Tom Rodriguez misses being Marian Rivera's leading man in Amaya

TOM RODRIGUEZ feels great as the leading man of Marian Rivera in “Temptation Island”. “Muntik na kami magkasama sa ‘Amaya’ but ABS asked me to stay with them,” he says. “So at least, di man kami natuloy roon, natuloy kami rito sa ‘Temptation Island’ where I’m the only cast member na with ABS. All of them are from GMA but they’re all very nice to me. Our director, Chris Martinez, asked me to be part of this film and since I’ve worked with him in my very first film, ‘Here Comes the Bride’, I accepted this right away.”

Didn’t he have any qualms showing his body clad only in his briefs in “Temptation Island”? “I’ve appeared before in boxer shorts in ‘Here Comes the Bride’ so I’m really more daring here. Pero okay lang, as long as it’s needed in the movie.”

Most writers think he should’ve been a bigger star now after he made a splash in PBB but it seems ABS isn’t prioritizing him. The show promised to him when he didn’t accept “Amaya” turned out to be “Mana Po”, where he played villain to Melai and Jason. His films after “Here Comes” are with other companies, like “Petrang Kabayo” for Viva where he played a supporting role and now, “Temptation Island” with Regal-GMA Films. “I’m still waiting sa pangako nila. They say I’ll be part of Cristine Reyes’ new soap, ‘Reputasyon’ with Derek Ramsay. Sana, maganda ang role na ibigay sa akin.”

What happened to his singing group in ASAP, Voizboys? “Wala na. It was dissolved by Mr. M. I’m hoping to audition for a play sana as I want to try musical theatre.”

He was seated with Mikael Daez on the set of “Temptation Island” as we talked to him and told him: He’s the one who took your place as Marian’s partner in ‘Amaya’. “Yes, I know. Suwerte nga niya.”

So how is it working with Marian? “I was kind of intimidated at first as she’s GMA’s top actress, but she made me feel comfortable agad. Ang bait nga niya. At astig. She drove the big 4by4 jeep we use sa sand dunes by herself at nakaya niya.”