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There's much more to this guy than his colorful retro clothes and notorious rep for wooing the gals.
We know him as the blond half of Ariel, the one who wears "Only" in his flamboyant bling necklace. But there's much more to this guy than his colorful retro clothes and notorious rep for wooing the gals. Text by Jillian Q. Gatcheco. Photos by Mitch S. Mauricio. How he became Maverick Believe it or not, his real name is actually "Anthony." So how in the world did he end up with "Maverick?" He explains, "Ang storya niyan, noong college ako, ang nickname mo [kasi] pag Anthony ka, 'Tune.' Noong nag-aaral po ako sa flying school, tinanong nila ako, 'Anthony, what's your nickname?' And that time, medyo porma ko, Tom Cruise, e. Kamukha ko si Tom Cruise, one time in my life only!" At that time, Tom Cruise's movie Top Gun (1986) was a big hit, and Anthony thought of using Tom's character, Maverick, as his nickname. "So yun, [tapos] sumikat naman [yung pangalan]." "But actually, Maverick kasi, it's not a name—it’s a word. It means 'weird, odd, and different.' And my personality is like that. So doon [ako] na-associate. Kaya maverick pala talaga [ako]. Abnormal ako, e!" A different path Maverick actually went to flying school in college to become a pilot, but he later on realized that it wasn't his calling. "Hindi ko na rin po tinuloy, bumili na lang ako ng kotse! Kasi hindi rin naman po ako magiging piloto, e! Kasi during that time, yung PAL (Philippine Airlines), may sarili silang flying school. Tapos lahat ng ka-batch ko, [nahirapan din maghanap ng trabaho], so nag-artista ako, na wala naman sa pangarap ko noon! "Ang gusto ko po talaga, maging astronaut e, kasi nga bata pa lang ako, sabi sa akin ng lolo ko, 'Alam mo, Anthony, mag-astronaut ka na lang.' Sabi ko, 'Bakit?' Sabi niya, 'Kasi pag laki mo, matututunan mo sa buhay na ang mga babae, they need space. Kaya, pag astronaut ka na, pag sinabi sa'yo ng girlfriend mo o asawa mo that they need space, hindi ka mabo-bore, kasi sanay ka na sa space, e!" That’s Maverick for you—you'll never know when he'll start cracking a joke! The costumes In college, Maverick got extra cash by hosting events and coordinating for weddings. "I was a wedding coordinator and wedding host for five years," he imparts. "And I was wearing [a retro costume] noong ikinasal ako. Akala ko nga, hindi na ako ikakasal!" Yes, Maverick is married! That rep about being a player is only a front, because he's been happily married all this time! He spills that all his retro clothes that we see on TV are custom-made. "Actually, yung TF (talent fee) namin, sa porma lang napupunta, e! Magastos ang porma!" he exclaims. "Actually, madalas po ako pumikit-mata pag may binibili, for the love of the game [lang], kasi ang mahal! For the love of Atty. Felipe Gozon!" He shares that a typical suit would cost him at least P5,000—and that’s the cheapest it could get. "Hindi naman kami pwedeng umulit [ng damit], bawal sa vocabulary ko yang umulit!" Who had the idea of wearing costumes for Ariel and Maverick's showbiz image? Maverick explains, "Actually, ako po nagsimula niyan dahil galing ako sa events—hiphop, rave party, retro. Kaso, magastos yung idea!" Wit vs. humor If given a choice, Maverick says he'd rather have wit than humor. "Wit is different from humor, e. Gusto ko, may ibig sabihin if I deliver something. Madaling magpatawa—it's easy to be laughed at, to make people laugh. But to make people laugh with sense, na mapapaisip sila, [that’s different]. "I think you can only have wit when you read. Humor is gained from experience. But to have wit, you have to read, research, and experience at the same time." When asked how long he plans to be in show business, he replies, "Hanggang hindi pa po nahahalatang matanda na! Kasi bata pa po kami! Sila Joey [de Leon] naman, hindi halatang [60 +] years old na!" Future plans "I can be a comedian, but I can also be serious," Maverick imparts. "Mapapaisip po kayo kung niloloko ko kayo o hindi." He dreams of having a talk show someday a la Jay Leno's Tonight Show, where he could tackle both serious and funny stuff. "Actually, may plano rin po akong gawing [local] show yung [MTV's] Pimp My Ride. Kasi mahilig din po ako sa kotse. Kunwari, kotse niyo, nanakawin ko ng ocho oras, pag balik ko sa inyo, bago na. Libre lahat!" Maverick actually doesn't have a manager—he prefers to handle his projects on his own. "I used to have one, pero ngayon wala na." What's his advice to aspiring artists these days? "Well, if you're in showbiz, wag lalaki ulo mo. Ang ugali mo dapat, hindi ka taga-showbiz. [Sa] intriga? I'm not a matinee idol to have an intriga, e! Sikat na po ako, wala pang intriga, e!" he jokes. Catch Maverick with Ariel every Wednesday before Saksi!