How to find them, how to train them, and how to deal with their egos along the way: the gospel according to Starmaker Johnny Manahan.Looks. Pardon the pun, but let's face it—that's the first prerequisite to celebrityhood. Ask Johnny Manahan, and he will affirm that above anything, it really starts with looks. Nowadays, good looks may not necessarily mean beautiful or handsome, because on can have that thing called the X-factor. However, it's not enough that one passes the criteria in the looks department. Next come talent, charisma, personality or character, and a gift fro constant reinvention.
No doubt Mr. M, as Johnny Manahan is fondly called, has every right to be called a starmaker. Having been in showbiz for more than 30 years, he has witnessed the rise and fall of many stars. He has dealt with stars as director, and for the past 14 years, as a manager, as ABS-CBN Star Magic (formerly the Talent Center ), as senior vice-president of ABS-CBN. As much as he would prefer to keep the relationship professional, mentorship is automatic. It's as they say in school: in loco parentis, or in place of the father. Listen to all those stars during their thank-you speeches at every birthday celebration or awards night, and they're all thanking the same people.
Mr. M started on television with pre-martial law ABS-CBN. He moved to Channels 9 and 13 to work on the children's show Kaluskos Musmos and the sitcom Chicks to Chicks, and returned to ABS-CBN when it reopened in 1986. The relaunch was successful, but the problem was, they had no stars, because at that time, the stars were under contract with movie studios Regal, Seiko and Viva. It was April 1992 when then ABS-CBN president and chief operating officer Freddie Garcia and Johnny Manahan came up with the idea of creating a stable of new stars exclusively for ABS-CBN.
October that same year, Ang TV!, the hit youth afternoon show, was launched. The TV series spawned many mall shows, live concerts and record albums. Ang TV! Was also the door through which the young Claudine Barretto, Jolina Magdangal, Camille Prats, Victor Neri, Paolo Contis, and many more entered showbiz. Later in November 1995, Star Circle Batch 1 was launched, led by the late Rico Yan.
According to Mr. M, initially, the most difficult thing was to find these potential young stars. They were novices in the first audition, which attracted thousands of aspiring stars in 1992.
But more than handling auditions, what was important was the eye for prospective stars, which Mr. M definitely has. After meeting different “creatures” through the years, one develops an instinct or intuition about who will make it or not. But then again, some have to wait a while, because they might be too young or too raw. He can easily recognize that certain rare spark, or that “magic.”
Everyone starts very young, but at that age (around 14), you already see the star quality in them. With Claudine, who happened to be talent No. 1, Mr. M instantly saw that she would be a monster—a monster star, that is! “With her, there's mutual respect,” he says. “We also respect her talent. Angelica, it's like we knew her since birth. She started very young, and there's this “strangeness” about her. Her eyes say a lot, and her acting has an edge. Kristine was not interested in showbiz. She accompanied her sister to an audition, but we also noticed her. At that age, despite her being gangly, you couldn't ignore her luminous beauty. She really has the most beautiful face. It's basically the same for the rest. You see something different in each and every one of them.”
The young ladies on the cover are Star Magic's jewels. This was Claudine's last pictorial as an unmarried woman. By the time this issue comes out, she will be a wife. She was Star Magic Number 1. The others will continue the magic forever.
For Mr. M, most stars are born rather than made. Almost anyone can be trained, but you just have to have “it.” At ABS-CBN, someone who wants to be an artista must go through a lot. There's the initial audition, where one battles a thousand hopefuls. This will be trimmed down to around 200, from whom 20-30 will be picked to undergo rigorous training for around four months. They will have to attend acting workshops, personality development courses, workshops on speech and voice, martial arts, sex education, hosting and public relations. In most cases, everyone goes through physical enhancement sessions. They are enrolled in gyms and dance lessons, and they are brought to dermatologists and professional stylists.
Then comes the “launch.” You are now one of the members of Star Circle ! Now, if you think you've made it, think again. The actual test comes after the launch. You will now show what you are really made of, and be judged by the real world. Even after a few weeks, it will be evident if one has what it takes to be a star. Of course, it could also be that “it is not yet your time.” Take the case of Bea Alonozo. Bea was discovered in a beauty contest, and was brought to what was then ABS-CBN's Talent Center to audition. She underwent the usual auditions, and was called to a lot of go-sees. She was then asked to undergo workshops. She will never forget those days. Right after school, she would pass by the church, then take the MRT and the tricycle to ABS-CBN, just to attent the workshops. Her fame did not happen overnight; it took years. Bea was launched with the Star Circle Batch 10 and as one of the “K2BU girls,” but this still did not make her the Bea Alonzo that she is today. She was then included in the cast of the teleserye Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay, and that was where she finally got noticed. That was the start of the John Lloyd Cruz-Bea Alonso loveteam.
Making it is no easy task, but to maintain one's “star” is even more difficult. Way back in the LVN and Sampaguita era, potential stars were either discovered or brought to studio heads. They had to abide by strict rules, and were well-instructed and polished in the social graces. In other words, stars were like rare gems. Then came shows like That's Entertainment and the talent searches. Nothing wrong with those; as they always say, “the more, the merrier.” The thing is, when there are too many stars in the constellation, it takes a lot more to “shine” or be noticed and sustain the interest. Which is why nowadays, longevity in showbiz in quite rare.
ABS-CBN Star Magic has made and developed stars. It has also seen them come and go, some seeking greener pastures elsewhere. Some stars have their own aspirations for their respective careers. The network might have certain plans, which the stars do not agree with. So, they leave. “With some, there are really disagreements, because it may be that the artist or Star Magic did something wrong,” Mr. M says. “Everyone's entitled to make mistakes. However, there is always forgiveness in the end. Now, there are stars who make mistakes and have no contrition. If that's the case, you let go, because how can we manage someone who is not manageable?” Mr. M draws the line when they are disrespectful. As they always say, no one is indispensable—there's always someone waiting in the wings.
Because stars come and go, Mr. M never stops reminding artists to save, as the number of stars' relatives and friends increases tenfold when they become famous. He also constantly instills in them the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, keeping their minds and bodies fit, and keeping a positive attitude.
When asked if Star Magic has favorites, Mr. M says simply, “We favor people with talent.”
And the pasaways? There was only one artist who was really difficult to deal with, and Star Magic released this artist way before the management contract expired. “Let's put it this way,” Mr. M says. “Almost everyone tries to be bull-headed at one time or another, but in the end, I'm still the most bull-headed of them all!”
