Cristine Reyes

YOU didn’t think I’d let 2009 end without another pretty face in this blog, did you?

Of course not, and seeing the lovely Cristine Reyes last night at Attica with some friends is a good excuse as any to dig up a cover story that I wrote on this lovely and talented actress for the December, 2008 issue of MAXIM Philippines.

2009 has been quite a roller coaster ride for Cristine. She made headlines as perhaps the most famous victim of Typhoon Ondoy but she still managed to end the year on a high note as the leading lady of funny man Vic Sotto in the current top grosser of the ongoing Metro Manila Film Festival, Ang Darling Kong Aswang.

And here’s that MAXIM cover story, slightly revised. A little dated but still worth a browse.

Pics taken from Cristine’s Facebook fan page. If you want to see her MAXIM pics, you

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re gonna have to buy the magazine itself. Back issues still available at Book Sale and Filbar

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s.

SPLITTING IMAGE

Ms. Cristine Reyes, 19, is driving us bananas

By EDWIN P. SALLAN

NOW on her fifth year in the entertainment industry, Cristine Reyes is still only in her teens—all 19 summers of it. This year, the younger sibling of the equally drop dead gorgeous Ara Mina has stepped out of Ate’s shadow and has come into her own as a lead star to reckon with.

And a pretty controversial one to boot. In between all the thumbs up that came with every performance, every pictorial, every appearance and just about everything else, Cristine Reyes was a relationship with a matinee idol that led to a public and rather ugly tiff with his estranged girlfriend.

It was a storm that Cristine has weathered quite admirably and now minus the supposed distractions has come charging into our screens, big, small and everything in between at full throttle speed. She has more than held her own against the equally formidable cast of the all-girl gag show, Banana Split including former MAXIM cover girls Angelica Panganiban, Roxanne Guinoo, Valerie Concepcion and RR Enriquez.

She was very impressive in both Ate, an acclaimed film produced by Ate Ara herself and Kahit Isang Saglit, the smash teleserye that also started Jericho Rosales and Malaysian Carmine Soo. And she is currently lighting up your prime time viewing in her title role in the teleserye remake of the genre-defining Ms. Eva Fonda, 16.

Underneath all these increasingly “mature” projects remains a surprisingly tech-savvy teenager who still acts her age by listening to her iPod and playing PSP and addictive videogames like Rock Band in between takes. A split personality? Well, you decide.

Back in the 70’s, Eva Fonda was one of the classic films that defined the “bold era” of sexy films, so how did you prepare for your role in the teleserye remake? Did you get to see the original film and discuss it with the original Eva Fonda herself, Ms. Alma Moreno?

Actually, I wasn’t allowed to watch the original movie because they wanted me to make the character my own. Yung hindi lang basta kinopya yung pagkaka-ganap dun ni Ms. Alma Moreno, who incidentally, has a cameo in our teleserye as the owner of a talent agency. There are differences between the two versions naman. In the movie, Eva Fonda was a sexy dancer while in the teleserye, I play her as a model.

So how sexy is your Eva Fonda compared to the original?

You can see me wearing a two-piece bikini pero hanggang dun lang talaga. This is prime-time TV so there are limitations. Ms. Alma Moreno was telling me that during her time, bold is not really bold as we know it now. Noon, nagpapakita ka pa lang daw ng legs, bold ka na.

This year, you got more attention than you probably would have wanted to. What was that like for you? How did you handle all those issues?

Of course it wasn’t easy. You’re damned if you and damned if you don’t. I didn’t want to be interviewed that much because I didn’t want to tackle these issues. When I just ignore them naman and just play deadma, sasabihin nila masungit daw ako. But that’s really who I am, tahimik at hindi palakibo. During tapings, when I’m not doing a scene, I’m just inside my car, play games with my PSP or play music with my iPod.

So you don’t really socialize that much?

I do naman. I always take my pamangkins to the mall or ask them to visit me at the house when I’m happy, sad or just plain bored. I go out with my best friend to watch a movie or simpleng pasyal lang. During tapings for Eva Fonda, we were all in one dressing room so there was plenty of bonding moments with my co-stars and the crew. Kulitan na kami pag madaling araw na, we’ll have a bet on what time the taping will finish for the day. In Banana Split, the mood is very light and fun and since we’re all girls, mas masaya.

Speaking of Banana Split, how comfortable are you doing comedy? Do you think you have the talent for it?

I think I do. I’ve been getting good feedback for my performance in the show. We had a sketch and Dr. Vicki Belo who was part of it at the time couldn’t stop laughing. She called up me up just to tell me, “Idol kita!” because of that sketch alone. That felt good.

You've been in sexy cover shoots before for other magazines, calendars and others. How does this particular MAXIM shoot compare?

I’m surprised how excited I feel doing this. I feel more comfortable than ever. I even had no problem eating unlike before. I don’t feel insecure at all about my body. I always believe that one is as sexy as she carries herself. Nasa pagdadala lang yan.

You were voted among the Top 5 in our recent MAXIM Hot 100. How do you explain your appeal and popularity with the guys?

I was in your Hot 100? Can I ask for a copy? I really don’t know why I’m popular with the guys. Tahimik lang kasi ako. I guess many guys like quiet types. Maybe it’s the mystery they find very appealing.

What do you find appealing in a guy?

He should be down to earth for starters. He should be God-fearing as well. And also neat but not too neat as in vain ha! I don’t want to be with a guy who is more vain than I am. What else? He should be very comfortable with himself because I know guys who are very insecure. Maybe a little sense of humor is also nice and a certain swagger. May konting dating at yabang pero hindi nya intention na maging ganun.

So what’s Cristine Reyes like when she’s in love?

Me? When I want something, I want my man to bring or give it to me right away. I wouldn’t call it demanding because I don’t mean material things. It’s more about the simple things like not keeping me waiting when he’s supposed to pick me up or simply admitting that he’s wrong when he really did something wrong. Little things like that are really very important to me.