AFABLE
[PHOTO
- AS TEEN star, she hosted a number of musical-variety shows in the late 1960s
and early 1970s.]
MANILA,
MARCH 3, 2012 (INQUIRER) By:
Bayani San Diego Jr. -
Decades before Charice Pempengco was seen in "Glee," another petite Filipina
had landed a recurring role in an American television show.
That pioneering singer-actress is Carina Afable, who portrayed a Filipino
mail-order bride named Perlita Avilar in the sitcom, "Barney Miller," starring
Emmy and Tony winner Hal Linden, in the early 1980s.
"I came out in four episodes," Carina told the Inquirer. (Now based in Los
Angeles, California, she visited Manila in August last year.) "I was supposed to
tie the knot with a regular character, Inspector Frank Luger, played by the late
James Gregory."
Unfortunately, the show was canceled in the same season that she got on
board, in 1982. But Carina has no regrets about that. "It was fun," she
recalled.
She found the work system in Hollywood impressive. "On the first day, we had
script reading. On the second day, rehearsals. Then, we taped the show in front
of a live studio audience."
She added, proudly: "The show's props are now on display at the Smithsonian
in Washington DC."
After "Barney Miller," she appeared in a string of commercials—for the Reggie
Jackson barbecue grill and Wienerschnitzel hotdogs, among other products. "I
even sang the jingle for Wienerschnitzel," she said.
These days, however, when her name crops up in print, it's usually before or
after the words "Ryan Agoncillo's aunt." She explained: "Ryan is the son of my
brother Chito." Her real name is Carina Agoncillo.
Original star
Carina was the original star in the Agoncillo family—having cut her teeth as
a performer in the noontime variety show "Stop, Look & Listen," which was
hosted by the late Eddie Mercado and which ran from 1968 to 1972 on ABS-CBN.
Before migrating to America in the late 1970s, Carina had a thriving career
in local movies and TV. She top-billed several musical-variety shows in her
teens—from "Chelsea Dance Time" to "Spotlight on Carina," from "Carina" to "May
I Sing to You."
[PHOTO -HUBBY Sam Gray with Carina and nephew Ryan Agoncillo in the
United States.]
During her August 2011 visit, the star became an audience member, watching
the GMA 7 noontime show, "Eat Bulaga," in Broadway Centrum, as Ryan's guest.
That gave her the chance to reconnect with comic Joey de Leon, her nephew's
cohost, who kept teasing her on air.
Carina recounted that she first met Joey when she sang with Norma Ledesma and
Linda Magno in the '70s girl group Hi-Pertensions. "Joey, who was a deejay at
the time, would carry our glittery costumes whenever we had auditions," Carina
related.
Before that last visit, she was in town in 2001. "The main reason I came home
after 10 years was to attend the 100th birthday celebration of my lola, Nena
Agoncillo-Manalo," Carina related. "She is the great-granddaughter of
revolutionary heroine Marcela Agoncillo." It was a huge event, she said. "The
entire town of Rosario, Batangas, turned up."
Stage aunt
Last year, she hung out a lot with Ryan, his wife Judy Ann Santos and their
kids Lucho and Yohan. "Lucho is so malambing (affectionate)," Carina said. "He
always offers his cheeks to be kissed."
[PHOTO -Carina and Judy Ann Santos, also in California.]
In the United States, Carina never treats Judy Ann like a celebrity. "She's
just Judy Ann, the take-charge girl we like playing board games with," Carina
said. When she vacationed inManila last year, she realized how huge a star Judy
Ann was.
"I saw her commercial with Yohan on TV," Carina said. "I was the same age as
Yohan when I joined show biz."
Yes, she was seven years old when she started tagging along with her late
aunt, Dori Villena, who took her to different radio and TV stations in the
1950s.
"She introduced me to the big stars, like Eddie San Jose and Dely
Atay-Atayan, on the ABS-CBN lot," Carina said. "Tita Dori was my stage aunt. She
badgered the executives to hire me for their shows."
Her aunt's persistence paid off. "I was cast in a lot of radio soap operas,"
said Carina. "It helped that I could make my voice deeper and portray a boy. I
also did a lot of commercials. One was for Carnation milk."
As a child in the biz, she also met her idols Susan Roces, Irma Alegre and
Charito Solis.
A big break came when she joined the radio program, "Botika sa Baryo," which
was later turned into a TV show, and then a movie, in 1960.
On the set of "Botika," she developed a fast friendship with Marita Zobel,
then an LVN star. "We were like sisters. I used to chaperone her when her late
husband Boy Roxas was still courting her."
When Marita left "Botika," another singer-actress, Helen Gamboa, replaced
her. Carina recounted: "On the set, a constant visitor was Helen's niece, Sharon
Cuneta. Sharon's mom, Elaine, used to take Sharon to the location shoots. Little
did I know that small girl would grow up to be the Megastar."
Carina also acted in movies—"I'm a Tiger" with Helen and Chiquito, and "I'll
See You in September" in 1967 with Jean Lopez and Romano Castellvi.
[PHOTO -CARINA (in bright pink shirt) with her grown-up kids
(clockwise, from top right) Chris, Robert, Cherry, Ronnie and Richie: They sing
and jam at family gatherings.]
Memorable role
In 1968, Carina acted with Bernard Belleza and Pugak and Tugak in "We Only
Live Wais," and with Chiquito and Zaldy Zshornack in "Agents Wen Manong." In
1970, she starred in her last local film, "Intensity '70," which featured the
top stars of that time—Novo Bono Jr., Eddie Mesa, Esperanza Fabon, Perla Adea,
Boy Mondragon, Jeanne Young and Sahlee Quizon, among others.
Her most memorable film role, however, was opposite former President Joseph
Estrada, Eddie Garcia and Barbara Perez in "Patria Adorada (Dugo ng Bayani)."
For playing a nun in this action-drama, Carina was nominated for best supporting
actress in the 1970 Famas awards.
Still, she considers television as her main medium. "I even had a children's
show called 'Kiddie Land' on Channel 5." ("Spotlight on Carina" was aired on
Channel 3; "Carina" on Channel 11; and the last one, "May I Sing to You," also
on Channel 5.)
She kept moving from one station to another because of her marital status.
The teen star, who also waxed records on the Villar label, was already married
to TV director Raul Silos then. "I became a mother at a very early age," she
said. "I had my eldest at 16."
The kids came in quick succession. So as not to disorient conservative
viewers, Carina would disappear from the boob tube every time she was heavy with
a child—which was almost every year.
When martial law was declared in 1972 and the TV studios were padlocked, she
found herself jobless. Live shows became scarce as well.
[PHOTO -A MAGAZINE feature of the Hi-Pertensions, with Norma Ledesma
(center, top photo) and Linda Magno (left, top photo). They top-billed concerts
all over Asia.]
She recalled: "Norma, Linda and I formed Hi-Pertensions. We had concerts all
over Asia—we'd spend two months in Singapore, then move to Malaysia, then to
Indonesia."
In the 1990s, she had a reunion show with the Hi-Pertensions and the Reycard
Duet (whose members have both passed on) at the Caesars Palace. "Norma is now
based in the United States; Linda in Canada," Carina said.
On her own, Carina did concerts all over North America and Europe (Germany
and France), before deciding to try her luck in the United States.
After Raul and Carina divorced, she married American Leonard Bell in the
1970s. "We were together for seven years—until he passed away."
Carina has five children: Richie, Robert, Cherry and Ronnie Silos and
Christopher Bell. "And now I have a dozen grandchildren!"
In an e-mail, daughter Cherry described Carina as a "cool" mom. "She has
developed a deep friendship with each one of her kids," Cherry said. "We love
her. We enjoy hanging out with her because she's youthful and fun. Her grandkids
adore her."
Work ethic
Having a singer-actress as mom was a blast, said Cherry. "Growing up with a
talented artist … we all learned to sing and play at least one musical
instrument. During get-togethers, we
[PHOTO -PIONEERING singer-actress Carina Afable appeared in the US
sitcom "Barney Miller." Photos courtesy of Carina Afable and Cherry Silos often
jam as a family."]
Cherry explained that seeing their mom work hard at a very young age
"instilled an exacting work ethic" in them. "She taught us to be
self-sufficient. She deserves credit for the fact that we are all doing well in
our respective careers."
While Carina auditioned for shows and commercials in the United States, she
also held a day job. The rat race can be grueling, she admitted. "To unwind, I
sing. I do concerts on weekends. I let go onstage."
It was in one of those weekend concerts that she met her current husband,
Samuel H. Gray. "He used to watch my shows," Carina said.
Cherry noted that her mom and Sam stick to a pretty active and vital
lifestyle. "She enjoys life to the fullest! She and Sam travel a lot," Cherry
said. "Aside from getting together for the holidays and on special occasions,
the entire family also tries to go on a major trip at least once a year."
Carina currently works for the insurance company, Anthem-Blue Cross. "Our
clients include the Screen Actors' Guild, the Directors' Guild," she said. "It's
a large company."
Last year, the couple flew to Tacloban to visit Sam's relatives as well. "I
thought my husband was an American. Waray pala," Carina jested. "He was in the
US Marines. His father was an American but he was born in Tacloban, where a lot
of Americans decided to stay after World War II."
They visited Leyte to check out a piece of property that her husband had
bought. "He plans to build our retirement home there."
Will Carina ever slow down? Not in the foreseeable future.
Chief News Editor: Sol
Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE
HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
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