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Actors make a killing on TV

There was a time when the local movie industry released as many as 350 to 400 titles a year. Today, with the tough competition from Hollywood blockbusters with budgets that average $100 million per picture and rampant piracy, that number has dropped to probably less than 50, not counting the indie films, of course.

A-listers like Bong Revilla, Vic Sotto, Aga Muhlach, Sharon Cuneta and Vilma Santos used to make three to five movies a year. Today, they're lucky if they come out in just a single movie. So, how have these highly-paid stars coped with the paucity of film assignments?

Bong and Vilma are now busy with their thriving political careers although senator Bong does surface once a year in the Metro Manila Film Festival. The Star for All Seasons has talked about a film project or two but none materialized last year.

Bossing is always present in the MMFF but he's logged more hours in the medium that I consider the savior of movie stars like Shawie and Binoe—television. (Others say that honor partly belongs to indie films but these are low-budget productions. Actors take a major cut in their talent fees and cannot depend on indies to pay the rent. TV, on the other hand, has more attractive budgets for performers.)

Lucrative for character actors

Television has become a steady source of assignments especially for character actors. Eddie Garcia and Gloria Romero are still in great demand after several decades in the industry while other actors their age have already retired or passed away.

In ABS-CBN's teleserye, "Budoy," lead star Gerald Anderson plays opposite competent actors like Barbara Perez, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Mylene Dizon, Janice de Belen, Tirso Cruz III and Dante Rivero. Networks turn to them when they need reliable talents to take on supporting roles.

Unfortunately, the episode of "Budoy" that I watched recently did not really give too many chances for these veterans to display their talents. Mylene was limited to reacting to Enrique Gil as BJ, who's at the ledge of a tall building, threatening to jump unless he gets the truth about his real mom.

The other highlight of the episode had the mentally challenged Budoy, portrayed convincingly by Gerald Anderson, breaking down after being rebuffed by his girlfriend's mom. He then jumps into the swimming pool, to kill himself?

Unfortunately, that is answered in a spoiler—the preview to the next episode as Budoy is shown alive.

A chance for supporting actors to shine (or not)

Zsa Zsa and Janice had a confrontation scene without the traditional hysterics in a soap. There was no slapping scene. The two managed to show their hatred for one another without physical violence.

Tirso, meanwhile, had forgettable scenes while Barbara did not even have dialogue.

Mark Gil and Bembol Roco were luckier in that in their ABS-CBN teleserye, "Ikaw Ay Pagibig," they had more screen time than their counterparts in "Budoy."

Mark played a congressman being investigated by police officer Bembol of stealing the statue of the baby Jesus. Mark played it cool even as he roughed up the son of Bembol. He managed to show his evil character without raising his voice or using exaggerated facial expression. Bembol was believable as a crusading law enforcer.

With GMA, ABS-CBN and TV5 producing more teleseryes in 2012, our talented character actors can expect more assignments and make a killing in the television industry.