Mahigit limang dekada nang artista sa pelikula at telebisyon si Tommy Abuel.
Maraming pagbabago ang nasilayan niya sa entertainment industry.
“Unang-una, hindi uso noon ang teleserye. Ang uso noon, yung tinatawag na drama anthology,” lahad ng beteranong aktor.
“Walang teleserye. Kung meron man teleserye, it was not for primetime. Ang teleserye ngayon, parang pelikula, primetime and big budget.
“At talagang for yung… for the A class na tinatawag kumbaga na ginagawa.
“At the time na kung meron mang series, e, mga pam-before the news, after the news — hindi pam-primetime.
“The attitude of the actors at that time and the attitude of the actors ngayon, ibang-iba na. Technically, iba na rin.
“There was a time na kapag magsu-shoot ka, ipapadala pa yung shinoot mo sa studio, and then ie-edit.
“Ngayon pagka-shoot mo, right there and then, mae-edit na yung mga eksena.
“So, maraming mga pagbabago sa industriya. But as far as acting is concerned, it remains the same. The rules are the same.
“And it will remain the same because as far as acting is concerned, it will be the same for as long as you think that acting is just an illusion. Illusion of reality.”
Eksklusibong nakapanayam ng PEP si Tommy sa grand mediacon ng pelikulang Espantaho noong Disyembre 9, 2024 sa Novotel hotel sa Cubao, Quezon City.
Read: THROWBACK: Charo Santos at Tommy Abuel bago sila naging sina Lola Tindeng at Don Julio
TOMMY ABUEL STILL ACTIVE IN MOVIES AND TELEVISION
Masuwerte si Tommy na nabibigyan pa siya ng mga proyekto sa pelikula at telebisyon.
Huli niyang regular TV show ang FPJ’s Batang Quiapo.
“Well, masuwerte in the sense because, physically and mentally, I can still handle all these things,” matamang pahayag ng octogenarian actor.
“And I was trained to memorize, and that’s the most important thing in this business — you have to have a good memory.
“Otherwise, if you’re faltering in remembering, producers will have second thoughts in getting you.”
May mga pagkakataong nahihirapan na siya, lalo na sa physical?
Pag-amin ni Tommy, “Sa physical, yes. Medyo may limitations ako sa physical aspect pero mentally, wala. Memory-wise, wala.
“Sa physical, yes, medyo may limitations ako ngayon. For one thing, yung aking right knee, may osteoarthritis na.”
Natatakot ba siyang maaksidente sa set, kagaya ng nangyari kay Eddie Garcia?
Napabuntong-hininga si Tommy, “Well, that’s why everbody sa production, sa lahat ng aspeto sa production, inaalagaan kami.
“They see to it na yung mga senior, lalo na yung mga senior, are alaga by the staff.”
Read: Tommy Abuel thankful for international awards for indie film Dagsin
TOMMY ABUEL ON DIRECTOR DANNY ZIALCITA
Anu-ano ang mga paborito niya sa mga pelikulang nagawa niya?
Mabilis na tugon ni Tommy, “Well, of course, ang paborito ko ay yung mga pelikulang when I won the awards, like Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag [1975]. Karma [MMFF 1981].
“The Moises Padilla Story [1985] which was a festival movie then. And yung mga pelikula na nagbigay sa akin more or less ng recognition.
“But it was actually Danny Zialcita… in the beginning kasi, when I entered the movie and when I entered the industry, ang tingin sa akin ng mga taga-industriya, outsider.
“Outsider in the sense na parang hindi raw akong pang-masa. Why? Because I came from theater. I came from Ateneo. I took up Law.
“At that time, Inglesero din ako. So, ang tingin sa akin, para sa mga pang-award lang na movies.
“Because ang mga ginagawa kong pelikula were directed by mga award-winning directors like Lino Brocka, Ishmael Bernal.
“But it was Danny Zialcita’s movies that brought me to the consciousness of the masa.”
Kabilang sa mga pelikula ni Direk Danny Zialcita na kasama si Tommy ang Lalaki, Babae Kami (1977), Karma (1981), T-Bird at Ako (1982), Gaano Kadalas Ang Minsan? (1982), To Love Again (1983), Palabra de Honor (1983), May Lamok sa Loob ng Kulambo (1984), Lalakwe (1985), Bakit Manipis Ang Ulap? (1985), Heartache City (1985), at Always and Forever (1986).
“Comedy, and well-made commercial movies. So when I joined the group of Danny, that was the time that masa took notice of me,” sambit ni Tommy.
“And even all the directors, yung talagang taga-showbiz mismo, ang kumukuha na rin. Before, mga kakilala ko lang, yung mga people who came from theater.
“But after Danny Zialcita’s movies, na kumbaga’y people in show business took notice already of me.”
Read: Reclusive film director Danny Zialcita dies at 73
ON WORKING WITH BIG STARS AND ICONS
Nakatrabaho niya ang maraming big stars at icons sa local showbiz…
Tumango si Tommy, “At the time, at the time, the big stars of the time, yes. Nora, Vilma, Gloria Diaz, Chanda Romero. They’ve been my leading ladies at the time.”
Anu-ano ang magagandang memories niya kina Nora at Vilma?
“Si Ate Guy, actually I’ve worked with her sa kanyang series na… sa ABS ba yon? Yung Ang Makulay na Daigdig ni Nora [1974-1979],” pagbabalik-tanaw ni Tommy.
“But sa movie, hindi ko masyadong nakasama si Ate Guy. Si Vilma Santos ang nakasama ko, mga three or four.
“Sa Karma, Vilma was my leading lady. Si Chanda was another pair, ang kasama’y si Ronaldo Valdez.
“Isa pang pelikulang nakasama ko si Vilma was Now and Forever [1973] directed by Ishmael Bernal. Ka-tandem pa niya si Edgar Mortiz. Batang-bata pa sila at the time.
“And yes, halos lahat sila, nakasama ko na. Si Gloria Diaz. Si Chanda Romero, marami kaming pelikula before na ginawa.
“And through the years, I’ve worked with most of the top directors of the time and the top actresses of the time.”
Meron ba siyang nakagalit na direktor o co-star? Nanaig iyong pagiging disiplinado niya mula sa teatro?
“No, because precisely nga, I came from theater. And theater is a different discipline. Sa teatro, in-inculcate sa amin, the director is the master of the ship.
“So, kung anong sabihin ng direktor, then sumunod ka. Nang mag-crossover ako sa movie, that has always been my attitude.
“That’s why wala akong nakaanong direktor. Kung ano ang gusto ninyo, OK. Kung ayaw ninyo niyan… sa akin, OK lang.
“Because you’re the captain of the ship. Ikaw lang ang nakakaalam kung ano ang gusto mo at kung anong direksyon ang pupuntahan ng pelikula.
“Sa actors ang actresses, ganun din ang aking attitude. Kung sino ang star, of course, you recognize the star.
“And sa kanila nakaluhod ang producer. So ano, you’re only part of the team. So more or less, I’m a team worker.
“Or nakikisama ako sa flow ng wherever the movie is going, or wherever the director wants to take the direction of the film.”
Marami ba siyang nakitang artista na nag-attitude sa set?
“Oo, marami. Marami, marami. Maraming artista.”
Marami ba sa kanila, nagtagal sa industriya?
“Yun na nga lang. Because if you have that attitude… of course as an actor, ako, a colleague, hindi mo naman mapagsabihan,” saad ni Tommy.
“Siyempre ako, quiet lamang. And that’s another thing that I learned in show business.
“Keep your mouth shut. Because hindi mo alam kung papaano lilipat o lilipad yung sinabi mo.
“And don’t trust anyone. And don’t rely on anybody but yourself. Because at the end of the end, you’ll find out, you’ve always been by yourself.”
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HERMANO PULI
Tubong-Lucban, Quezon si Tommy, na nagbida sa pelikulang Hermano Puli (1979) sa panulat at direksyon ni F. V. Alfon.
Co-stars ni Tommy sa nasabing pelikula sina Boots Anson-Roa, Philip Gamboa, Alicia Alonzo, Nympha Bonifacio, at Greg Lozano.
Si Apolinario de la Cruz na kilala rin bilang Hermano Pule (also spelled as Puli) ay Filipino religious leader na nagtatag ng Cofradia de San Jose. Ipinanganak siya sa bayan ng Lucban.
Iyong kuwento ni Hermano Puli ay nabanggit sa umpisa ng MMFF 2023 entry na GomBurZa.
May kopya ba siya ng Hermano Puli at iba niyang mga pelikula noon?
“Yun ang wala ako, not even Danny Zialcita’s films. Hindi kasi uso noon yung mga video-video, e,” pagsisiwalat ni Tommy.
“Nauso noon yung betamax, e, nawala naman ang betamax. So, wala akong kopya whatsoever. Maski pictorials, wala.
“Wala akong souvenirs kumbaga. Yung mga a few shots lang, just a few. But not extensive.
“In fact sa teatro ako nagsimula. So hindi extensive yung aking collection kumbaga.”
Read: Hermano Puli biopic producer inspired by success of Heneral Luna
TOMMY ABUEL ALSO TRIED TO ENTER POLITICS
Sumubok pumasok noon si Tommy sa larangan ng pulitika sa lalawigan ng Quezon. Hindi siya pinalad.
“One time. It was just a, you know, parang subok lang na see what happens,” salaysay ni Tommy.
“But actually, the lesson that I got from it is — you have to have the desire to win. You have to have the passion to win.
“Otherwise kung easy-easy lang, yun ang attitude ko because I wasn’t really interested. I was just enticed to join. ‘Sige, OK lang, yun lang!’ Ha! Ha! Ha!”
Dinamdam ba niya ang pagkatalo sa eleksyon? Na-trauma?
“No! Walang trauma sa akin. Walang epek sa akin because I didn’t have that passion kumbaga,” sambit ni Tommy.
“Passion to win. Siguro I would be naano kung ganon ang tingin ko. But sa akin, sige, manalo OK, matalo OK. That was my attitude.”