.
"Dikit siya, e," Carlos explains his reason for entering school again. "What you eat is what you are and then you have to workout. So, noong una, I wanted to put up a very healthy restaurant. But eventually the market for people who eat healthy [went down]. Kasi eating healthy is basically walang lasa, e, so there's no real big market. Especially nowadays, kapag ni-label-an mo pa ng organic, sobrang mahal.
"It's really expensive. So, inisip ko, since I own a restaurant, I don't franchise, I could serve what I want and I could cater to whoever I want. 'Yon na lang ang ginawa ko, pinag-aralan ko."
Aside from pursuing this new career, Carlos said that learning how to cook has also made his family bond together.
"Habang nag-aaral ako, nag-aaral na rin ang nanay ko, mga kapatid ko. So, ang sarap, it's very positive na nakakaengganyo na sama-sama kayong magkakapatid, family, learning how to cook and they support you hundred percent. At the end of the day, 'yong mga tao [that we serve], they'll be blessed. Kasi, before i-serve ko sa kanila, in-experiment na namin 'yong lasa."
Not only does Carlos debunk negative rumors that he's on steroids, he explains what these do to the body.
"Parang when they say na, ‘You're dead, you're using steroids,' pinaghihirapan ko ang everyday ng buhay ko—the way I eat, the way I work out, and then pinag-aralan ko pa... Parang nakakasira kasi nagtuturo ako, e. 'Yong mga tinuturuan ko galit na galit kasi parang, ‘Bakit ganun?' Sabi ko, ‘Hindi naman natin alam kung sino, e, ganun talaga sa showbiz."
"Even if you take steroids, 'yong mga nagte-take ng steroids 'yong mga may AIDS, may cancer kasi it helps you gain weight and helps your body function. So, if you take steroids and your body is functioning normally, it will tend to function abnormally. So, instead of helping you, it won't."
How does he maintain his well-sculpted body?
"Ako kasi, kumakain ako ng itlog, vegetables, proper nutrition talaga siya, e. Kasi even if you work out but you don't eat well—kakain ka ng McDo, ice cream—wala ring mangyayari. Kung kakain ka naman ng tama at di ka mag-work out, wala ring mangyayari. 'Yong iba kasi, hindi nakakaintindi. Mag-work out ka ngayon, pero mamaya maninigarilyo ka, iinom ka, di ba?'
Carlos was the influenced by his long-time girlfriend to become a vegetarian.
"Before I was really a meat-eater. I was bulky. E, tayong mga half-Filipina, e, petite. My weight is medyo heavy before. At least now, medyo light ako. So, kahit i-hug ko siya o ano, hindi masakit o mabigat."