Our rapid-fire roundup of things happening in Philippine showbiz.
1. FIL-AM ELLONA SANTIAGO ON THE X FACTOR USA
There’s another Fil-Am making waves abroad: Ellona, who got a yes from all the The X Factor USA judges: Simon Cowell, Kelly Rowland, and Demi Lovato. Ellona sang “Wings” by Little Mix, which got Simon saying, “You are the girl I think I wanna work with most now in this competition.” Ellona first appeared on the show in 2011 when she was still with a group called InTENsity, which didn’t make it far, unfortunately.
2. JUDAY TO PLAY A DRUG MULE
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After playing a battered wife in the ABS-CBN series Huwag Ka Lang Mawawala, Judy Ann Santos is set to portray another interesting character. Direk Peque Gallaga exclusively told PEP.ph that he has a project where Juday will be a drug mule – a woman who swallows drugs so she can transport it to China. They’re definitely looking at shooting in China – if they have the budget, that is. Lore Reyes will direct the movie together with Peque, while Herbert Bautista and scriptwriter Uro dela Cruz will also be part of this project.
3. WHO IS THIS 13-YEAR-OLD WHO BEAT NORA AUNOR FOR THE CINE FILIPINO BEST ACTRESS AWARD?
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Everyone was shocked when Nora Aunor lost to Teri Malvar for the Best Actress award at the Cine Filipino film festival awards last Sunday. After all, Nora is the crowd favourite for her portrayal of a faith healer who finds a stash of money in the movie Ang Kwento ni Mabuti. So who is Teri? According to an Interaksyon interview with the young actress, the star of Ang Huling Cha-Cha ni Anita is a Grade 7 student at the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Paranaque and has not even appeared in a single school play. She also didn’t plan to audition; it was her mom who went to audition for a role in the film, and Teri decided to go try out, as well, in the end. She has no follow-up acting project yet but we won’t be surprised when she finally does get those offers.
4. ECHO SIGNS 3-MOVIE CONTRACT WITH VIVA FILMS
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Jericho Rosales signed a three-movie contract with Viva Films yesterday, Sept. 23, and he thinks that this move puts him “on the right track.” Last time he worked with Viva was in 2008 when he did the film Baler, which actually won him the Best Actor award at the 25th Star Awards for Movies in 2009. Echo shared that his first project is a movie based on a book that already has a following, and that he will be working with his Baler director Mark Meilly and actress Andi Eigenmann.
5. IWA MOTO GIVES BIRTH
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The 25-year old StarStruck graduate gave birth to a bouncing baby girl last night, Sept. 23. Iwa and her boyfriend, Pampi lacson, named their little one Eve. Actually, it’s Thirdy – Pampi’s son with actress Jodi Sta. Maria – who came up with that name some months ago.
