‘Call My Manager’ explores realities, work behind showbiz glamour

August 20 ------ Behind the movies, television shows and glamorous lives of celebrities are managers dealing with the pressures and complications of the entertainment industry. That less visible side of showbiz gets a closer look in the new HBO Original series “Call My Manager,” led by Judy Ann Santos, Edu Manzano, Gina Alajar and RK Bagatsing. 

The eight-episode Philippine comedy-drama, adapted from the French hit “Call My Agent!” (“Dix Pour Cent”), follows talent managers at the fictional Shine Artists Management as they handle demanding celebrity clients while dealing with their own personal and professional struggles. The series premiered on HBO Max on Aug. 13.  

For Santos, who plays manager Andrea Manuel, accepting the role was an easy decision. She said she was immediately drawn to the project after her first Zoom meeting with director Erik Matti and the production team. “When it was pitched to me, first, zoom pa lang with Direk Erik and Sir Don Don and the rest of the production team, it was a go already. I hadn’t even seen the show yet at the time. But when Direk Erik mentioned the cast and the show’s synopsis, I knew I had to say yes,” Santos said during a roundtable interview. 

The actress also welcomed the chance to play a character unlike those she has portrayed before. “I know I wanted to be part of the team. I wanted to be part of this project because it is something really different from my past characters. I knew that if I declined it, I would regret it. So, it was an easy decision,” she added. 

Alajar, who plays Aleta Alfonso, was likewise sold on the project after watching the original French series.  “When it pitched to me, I binged the series in one sitting. I said to myself, "I want to be in that project. I told my manager I wanted that role. I want that project,” Alajar said. 

Working again with Matti was another reason she accepted the role, while her partnership with producer Dondon Monteverde was another draw. “I wanted to work with him once again because he’s someone I look up to in the directorial field. And of course, I wanted to work with Dondon Monteverde of Reality Films because I play Mother Lily Monteverde here. So, It’s home. It feels like home, this whole thing,” Alajar continued. 

Manzano, who plays senior manager Matthew Buenaventura, said he was also interested in seeing how the French series would translate to the Philippine setting. He has also known Matti since the director’s early years in the industry. “When I saw the French version and fell in love with it, I said, me too, like Gina. I wanted to be part of it,” Manzano said. 

“You thought the French series was colorful? You ain’t seen anything yet. You want color? We give you color. You know what it’s like here with the different characters in the Philippines. This has far more color than a rainbow or a kaleidoscope. This is it. I’m just so happy to be part of it,” he added. 

Source: manilatimes.net