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Much like his character in Codename: Asero, Richard Gomez, or “Goma,” also lives a double life.
Much like his character in “Codename: Asero,” Richard Gomez, or “Goma,” also lives a double life. We see him as the epitome of a Pinoy movie star: handsome, award-winning, and a sportsman to boot. But the truth is, he’s at his happiest beyond showbiz—when he’s bonding with his daughter Juliana, indulging in his love for photography, or playing baseball on weekends. Take a peek into his world here. Text by Jillian Q. Gatcheco. Photos by Mitch S. Mauricio Ibsen vs. Zeus It is Goma’s second time to be Richard Gutierrez’s nemesis in a primetime series; the first was as Viel Villan in Mars Ravelo’s Captain Barbell (2006), and now in Codename: Asero as Ibsen Abesamis/Zeus. His two names indicate his dual identity in the show: as Ibsen, he is a loving and affectionate father and husband to his family (which includes Richard Gutierrez, Joanne Quintas and Ysa Villar), but as Zeus, he is the leader of a secret agency called “Empire,” which has the aim of destroying “The Advocate, its counterpart and enemy. “In Asero, I’m very arrogant, I’m very cruel, very straightforward,” Goma explains. “When I’m at home, I’m Ibsen, but at the agency, my name is Zeus.” The show starts off with Ibsen (Richard Gomez) and Grecko (Richard Gutierrez) as a typical father-son tandem, completely unaware of their secret identities and conflicting interests. Grecko, after all, is also Agent Phoenix, the Advocate’s star agent and the Empire’s number one impediment. But their paths cross when a cruel twist of fate reveals Grecko’s identity to Zeus (Ibsen’s alter ego). The show’s third week is crucial, because this is the time when the Empire defeats Agent Phoenix and transforms him into a cyborg (half-human, half-robot). Goma shares that he’ll have the chance to teach Richard how to do target shooting, archery, and fencing. “He found it easy to learn how to shoot a shotgun,” Goma spills. “[Those are my weapons] of choice here—shotgun and sword.” It is Goma’s first time to do science fiction for the small screen, and he says that special effects and computer graphics will definitely play a big part in this show. “It’s another treat from GMA,” he says. “A lot of people are tired already of heavy drama, [so] it’s time to fantasize once again, especially now that people are into information technology and robotics.” Beyond showbiz Like most veteran actors who have proven their worth, Goma prefers to have his own time instead of filling up his schedule with showbiz commitments. “This is what’s keeping me busy,” he says of Asero. “I don’t like spending my whole day or week just being on the set. I like to have my own life also, out of showbiz.” Instead, he is a full-time dad to daughter Juliana and a baseball hobbyist on weekends. “It’s really fun having Juliana, ‘cos she’s really talkative already, she tells you how she feels, and she can already express herself,” he says. Goma also used to direct commercials and sometimes does it for Sweet Life, his wife Lucy Torres-Gomez’s talk show on QTV 11. “I used to direct a lot of commercials, but it became very time consuming. I love to direct, but if I were to direct, I’d love to direct a talk show; a live show—not a drama series.” It’s comforting to know that despite movie star status, Goma still has elements of normalcy in his life. “A typical weekend for me is a baseball game—there’s an ongoing baseball tournament and I’m a part of it.” When he’s not playing baseball, on the set, or being a family man, Goma indulges in his love for photography and the outdoors. An upcoming movie? It’s been quite some time since Goma’s last appearance on the big screen, and we asked him if he has any plans to have a movie comeback. “Yeah, it’s been a long time. Of course there are a lot of plans, but we don’t know which one will push through,” he answers. Goma’s last big movie was a Joel Lamangan flick in 2003 titled Filipinas, opposite “Diamond Star” Maricel Soriano. After that, Richard took a break from starring roles and opted to have cameo stints in flicks like Pinoy Blonde (2005) and Eternity (2006). According to him, he’s been reading synopses of movie offers, but there’s nothing concrete yet. “GMA asked me to do one project, but until GMA says it’s a go, then that’s the only time I’ll believe that it’s really a go.” There’s been talk online that he will be in a GMA Films movie tentatively titled “Hula” with Megastar Sharon Cuneta. Let’s just keep posted for updates on this project—and let’s hope it does push through! Is there any other role that Goma would love to portray? “I’d love to do a soldier story,” he replies after some thought. “Kasi whenever we see soldier stories, it’s always how they fight in the field, but we don’t really see the reason why they fight. Is really because of their [desire] for service, because of their principles, because of their beliefs? Or religious affiliations? We don’t really know, e. Or are they there just t earn a living for the family? Ang daming facets of being a solder. [It’ll] nice to show that.” Tune in every night for Codename: Asero, right after 24 Oras!