Kris Aquino is no longer Ai Ai de las Alas’ best friend. It’s now Sharon Cuneta, the megastar no less, with whom the Comedy Queen has bonded for friendship forever. And this friendship is the core of the forthcoming movie “Best Friends Forever” that teams up for the first time the megastar and the comedy queen.

It’s a casting coup of sort, putting together these two giant bankable stars, and we give it to Star Cinema for thinking of the project, which incidentally is the outfit’s 16th anniversary offering. It’s also Star Cinema’s Mother’s Day presentation.

With Sharon and Ai Ai in “Best Friends Forever,” directed by Wenn Deramas from a story written by Mel del Rosario, moviegoers and fans are in for loads of fun and laughter, although this is Sharon’s first comedy flick after a long while, her last being “Jack en Jill” where she played a tomboy (Jack) opposite Herbert Bautista’s Jill. “BFF” comes on the heels of Sharon’s heavy drama “Caregiver” where she played a caregiver working in London.

“It’s a good breather for me,” Sharon said, referring to “BFF.” “I’ve been looking forward to working with Ai Ai. Most of the Filipino movies in my iPOD are those of Ai Ai’s. They are really entertaining, kakatawa panoorin.”

On the other hand, Ai Ai has this to say, “From way back, I’ve been saying that I would be honored to do a movie with Mega. Maski noong 1980s, talagang pinapanood ko na ang mga pelikula niya.”
Ai Ai’s last movie is also under Star Cinema, “Ang Tanging Ina N’yong Lahat,” which was last year’s Metro Manila Film Festival’s topgrosser. Wenn Deramas also directed this movie, making him the undisputed Box-office Comedy Director.

During recent interviews, Sharon said, “When they first offered the movie to me, hindi na ako nag-isip. Yes agad ako. Pinuntahan ako ni Tita Malou at si Inang Olive (Lamasan) sa dressing room ko sa ‘Sharon’ and they asked if ok kami ni Ai Ai, tumalon ako sa tuwa. I asked if Wenn Deramas will direct it, and when they said yes, lalo akong natuwa. I’ve always wanted to work with Ai Ai kasi she makes me so happy sa mga movies niya. Ang kaibahan niya sa mga ibang sumikat na comedians, yung appeal niya sexy, nakakatawa siya talaga mag-joke or mag-perform lalo na kapag walang TV, camera, pero di siya bastusin. You’ll laugh along with her. Yun ang appeal niya sa akin and to many people, di ba?”

To this, Ai Ai said, “Nahihiya nga ako, eh… nanonood talaga siya ng mga movies ko. Siyempre ako, sinasabi ko na I’m so honored na makasama ko ang nag-iisang megastar sa pelikula. Noong araw, noong 80s pinapanood ko na siya. Isa talaga siya sa mga magaling nating mga artista. Tapos nakilala ko siya ng personal, nakilala ko siya everyday, at sinabi ko sa sarili ko ‘grabe, iba ang megastar talaga.’ Yung ugali niya, yung pagkatao niya. At grabe, ang bait pala niya kaya she’s so blessed!”

“BFF” is Ai Ai’s eighth movie with Direk Wenn. It tells the story of two bosom friends whose friendship knows no bounds and which even their rivalry for the same man (played by John Estrada) can break.
In their roles as best friends, they rib each other (touching on the physical of course) and during the shooting Ai Ai was hesitant to say words she thought would offend Sharon, like the word “malapad” referring to the megastar’s “bigness.” Ai Ai would always ask her, “Kailangan ko bang sabihin ito?” And Sharon would say, “Yes, sabihin mo, kasi hindi naman ako manipis.”

Sharon would also poke fun on Ai Ai’s prominent chin. But between them, being both professional actors, “Walang pikunan, trabaho lang.” Sharon said, “Nahihiya siya. Pero nasa script yan eh. Pag nag-aaway ang mag-best friends, talagang prangkahan, di ba? Ok lang yon, kaya ko nga tinanggap ito para magpatawa…”

And in their crying scenes, Ai Ai said, “Grabe yung luha niya, talagang kung gaano kadami yung una, sa pangalawa, pangatlo o pang-apat, ganoon din. Nakakaloka, di nauubusan ng luha.” To which Sharon retorted, “Talagang gripo eh. Iyakin talaga ako…”

“BFF” also stars Chokoleit, Joy Viado, Empress Schuck, Enchong Dee, Miles Ocampo, DJ Durano and Ms. Gina Pareño.

“BFF” opens nationwide on May 13. Watch out for it.

Richard: Hero on and offscreen

Things are getting rosier and greater for actor Richard Gutierrez no matter how much some quarters are trying to downgrade him as his mother and manager Annabelle Rama wants to believe.

Last April 22, which was Earth Day, Richard was one of the recipients of the Fr. Neri Satur Award for Environmental Heroism. He was recognized for his work to keep the world clean and green. The actor is the celebrity spokesperson of Greenpeace and host of the GMA TV special “Signos” (about global warming) and the series “Full Force” (which features calamities spawned by nature’s fury).

The award – given by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Presidential Task Force on Climate Change – was established to honor Fr. Satur, a young priest in Bukidnon who was deputized as a forest ranger and became active in arresting illegal loggers. In l991, he was shot dead in his church – a hero and martyr of the environment. Fr. Satur’s diocese was then headed by Bishop (now Cardinal) Gaudencio Rosales, also one of the awardees.

The other awardees – individuals, groups and entities – included Infanta Bishop Julio Labayen, Timmy Cruz, Joey Ayala, Kuya Kim (Atienza), Kidlat Tahimik, DZNN, DZRH and the late Francis Magalona.

Richard has received numerous awards, but he treasures most the Fr. Neri Satur trophy as it makes him feel like a hero offscreen. But he hastens to add there’s a lot more he should do to really deserve the title “Environmental Hero.”

Onscreen, especially on television, Richard Gutierrez is a superhero, like the role he’s currently playing in “Zorro,” the masked protector of the poor and oppressed. Before “Zorro,” Richard was “Captain Barbell,” “Kamandag,” “Asero,” “Sugo,” “Lupin,” and “Mulawin.”

The actor is thankful that despite some negative publicity, “Zorro” remains the top primetime show on GMA-7. Co-workers speak highly and fondly of Richard. In the words of Joel Torre, “It’s wonderful to work with Richard, ang bait na bata. I know he works very hard and I admire his sense of discipline and dedication to work.”

Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today, May 3, go to Atty. Jose Tungol de Leon, Hans Bondoc, society photog Alex Van Hagen, Marlo Brown, Slade Gerzon, Carmenchu Cariño, Alyana Timbol and Antonio Conejeros of San Francisco, California…