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There is this image of Mark Anthony Fernandez: ‘90s matinee idol, former Guwapings member and present-day leading man. Has the clock stopped ticking? It is as though he has never aged. The modern day Dorian Gray has only one secret to having that youthful charm and topnotch acting skills: be multi-faceted.

There is this image of Mark Anthony Fernandez: ‘90s matinee idol, former Guwapings member and present-day leading man.

Has the clock stopped ticking? It is as though he has never aged. The modern day Dorian Gray has only one secret to having that youthful charm and topnotch acting skills: be multi-faceted.

Multi-faceted, he definitely is. He has tried his hand at action stardom, being a romantic lead and the knight in shining armor. All he wants is to break from his own shell and go against the flow.

The handsome chinito actor states, “My dream roles are different for theater and TV. If you’re asking me what works for me on TV, I would choose Starzan, the Tarzan parody popularized by Joey de Leon before. I would love to do a remake of that for television. You see, contrary to popular belief, I’m a really funny guy.”

He continues, “I’d like to be a comedian. If I were to act full-time, 24/7, it would have to be comedy. I love comedy so much, I even got my son’s name from the movie, The Mask. Jim Carrey’s leading lady there was Cameron Diaz, so I named my son Cameron.”

Making other people laugh, according to Mark, should come from within. It is all about having a good outlook, which would shine through in one’s aura.

He shares, “I’m a holy man. Have you seen the film, Holy Man? I try to be like Eddie Murphy’s character there. He’s always happy and positive and leads a peaceful life. That is my mantra.”

The same mantra is Mark’s special weapon in keeping his debonair appeal. He adds, “I also play a lot of basketball and I do a lot of research. I’m a voracious reader. Reading is mental gymnastics. It’s as important as physical fitness.”

While others go for best-selling books, Mark goes back to the basics from 2,000 years ago.

He reveals, “I’m into classical Greek philosophy. I’ve learned so much from Plato and Aristotle. They really convinced me that the pursuit of knowledge is worthwhile.” He applies this pursuit of knowledge in the characters that he plays on screen. Right now, Mark has an upcoming GMA Telebabad series called Rhodora X.

On his character, he says, “He’s a rich son of a rich man who helps someone recuperate from her tragedy. He’s an enigmatic hopeless romantic.”

Mark mentions that Rhodora X is darker, more mysterious and more thought-provoking than your usual run-of-the-mill teleserye. Is the Filipino audience ready for something like this?

“You know, our audience is smart already. We have a margin already, basing from the structure of Western dramas and plays. The barometer is William Shakespeare. Never underestimate Filipino creative minds because we have produced writers as great as Rolando Tinio. ‘80s people know this. Today’s generation should know this,” states Mark.

Catch Mark Anthony Fernandez’s return to Primetime via Rhodora X! Don’t miss it on 2014 only on GMA Telebabad.

-Text by Samantha Portillo, Photo by Bochic Estrada, GMANetwork.com