Living the showbiz life

WITH HIS mother working in entertainment (as the talent manager of Jericho Rosales and Karylle) and his father as the former bassist of the Music and Magic showband and still does the occasional live gig, Josef Elizalde was practically ‘to the business born’.

By Aprylle Liabres

Published: Sun 17 Aug 2008, 6:30 PM

Last updated: Sun 5 Apr 2015, 2:50 PM

But the 16-year-old showbiz newbie knows that if he’s really going to go places in this business, he’ll have to rely on more than just his parents’ goodwill.

Josef is a product of Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition Plus (PBBTE) and is starting to make a name for himself, with a featured role as Samboy on the primetime hit My Girl, starring Kim Chiu and Gerald Anderson. He is one of three newcomers that were added to the cast.

‘Funny’ and ‘weird’ is how Josef describes the feeling of being in show business. He’s still trying to get used to being in front of the camera. For instance, during the first acting workshop they had in preparation for My Girl, he felt very awkward. “It was awkward, because it was our first time to act,” he says. “They were teaching us the basics (of how to act), how to relax in front of the camera, and even how to find our cameras.”

Josef says he’s learned a lot since being evicted from the Big Brother house. He may not have won the top prize, but the experience he has gained is worth far more. Now, he has learned to love the business that he’s in, and is already considering making it a career. “I love the fact that I’m in show business. I love working. I love what I’m doing right now.

Of course, I grew up around celebrities because of my dad and mom, and I know what it’s like, but I realised that it’s different when you’re really there already.” Of course, not all of it is good. There are some unpleasant things he has to contend with, like intrigues between himself and fellow Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition Plus housemate Robi Domingo. The two of them are from rival schools-Josef is a senior high school student at La Salle Greenhills, while Robi, who’s now in his freshman year of college, is an Atenean.