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Philippine Showbiz Today
January 8 - 21, 2019
Jan. 22-Feb.7, 2015
Headline News
Fil-Am Darren Criss dedicates
Golden Globes win
to Cebuana mother
MANILA,
Philippines
—
Filipino American Actor Darren
Criss took home the Golden Globe
Award for Best Performance by
an Actor in a Limited Series or a
Motion Picture Made for Television
on Sunday evening (California
time). He thanked his Cebuana
mother during his acceptance
speech.
“As we’ve seen, it’s been a
marvelous year for representation
in Hollywood. And I’m so
enormously proud to be a teeny
tiny part of that as the son of a
firecracker Filipina woman from
Cebu that dreamed of coming
to this country and getting to be
invited to cool parties like this,”
Criss said.
“So mom, I know you’re
watching this. You are hugely
responsible for all the good things
in my life. I dedicate this to you,”
he added.
The actor was referring to the
conversation over the apparent
lack in diversity in American
media, a conversation that
normally heats up during awards
show season, especially with the
#OscarsSoWhite on Twitter.
Criss won his award for his
portrayal of Andrew Cunanan, a
Filipino American serial killer in
the series “The Assassination of
Gianni Versace: American Crime
Story.”
Korean American actress
Sandra Oh also won for best
actress in a television drama for
in the series “Killing Eve.”
Criss’ character is based on
the real-life story of Fil-Am serial
killer Andrew Cunanan who killed
five men including internationally
acclaimed Italian fashion designer
Gianni Versace in 1997.
Criss’ mother is a Spanish-
Filipina who was born in Cebu
but later migrated to the United
States.
He was born in San Francisco,
California, but visited the country
several times with his family and
performed shows at Ayala Malls in
2010.
The Fil-Am actor is probably
best known for his recurring role
as Blaine Anderson in hit TV
musical series “Glee.”
Criss also won a Primetime
Emmy for the same role last
September.●
Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television for
‘The Assassination of Gianni Versace’ winner Darren Criss attends the official viewing and
after party of The Golden Globe Awards hosted by The Hollywood Foreign Press Association
at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 6, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California. Below, Chris with
his Cebuana mother and American father. (AFP/ Rachel Luna, PS)
- Ryan Macasero, PS
MANILA, PHILIPPINES – As
the TV and film industries become
more globalized, production
has also become peripatetic,
travelling place to place, claimed
Variety a couple of years back.
In the recent years, the world
has seen either the massive
upgrades or rise of new studios
and soundstages that offer state-
of-the-art technology, enticing the
world of creatives to look into other
neighbors’ backyards for options,
even as they continue to explore
and maximize local opportunities
to keep in step with the world’s
top entertainment companies.
Making its presence felt
in this game is ABS-CBN
Corporation, the world’s largest
Filipino media and entertainment
company. As it marked its
65th founding anniversary, the
company inaugurated its brand-
new soundstages in San Jose Del
Monte City, Bulacan – about 16.5
miles from Manila, the capital of
the Philippines.
Present at the inauguration of
the soundstages were: ABS-CBN
Corporation Chairman Emeritus
Eugenio Lopez III; Chairman
Mark Lopez; President and CEO
Carlo L. Katigbak; board member
and former president and COO
Freddie Garcia; board adviser,
former president and CEO, and
current Chief Creative Officer
unveils state-of-the-art soundstages
RIBBON CUTTING: At the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the inauguration of the ABS-CBN
soundstages are, from left, ABS-CBN Chairman Mark Lopez, Congresswoman Florida
Robes, ABS-CBN Chairman Emeritus Eugenio Lopez III, San Jose Del Monte City Mayor
Arthur Robes, and ABS-CBN President and Chief Executive Officer Carlo Katigbak
Charo Santos-Concio; COO of
Broadcast Cory Vidanes; ABS-
CBN Film Productions Inc.
Managing Director Olive Lamasan;
Congresswoman Florida Robes
representing Lone District, City
of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan;
City Mayor Art Robes; and some
members of the ABS-CBN
community.
The soundstages represent
the beginning of a plan to
establish a world-class production
hub that includes soundstages,
backlots, production and post-
production facilities and offices
that will allow both ABS-CBN and
Philippine-based productions to
match production facilities found
elsewhere in the world.
Phase 1 of the production
hub includes two 16,000 square-
foot soundstages with a floor
to grid height of 30 feet, a
breezeway with dressing rooms
and various support rooms and
the technical facilities in aid of
production. Sitting on over 19
acres of land, the facility includes
a visitor’s center, parking facilities
and various support buildings.
The soundstages also boast of
solar panels that help support the
energy requirements of the whole
facility.
Designed by California-based
architecture firm Bastien and
Associates together with Filipino
firm AIDEA and consultants from
Hollywood-based
Manhattan
Beach Studios, these represent a
new wave of soundstage design
customized for the Philippine
climate.
Following
the
intensive
training camp for production staff
and crew, the studios will host
the productions of upcoming
teleserye, “The Faithful Wife”,
and
the
much-anticipated
updated film version of Filipina
super comic hero, “Darna”, in the
second quarter of 2019.
Work on the soundstages
started as early as 2010 with
various members of the executive
and production teams visiting
facilities in South Korea, Mexico,
North America, Europe and Asia
to understand the nuances of
soundstage work. The project
proper started in Q1 of 2014 with
construction commencing May
2017.
For more on ABS-CBN new
soundstages, click on TOUR:
Inside ABS-CBN’s enormous
Horizon sound stages.●