March 22 ------ Marc Anthony Nicolas wants to pave the way for Filipinos to reach their dreams. After winning two Emmy Awards, Filipino producer and talk show host Marc Anthony Nicolas feels that he now has the responsibility of representing Filipinos in the entertainment industry in the U.S.
In an online interview, Marc admitted that he was shocked to have won his first Emmy award when he worked as the first and only Filipino producer from the 200-staff of “The Talk” in Los Angeles, California. “I felt like it was my duty as a Filipino and responsibility as well to highlight Filipinos on our shows. I highlighted Chef Val (Vallerie Castillo-Archer), and also Miss O for Olivia (Quido) for O [Skin] Med Spa,” he said.
Marc admitted that the Outstanding Talkshow category “was a really, really tough category back then,” especially when they were up against some of the strongest talk shows like The Ellen DeGenres Show, The View, The Real, and Kelly and Ryan. “When they called our name, my life flashed before my eyes. When I was walking up on stage, like it was slow motion and all I see are people clapping slowly or saying 'congratulations,'” he said. He continued, “With me being born in the Philippines, I remember the memory of stepping into the airplane and flying here when I was four years old, when I was graduating high school, when I was being a waiter in Olive Garden.”
According to Marc, winning that first award was a “dream come true moment, it was a pinch me moment,” saying that the award was not only for himself but also for the Filipino community. “I know Filipinos strive to become the Hollywood success story and I'm one of them, and I do my best to hire Filipinos,” he said. He added that if there were no positions available in his work, he would send out resumes to other programs. However, even with the Emmy Awards and becoming a trailblazer himself, Marc admitted that it's both “a blessing and a curse” to be the first and only Filipino to work as a producer in a show in the U.S. He explained, “A blessing for me to represent the Filipinos, but also a sadness because Hollywood isn't ready for Filipino producers out there and I want to share my stories with other Filipino producers out there. “It's just a shame that Hollywood isn't ready for people like us, for people like me and you, to take a national talk show by the hands,” he said. He added, “But for me, I think it's a responsibility working as the first and only Filipino producer and winning these two Emmys as well.”
Source: gmanetwork.com
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