Richard Gomez was among the celebrity subjects of ace photographer Mark Nicdao in his latest exhibit titled Alive. Last night, March 11, at the Greenbelt 5 in Makati City, witnessed the public unveiling of Mark's collection featuring celebrities in black and white images.
Goma (Richard's nickname in the biz) is also a photography enthusiast. In fact, Richard staged a photo exhibit last year at the NBC Tent in Taguig City, where he proudly displayed some of his best works taken during some of his domestic and foreign trips.
Photography, according to Richard, is a continuous learning process. "Every photographer asks each other questions regarding the craft," Richard told PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal). "We're not shy to ask each and everyone. Ganun talaga 'yon, e, photography is a learning thing."
FROM ACTOR TO GAME SHOW HOST. Richard surprised the public late last year when he was chosen to host the local franchise of the highly-popular U.S. game show Family Feud. Cynics raised their collective eyebrows questioning Richard's capacity to shift from acting to hosting a game show.
Despite earning mixed reviews for his performance, Richard managed to hold his own in the thriving competitive game show genre. Hosting Family Feud was a dream come true, said the 42-year-old actor.
"It's really fun," Richard described the entire Family Feud experience. "For the longest time, I've been telling GMA na 'yon talaga ang gusto kong gawin. I really want to host a game show or an adventure series. Siguro hindi lang na-realize na kaya ko pala 'yong ganun until Family Feud came in."
As a host, Richard stressed the importance of adhering to the program's enduring reputation.
"The thing I contribute is that I make my contestants and guests feel relaxed. I don't make them feel intimidated at all. I make it a happy game show for everybody. Kahit mali 'yong sagot nila, it doesn't matter in Family Feud. There are no real or factual answers. These answers that come from surveys are not necessarily true and factual, minsan kahit mali 'yong sagot nila tawa lang kami nang tawa. Ganun lang talaga 'yong spirit ng Family Feud."
The program, unfortunately, is about to end although Richard happily announced that the possibility of Family Feud making a comeback in the primetime slot is highly feasible.
"We're ending this season, kasi actually one season lang 'yong Family Feud and then they extend it for another season because it was doing well. Apparently, nakabili kasi sila [GMA-7] ng show and they have to show it. Otherwise, they'll get stuck with that show and, of course, they have to make money out of it. Sabi naman nila, they got new seasons for us and after Hole in the Wall [the new show franchised by the network], they'll bring us back."
With Family Feud temporarily signing off, Richard—who is part of GMA-7's latest series, All About Eve—happily announced the return of Goma Cup, the celebrity golf tournament founded by Richard in the '90s.
Goma Cup—titled this year as Goma Cup Reunion—will be staged this coming April, "After Holy Week," Richard said. "All the people from the industry are invited, whether they're from ABS-CBN or GMA."