BY NEIL RAMOS
We know Benjie Paras mostly as a former hard court star who ultimately did good as actor.
Capable as he is in both aspects, we never really thought of him as someone actually skilled enough to develop a whole show on his own. But he did. And it has nothing to do with basketball at all.
Paras conceptualized the hit paranormal comedy series “Ghost Adventures” now on its second season.
He revealed in a press conference how he cultivated the idea out of his love for anything supernatural.
“Nung araw kasi, bata pa ako, mahilig na ako talaga sa mga horror, sa mga ghost stories, sa paranormal,” he shared, intimating that very much like Cole Sears in “The Sixth Sense,” he can sort of see dead people.
“Oo, meron, nakakakita ako,” he said, relating how he even agitated a lady ghost while in Baguio City.
In any case, the idea germinated in his head until it interspersed with his love for comedy.
“Dahil nga sa nahilig din ako sa mga nakakatawa, sa comedy, and yun na rin nga ang ginagawa ko as actor, isang beses, naisip ko bakit hindi kaya pagsamahin ang dalawang ideya? So dun nagsimula ang ‘Ghost Adventures.’”
Of course, the idea is not original and Paras readily acknowledged the fact.
“Oo, marami na rin nga akong napanood na mga pelikula na pareho yung premise sa amin, yung tipong humans being able to communicate with ghosts, pero kadalasan kasi drama, seryoso e, ayoko nang ganun. Gusto ko yung light lang, nakakatawa so dun kami. Thankful naman ako na nagustuhan ng Viva ang idea.”
Note that Paras is involved in everything relating to the project, even the script.
“Ang sa akin gusto ko lang din magawa ng maayos ang show and thankful ako sa production, sa director namin, sa mga co-stars ko, na lahat sila game sa pasahan ng mga ideas so smooth ang flow.”
He believes the return of the show on Oct. 31, (6 p.m. via TV5) is quite timely given the current pandemic.
“Ang idea kasi is to make people laugh despite the situation. Konting saya, mapangiti sila, and sa tingin naman namin we were able to do that,” Paras said.
