Dolphy’s humility in the face of public adoration was one endearing measure of his success. This modesty shone through one of the last full-length interviews he did, in 2010 with Jessica Soho. He admitted that he was never comfortable being called the “Comedy King.”
“Parang nayayabangan ako. Baka kasi isipin ng tao, ako talaga ang nagpursigeng maging Comedy King. Pero hindi, talagang nagamay na ng taong tinatawag ako ng ganun,” he said during the interview, which originally aired on “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho” in 2010 as part of a series about Filipino icons. Though he was one of the few celebrities who never really went out of style, Dolphy told Soho that he understood the ups and downs of showbiz. “May time tayo ng pagsikat. May time na sa tugatog ka. May time na pababa ‘yan, siyempre. May time na wala ka na,” he said.
It wasn’t the promise of fame, but the desire to make people happy that attracted Dolphy to showbiz. Naturally serious off-camera, Dolphy said that he initially didn’t want to do comedy but found himself hooked by the pleasure of making others laugh. “Parang nililipad ka ng anghel sa langit,” he said. Though he sired 18 children with six different women, Dolphy was equally reluctant to admit he had any Casanova qualities. “Actually, hindi naman ako pala-ligaw na pala-ligaw talaga, eh. Palatingin lang ako. Pero ‘yung tingin ko sa ‘yo parang hini-hypnotize na kitang ganun, parang halika, akin ka.”
"Malandi ako talaga,” he confessed. But he did find his match in Zsa Zsa Padilla, his one true love who became his partner for the last two decades. Dolphy remained humble even when confronted by his own mortality. He confirmed to Jessica the rumor that he’d already bought his own coffin. He was also one of the first to buy a family estate at Loyola Memorial Park. As someone of deep faith, he was already preparing for death years before he passed away. He did have one last simple wish, which he shared with Jessica. This was how he wanted to be remembered by the Filipinos he inspired and entertained: "Gusto ko nakangiti sila pag nabanggit yung pangalan ko. [Gusto ko] ngumingiti ka, may maiwanang ngiti sa ‘yo.” —Angel Bombarda/PF/HS, GMA News
To watch Jessica Soho’s full interview with Dolphy from 2010, tune in to “Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho” this Saturday, July 14 at 8:15PM on GMA Network.
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