The king of comedy has left the building—the ABS-CBN building, that is, and he’s moving to Manny Pangilinan’s fledgling network TV5.
In a phone interview with Inquirer Entertainment on Monday, Dolphy confirmed the move.
“Nag-pa-plano na kami ng bagong show, mismong si Manny ang nakausap ko at ang top brass ng TV5,” he said.
Dolphy is an endorser of Smart, the telecommunications giant headed by Pangilinan.
Dolphy said he informed ABS-CBN, through Entertainment head Linggit Tan, of his impending transfer during the recent birthday party of ABS-CBN TV host Willie Revillame.
He sensed that ABS-CBN didn’t take his decision well. “Mukhang masama ang loob. Pero pinaliwanag ko naman na unfair sa akin. Tatlong taon na akong walang trabaho.”
“Utoy,” his last project with ABS-CBN, was shelved, he said.
“I felt as if I was taken for granted. Sabi nila inaalala lang daw nila ang health ko. Parang tinuring nila na retired na ako,” he said.
He’s far from retired, he asserted. “Hinahanap ng katawan ko ang trabaho.”
The veteran comedian said: “Saka wala naman akong existing contract ngayon kaya di naman ako puwedeng pigilan.”
A meeting with ABS-CBN big boss Gabby Lopez was proposed. “Pero committed na ako sa TV5,” Dolphy said, though details of his non-exclusive deal with TV5 were still being finalized.
He said he wasn’t a priority in ABS-CBN: “Telenovela at drama ang focus nila ngayon. Hindi comedy.”
It is ironic that a theater in the ABS-CBN studios is named after this new TV5 recruit. “Nagpapasalamat ako doon, pero trabaho ang gusto ko,” he quipped in jest.
He agreed with fellow senior star Susan Roces’ that veteran stars shouldn’t be bound by exclusive contracts. (Roces also moved from ABS to GMA 7.)
“Dapat ang gawin nilang exclusive ang mga maliliit na artista… sila ang kailangan ng job security. Mas maganda na ang mga veteran na artista ay puwedeng magtrabaho kahit saan. Ilang taon na lang ang panahon ko sa trabaho, gusto ko lang sulitin.”
Dolphy’s son Eric Quizon will direct the planned TV5 sitcom; two other sons, Vandolph and Epy Quizon, will co-star.
But the comedian said he wasn’t turning his back on his old home. “Nasa puso ko ang Dos. Doon ako nagsimula. For the meantime, pabayaan muna nila ako sa TV5. Pero anytime na kailangan ako ng ABS-CBN, nandito lang ako.”
Dolphy said he was overwhelmed by the reception he got from Pangilinan and other TV5 execs during a meeting last week. “Welcome na welcome ako. Na-touch ako. Naramdaman ko na importante pa rin ako,” he said. (By Bayani San Diego Jr./inquirer.net)
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