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Marco Gumabao refuses to take sexy route to success

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Leah C. Salterio

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/entertainment/11/11/20191111-marco-1.jpg?ext=.jpg"/><figcaption>Actor Marco Gumabao before the game. Shirley M. Pizarro</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA -- Marco Gumabao readily acknowledged that 2019 could well be his banner year as far as his showbiz career is concerned.“I’m really blessed this year,” the 25-year-old Gumabao said. Aside from his successful teleserye, “Los Bastardos,” which recently wrapped up after airing for a year, Gumabao was given a starring role opposite Anne Curtis in director Jason Paul Laxamana’s romantic drama, “Just A Stranger,” which was released last August. The film raked in more than P100 million at the tills, undoubtedly promoting Gumabao to leading man status.The actor joined last Saturday’s star-studded Aguinaldo Cup 2019, a sports festival spearheaded by Kawit Mayor Angelo Emilio Aguinaldo. Gumabao was one of the actors who played in the ceremonial celebrity basketball tournament at the Tanggulan Arena in Kawit, Cavite. Other actors who participated were Joseph Marco, Axel Torres, Jason Abalos, Mark Herras, Juancho Trivinio, Onyok Velasco and Gab Lagman.“Basketball is my first love,” disclosed Gumabao, who started playing basketball even before he joined showbiz. “For this game, I was invited by Gab Lagman, who sent a message to the players and invited them to participate. The timing was perfect because there was nothing in my schedule for today. My teleserye had just finished. So I was able to give my nod to play.”Although another teleserye is set to start next year, Gumabao has his hands full with three films for 2020. The first one, “In Between Goodbye,” topbills him with Lovie Poe and Tony Labrusca. Joel Lamangan is at the helm. The two other film projects have yet to have definite cast members and working titles.In “Just A Stranger,” Gumabao was inadvertently viewed as a sexy star after he had his much talked-about butt exposure on the big screen, as well as love scenes with Curtis. Although it flatters him to be tagged as a sexy star after that project, Gumabao clarified that he is not taking the sexy route to stardom.“I’m not really focusing on the sexy star image,” Gumabao insisted. “I just want to deliver a good movie. If showing a little skin is necessary, I really don’t mind. Anyway, that’s what I’m working hard for, to maintain a good body. But I’m not going to go the sexy route. I’m just going to do movies, I will continue to act and express the story that needs to be shown. That goes hand in hand.” <div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/entertainment/11/11/20191111-marco-2.jpg?ext=.jpg"/><figcaption>Marco Gumabao (extreme left) with the other celebrity players, joined by Kawit, Cavite Mayor Angelo Emilio Aguinaldo (center). Shirley M. Pizarro</figcaption></figure></div>He dreams of doing action films one day and be given a project that he can really sink his teeth into. He also wants to play a character with mental illness, maybe similar to James McAvoy’s role in M. Night Shyamalan’s 2017 “Split.”“I want to do roles that will constantly challenge me,” Gumabao excitedly said. After nearly eight years in the business, the actor is still looking for more challenging assignments. He pointed out that “In Between Goodbye” is a different project for him. “Although that’s not the main focus of the story, but this is the sexiest movie that I’ve done, so far,” he granted. “It’s my first time to work with Direk Joel, plus our writer is Ricky Lee, so I know I’m in good hands. I’m just leaving everything to our creative team.”Gumabao makes it a point to play basketball at least once a week and accommodates invitations like the recent one from Mayor Aguinaldo in Kawit. “You get to bond with the boys and at the same time, you can make a lot of people happy.”In last Saturday’s game, the celebrities lost by only a point to the Kawit All Stars team.

Marco Gumabao readily acknowledged that 2019 could well be his banner year as far as his showbiz career is concerned.

Marco Gumabao readily acknowledged that 2019 could well be his banner year as far as his showbiz career is concerned.