I was given the privilege to be Yahoo Asia’s representative in a Disney Press Junket that was sponsored by Fox International Channels.
Because my flight was delayed by a day, I found out I had to go straight to the junket upon arrival at LAX. I was so nervous when I landed because I had to be at the press conference at 9 a.m, and as usual, I was being held at immigrations because they had an ex-convict with the alias Juan Miguel Rodriguez in their records. This isn’t the first time that this happened to me and it felt like I was right in the middle of the set of “Criminal Minds,” which, coincidentally, was supposed to be my first interview that day.
Law, order and a clean bill of health
Now on its seventh season, “Criminal Minds” revolves around an elite team of FBI profilers who analyze the country’s most twisted criminal minds, anticipating their next moves before they strike again. One of its more popular characters, Thomas Gibson, who plays Special Agent Aaron Hotchner, cracked a joke and impressed the international press as he introduced himself, which didn’t surprise me given that he used to play the male comedic lead in Dharma and Gregg. Personally though, because he had this powerful yet charming vibe, I feel that his role in “Criminal Minds” was a better fit.
Not shying away from the more serious shows I had to cover, the next program I took on was Private Practice. This TV drama comes from the bright mind of Shonda Rhimes, the creator and executive producer of “Grey’s Anatomy.” It follows the story of a team of gifted doctors working together to change the lives of their patients for the better as they look to one another for friendship and love. Benjamin Bratt, former boyfriend of Julia Roberts, plays the male lead in the show. Before I moved on to the next event, Kate Walsh, who plays Dr. Addison Forbes Montgomery, complimented me on the jacket I was wearing. The compliment was enough to make me forget about the incident in the airport.
I was lucky also to get to see the cast of what is considered to be one of the great dramas of our time and a recipient of the 2007 Golden Globe Award for Best Drama Television Series as well as multiple Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, “Grey’s Anatomy.” This year, they come back for an eighth season with more twists and turns that I’ll leave for you to discover as the season unfolds. I think that this is one show that has a strong Filipino following and I wouldn’t want to spoil your anticipation for it.
One key highlight was when I bumped into Dana Delaney, who we’ve all come to know in the show “Desperate Housewives.” She now plays a medical examiner in another show, “Body of Proof,” that has proved itself among US audiences but has not landed here in the Philippines yet. We hope to see this in the future lineup of Fox or Star World because the show does 
Work hard, party harder
As day turned to night, we were all invited to attend a dinner party, and it was a treat to see most of the cast of “Desperate Housewives.” I got the chance to speak to Felicity Hoffman during the dinner and I asked how she felt about the series being canceled after this season.
“I am not one of those actors who says I am tired and I have had enough,” she said. “I love my job, the writing is great every episode, and I get to come in and act in something that challenges me and that I do well and could do badly. There was an episode that I blew so badly and I could not watch myself.”
“Desperate Housewives” has been there for about eight years, which makes me believe they’ve had a great run, and I think it’s only right to go while you’re on top.
At the same party, I met so many other celebrities like Conor Paolo who plays the brother of Serena in “Gossip Girl” and is set on leaving the show to come out with another new show produced by Fox/Disney called Revenge. The departure has all the potential to do him better given that he plays one of the lead characters in Revenge. If all goes well, we just might get to see the series on Fox pretty soon.
’Don’t Stop Believing’
My whirlwind affair with Hollywood should have come to an end, but Lady Luck was on my side because I received an e-mail from Fox telling me that I was invited to the “Glee” press conference a week after. Being an avid Gleek, the song “Don’t Stop Believing” started blasting in my head.
The theme for the “Glee” press con was predictable but my heart skipped a bit when I saw the word “karaoke.” The ultimate Pinoy in me went gaga. I had to prove we know our karaoke like the backs of our hands.
We were asked to go to Sta. Monica High School for the press con, which I felt was an apt venue for the meeting with the press. It had all the nooks and crannies that made “Glee” what it was—it’s a real high school, complete with an amphitheater that made me feel I was right smack in the middle of the show. While the full cast was not in attendance, the characters that mattered to me showed up. Jane Lynch, who plays Coach Sue Sylvester, together with Dot-Marie Jones who plays Coach Shannon Beiste, were the first ones I noticed, especially since “Coach Beast” was in crutches.
The boys that came to play that day were Chris Colfer, who jokingly told the audience that we were probably there because we couldn’t get tickets to an Adele concert that was playing nearby, Kevin McHale, who was goofy and very much in character, and Harry Shum Jr., who had the girls screaming so loud that you’d think he was one of the key leads of the show.
It dawned on me that the cast members that were part of the press con that day were the ones who were nominated for the Emmys. Jane Lynch spoke about how thrilling it was for her to host the Emmys, while Chris mentioned how he was honored to be nominated again.
For a show that has somewhat changed the game in making all ages appreciate different types of music, it’s no wonder why “Glee” is one of the most successful shows out in the market today.
Pinoy this way
As “Glee” fans and Filipinos know, we’re represented by two talents in the show, including Darren Cris, who was supposed to play the paraplegic in the beginning but was made the male lead instead for rival choir group, The Warblers. It was great to know in the interview that great things have come to him since that move.
Of course out of curiosity and a little push for more Pinoy pride, I decided to ask when we’d see Charice on the show once again since she did well last season. The minute I dropped the name Charice, the audience went nuts—apparently, people in LA love the girl as well.
The executive producer of the show said that she will be busy touring, although he thinks there’s a good possibility of seeing her around because there will be definitely more of Vocal Adrenaline in the upcoming season. We’re keeping our fingers crossed!
Closing time
Among other important things I took note of during the “Glee” press con was the fact that Chord Overstreet, who plays Sam, will be leaving the show to pursue other things; Kevin McHale is the biggest flirt on the set; Chris Colfer is possibly giving Broadway a try; and Jane Lynch hinted at another lip-locking scene with “the Shuester”.
All in all, this trip will go down as one of the most memorable, life-changing experiences I’ve ever had. I’m still high on Hollywood and it will be hard to let go of this anytime soon. It was refreshing how the junket allowed me to look at Hollywood through a different perspective.
You can catch “Grey’s Anatomy” Season 7 every Saturday, 9:30 p.m. on Star World; and “Criminal Minds,” every Monday to Saturday, 9:50 p.m. on Fox. “Private Practice” is aired Mondays to Fridays at 5:50 a.m. The new season of “Glee” is coming soon on Star World.