Best bets for 2014

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Category: Show

Written by Ricky Gallardo / All Access

Ushering in a new year can mean different things to different people. Almost always, a new year stirs something positive in each of us. We look back to the year that was with fondness, and we look forward to a good, productive and happy year.

For our first outing this year, we take a look on 14 celebrities who might just make it really big—or even bigger.  And we continue to wish them well.

In no particular order, here are our best bets for 2014.

Ryzza was perhaps the brightest young star of 2013. She even ended the year with a big bang—a top-grossing movie and an acting trophy. Ryzza is in very good hands, with the people behind TAPE Inc., producers of Eat Bulaga and her daily morning talk show, taking very good care of her.

His star will definitely shine brighter after the 2014 Berlin Film Festival. Sandino will be part of the small delegation that includes filmmaker Jay Altarejos and producer Brillante Mendoza that will fly to Germany in February when the film Unfriend is scheduled to have its world premiere. The multitalented Sandino is also praying hard that he will be launched as a TV actor soon.

Zig has generously shared his exceptional writing skills with some of our biggest and brightest filmmakers. This year carries with it a promise that Zig will finally be able to direct a feature film that will elevate him to another level. We wish Zig all the best, and may his filmmaking dreams finally come to pass.

This prized GMA gem only has two paths to tread. If he plays his cards right, he can be groomed as the Kapuso Network’s counterpart of Coco Martin. If not, he will just become another Marcus Cabrera. Kristoffer has angles that make him resemble Coco although he sometimes looks like Marcus, too.

I believe most of our readers know who Coco Martin is.  For those who don’t have time to Google the name “Marcus Cabrera,” he used to be a hot and promising actor in the early years of the new millennium, having worked with some of our more intelligent filmmakers. But he trusted the wrong people and made the wrong moves, so he exited the business faster than he entered. Marcus tried to make a comeback last year but that turned out to be a dismal failure.

Kristoffer’s foray into the indie scene in 2012 rewarded him with acting recognitions but he never made a follow-up to remind us that he is a good actor. Now his mother studio is giving him a good break via the soap opera Paraiso Ko’y Ikaw, and hopefully he will have more room to grow as an actor so he would prove us right.

She is no doubt a promising film actress. Just last year, Chanel appeared in many indie films and shone, regardless of the length of her exposure. All she needs is one good role that will make her truly stand out. She should also learn to say no to every offer that comes her way. At this point, she should set a standard for the kinds of roles she accepts. Quantity does not always equate to quality.

Highly creative, Ian is one of the more promising directors of GMA.  This early, we heard that he is a favorite of music labels, network programming executives and production houses because of his no-nonsense take on innovation and wonderful concepts. 

Ian also did the music videos for the silver anniversary concert of Regine Velasquez and is the favorite TVC director for a shampoo brand. Although relatively new, Ian has been entrusted with very good projects and soon, he looks forward to directing daily dramas.

Cynics might say that success is being served to Julia Barretto on a silver platter.  She will never experience lining up for hours just to audition for a role. She perhaps will never experience being rejected for a role because she has strong-willed relatives to fight for her. But let’s give this young Barretto a chance. She is beautiful, seems sensible and strikes us as very pleasant. Julia is being launched as the lead in Mirabella, her debut TV project, and she is getting full support not only from her celebrity relatives but also from ABS-CBN star-makers.

He gave up his post as a top executive for TV5—and for a very good reason. Perci Intalan has been a network executive most of his adult life and this time, he wants to pursue his other passions. Having just tied the knot with his longtime companion, writer-director Jun Lana, Perci will soon start his new career as a filmmaker, with no less than superstar Nora Aunor as his main actor. His experiences being a producer for Lana gave Perci more than a bird’s-eye view of the complicated process of turning a concept into a film. We wish Perci only the best in his new adventure.

Although still described as very raw, this nephew of Judy Ann Santos is making some people take a second look at him. Nic has a small role in the filmfest movie Pagpag and it’s enough to make a little noise for his budding career. With a masculine face and a nice build, Nic might just be the next new important actor of ABS-CBN if he chooses his projects strategically.

The bravest female celebrity of the year is Liza Diño. The former beauty-queen-turned-chef-turned-actress is back in the Philippines to make a go of her longtime dream of becoming an actress and in the process found love. We say that she is brave because she is in love with well-loved celebrity Aiza Seguerra and the couple is not hiding anything. Liza is in the main cast of the new afternoon soap Mirabella.

Life has certainly changed for the little boy from Zambales. A natural actor, Raikko is perhaps the reason the early-evening soap Honesto is topping the ratings chart.  This early, we heard that ABS-CBN has lined up wonderful projects for Raikko for the year.

With two outstanding performances last year that are sure to figure prominently when the film awards season kicks in, Jun-Jun Quintana is hopeful that 2014 will bring him more blessings.

This early, he is expected to score double nominations: for lead actor in Benji Garcia’s A Philippino Story and for supporting actor in Eduardo Roy’s Quick Change, which is going to the Berlinale, too, next month. Meanwhile, Jun-Jun’s dream of having a daily TV drama will soon become a reality when The Legal Wife airs on ABS-CBN.

The daughter of writer-director Clodualdo del Mundo will soon strike out on her own. Ida del Mundo, who used to write for a weekend magazine, will soon be directing her first full-length film and cinema aficionados are excited to see what filmmaking genes her father has passed on to Ida.

In Photo: Ryzza Mae Dizon, Sandino Martin, Kristoffer Martin, Chanel Latorre, and Jun-Jun Quintana

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