By Nestor Cuartero
JUST A THOUGHT: The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today. – H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
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ON THE RIGHT TRACK: Surely, Alden Richards is on the right track as an actor, a versatile one. Known as a matinee idol to millions of fans, he is not beyond playing dark characters in movie and TV projects.
After playing one such role in a GMA docu-drama project, “Ala-ala,” a film on the dark days of martial law in the Philippines circa 1970s, Alden recently won a citation from the New York Festivals for his work on the TV drama special.
In the commemorative TV special, the young actor played then student activist leader Bonifacio Ilagan, who faced incarceration and torture in the hands of the military at the onset of the declaration of martial rule by former President Ferdinand Marcos in 1972.
Alden didn’t think twice about being deglamorized for the role, throwing away his popular image as a clean-cut, wholesome idol to many. In an earlier film, he also played a dark character in “The Road,” where he played a serial killer.
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NO TO GOOD BOY ROLES ALL THE TIME: We caught up with Alden recently where, among others, we talked about his career and endorsement choices.
He reiterated his desire to grow furthermore as an actor by playing dark, out of the box characters. “I can’t be playing good boy roles all the time,” he said. He also said he didn’t want to be stuck in romcoms.
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AS WHOLESOME AS PEANUT BUTTER: It’s true, however, that Alden’s good boy reputation has been instrumental in landing choice endorsement projects. The young man, who’s also a restaurateur (Concha’s, off Tomas Morato) said he trusts that audiences are more intelligent now that they can discern character in the face of acting.
One of Alden’s recent endorsements has been for a brand new peanut butter brand, Cookie’s. We first took note of its billboards along SLEX in the form of a teaser, ‘Kilala mo ba si Cookie?’
Turned out the Cookie peanut butter plant is located in nearby Biñan town, owned and operated by couple Cookie and Joy (Abalos) Yatco.
Alden is the young company’s very first celebrity endorser.
His choice as endorser, says Cookie, local town councilor, goes back to his sweet, romantic image.
“Alden is the best celebrity to represent our brand as he is well-loved by millions due to his wholesome, positive image.’’
There we go again.
