ACTOR Richard Yap has admitted that there was so much pressure doing scenes with John Lloyd Cruz in the new Star Cinema film “Just the 3 of Us” which also stars Jennylyn Mercado.
“Everybody knows he’s the King of Drama. It’s the first time I’m working with him. The first time it was not so bad. It’s just a light scene. And then there was a scene that was a little bit heavier. That was the time I had to keep up,” said Yap, during an interview in “Tonight with Boy Abunda” over ABS-CBN.
“With all these experiences and all the movies he has made, he really has an edge so you can see it comes naturally to him,” Yap added.
But Yap said he was thankful he worked with Cruz and direk Cathy Molina “because they were very supportive.”
“Direk Cathy showed me the ropes and gave me some tips. She’s a very good motivator. Binabagay n’ya sa ’yo kung ano ‘yung eksena rin,” he added.
Yap said that “Just” will be the shown in cinemas nationwide on April 27. On April 26, there will be a red carpet premier at the SM Megamall cinema. International screenings will be held later.
Asked how he stays younger, Yap said that he eats right like avoiding chocolates and works out three to four times a week. He does not go out to gimmick.
“It’s an effort. You have to work hard at it. You have to eat right and you have to work out. On eating, you have to give up the food you really love. You cut down on sweets, carbs,” said Yap, also one of the stars of the new Kapamilya series “My Super D” topbilled by Dominique Ochoa and Bianca Manalo.
When asked if he considers himself sexy, Yap, who is pure Chinese, smiled and said: “I can’t say for myself.”
Fight vs domestic violence
Yap, 48, also said that he is helping a foundation that fights domestic violence.
“It’s a project between me and a company. They have this foundation which supports a call center where in you can report violence against women. It’s about domestic violence,” Yap said.
“So they are trying to help people here in the Philippines to be more aware of domestic violence and that it should not be okay,” he said.
Abunda said that one in every 53 minutes, a woman is raped around the world. One in every 20 minutes is actually battered or is a victim of violence, the multi-awarded broadcast journalist added.
“Violence is never an expression of love,” Abunda said.
“It is also our duty and responsibility as parents, cousins, friends to tell the people that we bring up our children and teach them the value that violence is not okay,” Yap said.
“You can see it’s grown worse through the years. There were girls who were raped in their teens, now it’s children.
The values of the people have deteriorated,” Yap added.
Fast talk
During the “Fast Talk” portion of the show, Yap was asked to choose between sex and chocolates.
“Sex. Bawal sa akin ang chocolates,” Yap laughed.
On “the best time for sex,” Yap said: “Anytime where you can still do it.”
Yap said that he sees himself retiring from show business at 55. But before turning 50, he said that he wanted to try skydiving.
Papa Chen or Sir Chief is married to Melody Yap, a former flight stewardess for Philippine Air Lines. They have two children.