Regine's Reign
Leah Salterio
posted:05.18.03


REGINE Velasquez has never had it so good. She reigns on TV, in concerts and in the movies.

She is one star who doesn't need to resort to intrigues or controversies to keep her popularity.

She can do a concert with Janno Gibbs, Martin Nievera or even with her ex-flame, Ariel Rivera, and the audience will lap it up.

She has made movies with top leading men such as Christopher de Leon, Aga Muhlach, Richard Gomez and Robin Padilla, but she was never linked with any of them.

"No gossip, we just focus on the team-up," she says. "In the first place, for the movie to make money, people should believe in the team-up, not in any controversy."

Regine maintains she doesn't say no to be paired with a particular leading man in the movies. She is even willing to make a movie with her ex-boyfriend Ariel Rivera if there is an offer.

"There are very few leading man in local movies, so there's no need to refuse," she says.

Regine has just finished a sold-out, two-night concert with Martin at the Araneta Coliseum, which will have a repeat on June 14. Prior to the Big Dome show, she and Martin did a successful, well-received, five-city concert tour in the US.

In September, Regine will reunite with Ariel, but only onstage, when they hold a concert at the Folk Arts Theater.

"Ariel and I are okay now," Regine offers. "We didn't talk for a long time after our break up because I was mad, but I didn't show it. It wasn't as big as the way it was written."

Regine is now in good terms even with Ariel's wife, Gelli de Belen. Early this year, Regine agreed to be interviewed by Gelli in the latter's morning talk show, "Sis," on GMA 7.

"At least now I can walk around GMA 7 without the fear that I might bump into her," Regine says. "I'm okay with Gelli. One time we saw each other in 'Eat Bulaga' and she was very courteous. She even said 'hi' to me."

In the movies, Regine teams up again with her "Wanted: Perfect Mother" costar Boyet de Leon for the Manila Film Festival entry, "Pangarap Ko ang Ibigin Ka."

"I was a nobody when I did 'Wanted: Perfect Mother' with him and he agreed to be paired with me, that's why I was so grateful to him," Regine says of Boyet.

Star Cinema has offered to do a movie with Regine and Piolo. Viva Films will also pair her again with Richard Gomez-her leading man in "Ikaw Lamang, Hanggang Ngayon"-in "Bisperas ng Mayo," a musical on the Philippine revolution based on Nick Joaquin's "May Day Eve."

Regine finds it unbelievable that she was the personal choice of "Bisperas ng Mayo" director Joel Lamangan for the project.

In "Pangarap Ko ang Ibigin Ka," Regine plays a painter who falls in love at first sight with Boyet when she sees him in church delivering a eulogy for his wife. She finds ways to meet him, to the point of stalking him, with the intention of making him fall in love with her.

Starring with them are Dingdong Dantes, William Martinez, Lara Fabregas, John Lapuz, Marissa Delgado, Rosemarie Gil, Shintaro Valdez, Rudy Francisco and Noel Trinidad.

Source:Philstar