Robert Villar at Zaijan Jaranilla
Has GMA-7 found someone worthy of pitting against ABS-CBN’s Zaijan Jaranilla? If you remember that this two kids had made already a TV commercial.
It seems so in the person of Robert “Buboy” Villar, a two-time MMFF best child performer (first for the 2008 entry “Shake Rattle & Roll X” then in the recent “Ang Panday”). Only 10 years old, Buboy started his acting career in 2006, figuring in such GMA-7 projects as “Dyesebel,” “Darna,” and “Zorro.”
His biggest break, however, is in the forthcoming serye “Panday Kids” where he’ll play Oliver, one of the characters tasked to take over custodianship of the mythical sword that’s used to combat evil.
Unlike Zaijan who is being primed for drama after the success of his soap, “Mak Bukas Pa,” Buboy aims to become an action star into swordfights, stunts, and all.
Ironically, it was ABS-CBN that discovered Buboy when he joined—and won as grand champion—in the network’s singing contest, “Little Big Star” (Season 2), in 2006. He later became a member of Mak and the Dudes, an all-kid singing group, led by Makisig Morales, who himself emerged triumphant in the first season of “Little Big Star.”
Buboy only stayed with ABS-CBN for a year before transferring to GMA-7. Apart from “Little Big Star,” his only other show as Kapamilya was on “Pedro Penduko at ang mga Engkantao.”
Joining Buboy on “Ang Panday Kids” are seasoned actors Gelli de Belen, Jolina Magdangal, Jackie Rice, Lovi Poe, Polo Ravales, JC d Vera, Ryan Eigenmann, Jose Manalo, among others.
It is recalled that ABS-CBN was first to air a TV version of the Carlo J. Caparas-classic. These were in 2005 and 2006 via two “Panday” books.
Then again, GMA-7’s “Panday Kids” differs in that it is a spin-off of the original “Panday” story.
Looks like an exciting match? It is.
Jaranillo, after all, is no lightweight contender. Like Buboy, Jaranillo has two honors under his belt, namely the 2009 PMPC Star Awards for TV “Best Male-New TV Personality” (for “May Bukas Pa”) and the 2009 Anak TV Seal Award for Male Makabata Awardee.
