Showbiz tsismis: News in brief

Big break

Thea Tolentino, winner of the celebrity search competition Protege, is finally getting her biggest break in the new fantasy series Pyra, Babaeng Apoy (Fire Lady) on GMA. She wasn’t the original choice for the series, but the actress is glad the project was eventually assigned to her. The project was originally offered to another GMA artist, Janine Gutierrez, but the show’s producers eventually decided to give the role to Tolentino saying the newbie is a better fit for the role. Tolentino vowed to do all she can to make a mark in her biggest project yet.

Shooting star

At a press conference for her latest film Instant Mommy, top comedienne Eugene Domingo tells the media she wants to be called a Shooting Star. “That’s because I just want to shoot and shoot,” she says, prompting the audience to break out in laughter. It is customary in the industry to put labels on big stars — so Nora Aunor is the ‘one and only superstar’ and Sharon Cuneta is ‘the megastar’. Domingo, who is on a roll this year having made six films in the first half of 2013, doesn’t plan on slowing down. She has a new indie film coming up with Paulo Avelino, entitled Status: It’s Complicated.

New ‘talent’

Award-winning actress Alessandra de Rossi has discovered she has another talent besides acting. De Rossi found this out while working on her newest project — a TV series on GMA called Bayarang Puso (Paid Love) — where she co-stars with gal pal Heart Evangelista. De Rossi said she would just dabble in drawings as a hobby, until Evangelista saw her sketches and told her to try out painting. Encouraged by the feedback, she did a few paintings and is planning to take lessons to improve her new craft. Her ultimate goal is to be able to stage her own exhibit someday.

Strong chances

Now that Megan Young has won the right to represent the Philippines at the Miss World pageant in Indonesia next month, everyone is asking whether she could take home the only crown that has so far eluded Filipina beauty queens. Young, who is a TV host/actress, has so far done well in her media rounds after winning the local pageant. The general observation is she has become more regal in her ways, and has exuded confidence and grace. Leaving nothing to chance, Young is deep in training for Miss World and hopes she will be able to snare the crown in Jakarta.