The year that just passed was definitely Boy Abunda’s big year. To cap it all, he will soon be elevated to the Hall of Fame for being one of the country’s best showbiz talk show hosts.

To recall, in 2010, Boy won his 15th consecutive trophy as Best Male Showbiz-Oriented Talk Show host from the Star Awards of the Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC). Because of that, the veteran host of “The Buzz,” “Showbiz News Ngayon,” “Inside the Cinema” and “Bottomline” will be elevated to the Star Awards Hall of Fame this 2011.

Boy has truly gone a long way. He received his first award in 1996 for “Startalk.” This first award was followed by three more in 1997, 1998 and 1999. The next 11 trophies, he received for his hosting of “The Buzz.”

Reflecting on his success, Boy says he never planned a career in television. Growing up in his hometown of Borongan, Samar, he thought he would become either a lawyer or a bank manager, which was what his parents wanted.

He talked a lot, and because of that everyone thought a career in law was in the cards.

“Oo, madaldal ako n’ung bata pa ako, I was verbose, talkative, and loquacious, but Tatay and Nanay didn’t know that you could actually make a job out of talking,” laughs Boy. “Sa probinsya noon, lagi nilang sinasabi na kapag ang daldal ng taong ito, ‘you would make a good lawyer.’ TV? Wala sa aming katotohanan, pangarap o pinag-usapan. TV was not present in our everyday life. We didn’t even have a TV set. The first set we owned arrived long after I came to Manila. Nanay naman wanted me to become a bank manager because to her, it represented a financially stable life.”

Now, Boy is one of the most awarded and also most respected talk show hosts on television. He is sometimes referred to as the country’s “King of Talk.” He hosts “The Buzz,” “Inside the Cinema,” “Bottomline” and the nightly “Showbiz News Ngayon” where he shares co-hosting duties with Bianca Gonzales.

In addition, Boy is also a talent manager and publicist. His company Backroom manages the careers of popular artists like Bianca, Erik Santos, Mariel Rodriguez and Ai Ai de las Alas.

As a TV talk show host, Boy makes sure that he studies his script. He pours a lot of research into what he does. Aside from studying the materials provided by his researchers and staff, he also does his own research.

For the almost 20 years that he has been in television, Boy considers himself fortunate to have what he describes as “a very kind audience” – one that has overlooked his weaknesses, especially his Waray accent.

But Boy is not about to change it because he knows it’s part of what makes him unique as a host. “Thank God for a friendly audience,” acknowledges Boy. “Ang bait sa akin ng tao. When I started to host, I started to learn. How were they (other hosts) doing it? I watched interviews. I read books. I watched TV. I learned from everyone and everything.”

Receiving awards is something Boy will never tire of. Every award presents a new challenge. He takes the trophies as encouragement to do even better the next time he finds himself before the cameras.

But nice as it is to receive them, Boy says he is not attached to his trophies. “They can’t buy me a pair of Louis Vuitton shoes, but they do make me smile,” he jokes. “And that’s a meaningful smile that tells me I must have done something right.”

Here’s wishing Boy a more fruitful 2011.

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‘Miss You Like Crazy’ shown on cable TV

The box-office hit reunion movie of John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo “Miss You Like Crazy” premiered recently on Cinema One’s Blockbuster Sunday.

“Miss You Like Crazy” was Star Cinema’s post-Valentine offering for 2010. It offered John Lloyd-Bea fans and admirers a great movie treat after missing the tried and tested tandem for a few years. “Miss You Like Crazy,” a story about fate, faith and timing, was directed by box-office director Cathy Garcia-Molina, who also directed the recent box-office hit “My Amnesia Girl.”

Also in the cast of “Miss You Like Crazy” are Maricar Reyes, Hans Isaac, Ryan Eigenmann, Ina Feleo, Ketchup Eugenio, Tirso Cruz III, Bembol Roco, Sylvia Sanchez, JM de Guzman, Sid Lucero and Justine Cuyugan.

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Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today, Jan. 3, go to Tec Syjuco-Golangco, Jose Alejandrino, Dr. Genevieve Huang, Alice Roxas Briones, Zeny Raymundo, Vivian Lorraine, Rafael Perez, Grace Gines Garcia, Dr. Rolando U. Layos, Dr. Teresita R. Santiago, Joven Saplagio, Mary Jane Lopez, Jennifer Padua, twins Katrina and Bianca Aguila, Eugenia G. Puyat and Vanessa Grindrud of ABS-CBN Star Magic…