Back to Basics

Even as a kid, he already had the talent for making people laugh. As he matured, he ventured into other genres and proved that he could always give a great performance. But after all the twists and turns he has been through in his career, he returns to where his heart truly belongs: comedy. Text by Jessa Ericka C. Bien Paolo Contis taps his inherent knack for comedy as the funny Paul, Peter (Joey Marquez) and Mario’s (Raymart Santiago) housemate and business partner in GMA’s new sitcom, Who’s Your Daddy Now? (WYDN). “Proud ako kasi ever since I went to GMA, lahat ng ginawa ko soap opera. But I really started with comedy, so ever since I wanted to do comedy. Para sa akin, parang comeback ko ito and ngayon excited ako.” he remarks. And what exactly makes comedy so special for him? He says it is its light nature that draws him to loving the job more than anything. “It comes natural to me so I love doing comedy. Hindi ako nahihirapan. Kumbaga, ano ko ito, rest na work. I always look forward to Wednesdays (WYDN’s taping day) kasi nagpapahinga (ako habang) nagtatrabaho.” he explains. He then asserts that his character Paul is not far from the real him. “Kumbaga sa barkada, ako ‘yung magulo, ako ‘yung masaya.” As Paolo is already used to doing gag shows, he says he never finds it hard to be in character whenever he becomes Paul. This, in spite of being part of the ensemble cast of adventure series Asian Treasures where he plays Victor, a sinister villain. “Well in Asian kasi I’m Satan so it’s pretty easy” he jests. “Alam ko na ‘pag dumarating ako dito comedy mode na ako. Doon (kasi) serious boy ako kunwari, (pero) iti’s not hard naman as long as you know your role and kung ano iyong dapat gawin” he notes. Working with excellent actors , including the seasoned dramatic actresses Jean Garcia and Celia Rodriguez, on this comedy show inspires Paolo to always give his best. He also likes the fact that WYDN is a sitcom in its most literal sense because “situational comedy talaga (and) we never say bastos, personal or unnecessary jokes.” “Ingat kami sa mga jokes na maaring maka-offend ng mga tao” he stresses. Catch Paolo show his comic side Monday nights in Who’s Your Daddy Now? You can also share your thoughts about him in the forums.