Ogie Alcasid, serious comedian

Ogie Alcasid has been making us laugh on Bubble Gang ever since the show started 11 years ago. We’ve seen him grow with the show, and we never get tired of his jokes. What makes this funny man tick? Aside from a sense of humor, Ogie’s determination and perseverance has made him a success not only in the field of comedy, but in singing and business as well. “We’re on our 11th year and we’re still kicking!" Ogie says proudly, referring to Bubble Gang. Keeping Up with the Times When asked what qualities the show has that has made it one of, if not the longest, running gag shows in the country Ogie says, “Aside from the tremendous pool of talent that we have here, aside from the actors, production and everybody else involved, there is also the sense of family. We treat the show very seriously, although I know its comedy. Ogie, who is one of the country’s premiere comedians, still finds ways to challenge himself on the Bubble Gang set. “Every week is a challenge," he admits. “There’s a fact that you’re on your 11th year and you don’t want to… rest on your laurels. At the same time, Bitoy and I and I guess the rest are not getting any younger, so the challenge is to remain fresh and to not make it seem that we are 11 years old. We have to be current." Being current, a must in the comedy business, is harder than it sounds. “Sometimes, when you are deep into your work it’s hard to be current especially when you are not really abreast with what’s goings on with society or even what the young generation is into… which is actually a huge chuck of our audience," Ogie explains. This is why for Ogie, as well as for everyone on the show, what comes out in Bubble Gang is always a labor of love. As a comedian, Ogie draws inspiration from his daily experiences. To him, what’s important is not fitting into the norm. “For Bubble Gang-type comedy, you have to think out of the box," he explains. “You have to get into a mold (when) you are acting but at the same time, you try to be as natural as possible because comedy works when it looks real or when it reflects reality." Staying Involved Ogie isn’t the kind of actor who just waits for a script and blindly follows it. He makes sure to suggest jokes and gags for the show. “I don’t put my name on the CBB," he says modestly. “I just think (of ideas) and then I tell them (about it). If they think its good, then we execute it if not then we don’t."starsWhat’s great about Ogie is that he’s an active participant not just in Bubble Gang, but for his other shows as well. “I think I’ve always been an active participant in most of my shows," Ogie says. “As an actor ako yung gagawa, so I’d better pitch some ideas that I think I’ll be comfortable with and that I think is funny." As part of an established generation of comedians, Ogie is slightly disappointed about the rate that local comedy is growing. When asked what he thinks of the younger comedians today, Ogie said, “Who’s younger than us? I think we are the younger generation… especially because mostly Bitoy has set the “barometer" for today’s brand of comedy. I’d like to think that I’m a part of that. It’s hard for me to see yet among the younger ones… it seems that comedy had stopped evolving since the gag show has come in…" Ogie also draws inspiration for his comedic idols. “I admire of course sila Bossing (Vic Sotto), Joey de Leon and the rest of Eat Bulaga guys, but I think the other actors in GMA like sila Janno Gibbs, I think they are brilliant in what they do and yeah, iba kasi yung ginagawa nila sa ginagawa namin. They are naughtier I suppose, and yeah, I think naughty works!" A Variety of Roles Aside from GMA shows Bubble Gang, and SOP, Ogie also stars in Ay, Robot!, a sitcom that airs on QTV. His role in the latter is very different from what he does in Bubble Gang because instead of playing different characters and acting out gags, he has to maintain one character, Douglas. “Ay, Robot!, I enjoy because you are playing a part and your character is consistent in the sense na…week in and week out you are that person, and for that character to be dynamic is a challenge," Ogie shares. “Sitcoms are very difficult because it has to work form day one because if it doesn’t, then you’ve got to keep changing (formulas) until it sitcom works."starsHe adds, “I believe, I may be wrong, but it seems that the TV viewer has a short attention span. I think of a narrative that works. You’ve got to have a show with a lot of visuals, which is what we are trying to do now in Ay, Robot! It seems to be working. Also, the challenge there is to be funny without offending anyone. We try to be as wholesome as we can which is a challenge." Just in case you’ve been hiding under a rock all this time, Ogie is more than just an actor. He’s a singer, a song writer, a music producer, an entrepreneur, and a father. How does he manage to juggle all these responsibilities? “You strike a balance by evaluating which is more important to you," Ogie says. “Of course, if you ask me the most important thing to me is family. I go home to my family and spend time with them." He’s lucky because in terms of work, everything he does just seems to fit together like pieces in a puzzle. “As for work, everything that I have seems to complement to each other in the sense that I’m forever writing songs — its a hobby which has turned into a profession — comedy, I do twice a week and I sing once a week in SOP and if I have concerts then I sing there, too," Ogie shares. “They all seem to fit in so anything that I add, let’s say a movie, I’ll probably have a nervous breakdown so I try not to that too much." Ogie’s mall-going fans have surely seen Ogie Doggie, the actor’s hotdog stand. This business venture came, believe it or not, from the actor’s love for hotdogs! “(I started) Ogie Doggie simply because I like hotdogs and I felt that food was a good way to express my desire for business. It was my first exposure to really getting into entrepreneurship and I’m happy that its there." Ogie has also just recently started a production company with Regine Velasquez and some other close friends called Indie Music. They have a lot of exciting projects coming up, one of which is Dennis Trillo’s debut album! “That’s in the pipeline actually," Ogie confides. “First, we’re producing Regine’s album. Second is the album of a group called Mom’s Kicked the New Man, and third will be Dennis’s studio album." Ogie Alcasid is a man that’s constantly brimming with ideas. Nobody can tell what he’s going to do next, and that’s why we love him! - iGMA