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From humble beginnings comes another brightly shining star in the person of Jose Mari Viceral, popularly known as Vice Ganda. Widely loved by fans because of his quick wit and intelligent quips, Vice never fails to brighten up whatever stage he is on. Be it on Showtime or in a comedy bar, he draws in crowds and leaves them in stitches with his antics. His rise to the top, however, was not always easy.
All the little pieces
Vice shared his life story in a recent episode of Maalaala Mo Kaya, one of the country’s leading drama anthologies. He was born to a simple family, the youngest of five children. Tutoy, as he was known back then, was the apple of his father’s eye because of his basketball abilities and academic accomplishments. A deeper reason, however, for his being the family favorite was that his two older brothers were openly gay, something his father did not approve of. Fearing the ire of his father, Vice kept his true identity hidden. Vice revealed that throughout his childhood and adolescence, gender issues were at the root of many family conflicts that drove a wedge in his relationships with his older brothers.
When his father died, he was able to explore his sexuality further, but was not able to completely come out of the closet until much later. For many years, he lived a double life, hiding the fact that he was gay from his siblings and mother while being open about his sexuality in school. Although he felt guilty about this, he still had to drum up the courage to completely unmask himself to his family.
His confusion surrounding his identity and events in his life led him at one point to attempt suicide. He said in his interview with Korina Sanchez that after that, he realized that all the bad and ugly things in life still have a bright side. This is where he gets his ability to smile and laugh in the face of adversity.
Vice is a proud alum of Far Eastern University, where he was taking up Political Science. Back then, he had dreamt of becoming a lawyer. However, due to personal reasons and circumstances, he was unable to complete his studies. Although he may not have earned a degree from the university, he did not leave the school without making a mark. In an article by the FEU Advocate it was said that he co-founded an organization for the gay community of the university, aptly called SHE or the Society for Homosexual Emergence/Sigma Homo Epsilon.
It’s Showtime, Vice!
Vice earned his entertainment stripes in various comedy clubs around the metro. He was cajoled by the night’s hosts and teased for looking "like a horse," to which he immediately fired back a barrage of jokes. What began as a simple song number in one of those clubs blossomed into a fruitful career for the funny star. Presently, he still continues to make audiences laugh in the comedy clubs Laffline, where he performs on Tuesdays and Fridays, and Punchline, on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
What propelled Vice Ganda to fame, however, was his stint as the resident judge of the hit noontime show Showtime. Vice is currently performing on his first provincial tour entitled May Nag Txt ;))) May Show Ako which started off in a sold-out show in Dumaguete City. This April 10, he performed in La Salle Lipa in Batangas City and is set to perform in Cagayan De Oro’s Limketkai Atrium on April 17, Central Philippine University Gymnasium in Iloilo City on April 24, and Zamboanga’s Summit Centre on May 1.
He is also set to star in his first full-length film, a remake of the 1980s film Petrang Kabayo at ang Pilyang Kuting which starred Roderick Paulate. He has likewise been cast in a movie with Judy Ann Santos and Sarah Geronimo, and has become one of the newest Calayan endorsers.
Vice Ganda is also looking forward to his first major concert slated for May 15, to be held in no less than the Big Dome. Just recently, rumors were abuzz that the comedian will be the third co-host of the hit showbiz-oriented show The Buzz, alongside long-time hosts Boy Abunda and Kris Aquino. While he may not have gotten the hosting stint, Vice sees the fact that he was even considered for the job is flattering enough. Surely these are signs of the bright showbiz future he has ahead of him.
The Kingdom of Vice
The kingdom of Vice is surely on the rise, as evidenced by the growing number of fans in his Facebook fan page. He is so loved by his fans that he has recently earned the honors of being the first Filipino to have over one million fans on the popular social networking site. In the site, his fans laud him for his humor and thank him for brightening up their days. One fan posted that despite feeling heartbroken, he was able to find something to smile about upon watching Vice Ganda on television.
His intelligence and ability for improvisation is something many fans admire in Vice Ganda. As a blogger puts it, his ability to quickly think up of a response to make others laugh is a reason why she loves watching his shows.
As he rises in fame, controversies also come hand in hand. However, Vice takes this all in stride by keeping humor at his side. He manages to turn aside ugly rumors, such as those of him becoming mayabang or swell-headed. He laughs this off by cracking jokes about the gossip and just remains true to himself. At the end of the day, one thing’s for sure: there’s no stopping Vice Ganda’s phenomenal rise to the top!
As a child, Ria Tirazona dreamed of breaking into show business. However, after auditioning for Batibot and failing miserably, she realized that even though she loved singing and dancing, they didn't love her back. She fulfilled her acting dreams, however, in a stage play in the now defunct Rizal Theater. She has since hung up her dressing room star and unleashes her inner artista by performing with her preschoolers during circle time and by writing about movie, television and entertainment in her blog, www.yapatoots.com.
Photo screencap from winnielicous17.
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