SHARON, RICHARD REUNITE IN NEW MOVIE
by Aster Amoyo, PHJournal Online, October 12, 1999

EX-SWEETHEARTS Sharon Cuneta and Richard Gomez are teaming-up anew in a yet untitled love drama movie to be helmed by Olive Lamasan for Star Cinema. Said flick will start grinding in two weeks time.

''Richard and I are both excited about this project. This will be our fifth movie together and my first in two years time after I left and came back from Boston,'' she quips.

Sharon and Richard's early movies include ''Buy One, Take One'' in 1988, ''Kahit Wala Ka Na,'' ''Ngayon at Kailanman'' and ''Kapantay ay Langit.''

In their new flick, Sharon and Richard are both married to their respective partners - Edu Manzano as Sharon's husband and Angel Aquino as Richard's wife. Though married, Sharon and Richard would fall in love and will carry an illicit affair.

''Actually, two years ago pa ang project na ito na inalok sa akin ng Star Cinema. Hindi ko lang nagawa because I left for Boston and when I came back naman, ayoko munang gumawa ng pelikula dahil naging priority ko ang pagkakaroon namin ng baby ni Kiko,'' she states at the mini presscon held at Anabel's to announce the project.

''I'm so excited about the project. Actually, I've chosen this over the project being offered to me by Viva, although gagawin ko pa rin naman 'yung sa Viva, uunahin ko lang itong reunion movie namin ni Richard,'' she says.

The story is a collaboration of Ricky Lee and Olive Lamasan. Sharon's mom will be played by Gloria Romero  while Ciara Sotto plays the role of Sharon's younger sister. Olive is still choosing between Carmina Villaroel and Agot Isidro as Ciara's best friend.

''What's so exciting about this project ay first movie bale namin ito ni Richard after our break-up and after we both got married,'' she volunteers.

What was the initial reaction of Kiko upon learning about this project with Richard?

''Nothing. Eversince naman ay hindi naging problema sa amin ni Kiko ang mga projects na gagawin ko. Aware din siya that I might be doing movies with my exes. Kiko is a very secured person. Kami naman ni Richard, we've remained as friends and  we're both professional actors kaya walang problema,'' she reasons out.

Sharon is even willing to work again with ex-husband Gabby Concepcion who's been away from the scene for several years now.

Sharon admits that her best times with Gabby was before they got married.''I saw it coming but I ignored it,''she confessed.

She adds that it's been years since Gabby saw his daughter, KC, now 14 and a Grade 9 student at the International School.

''Kahit kelan ay never kong pinagbawalan si Gabby kay KC. Hindi man naging successful ang aming marriage, ayoko naman alisan ng karapatan ang anak ko na mapalapit siya sa kanyang ama. Bali-baliktarin man ang mundo, Gabby will remain as my daughter's father. Never ko ring siniraan si Gabby kay KC,'' Sharon confides.

''I just wanted to  keep my daughter's self-esteem at a healthy high,'' she says.

Sharon is glad that she found a very loving and supportive husband in Kiko.

''If I could only buy the years back, sana sa simula pa lang ay kami na ni Kiko. I'm so lucky having him as a husband who also acts as KC's dad. They're very very close. Para silang tunay na mag-ama. 'Yung absence ni Gabby ay napupunuan ni Kiko kay KC,'' Sharon proudly says.

Sharon was only twelve when she started in the business and she was fifteen when she started doing movies and she'll be celebrating her 22nd year in the business on January 2000.

We were also surprised to see a slimmer Sharon Cuneta.

''I lost 48 lbs. in one year,'' she beams. ''Of coruse, I did not resort to diet pills. Puro diet lang talaga. Tapos, binabarkada ko ang mga sexy kong pinsan para ma-inspire akong gayahin sila at very effective naman. Ang dream ko ay magkahiraman kami ng damit ni KC,'' she laughs.

Sharon also informed us that her self-produced album under her own Mega Music, ''When I Love'' has now reached the platinum mark in a month's time. It reached gold in ten days and it is now nearing second platinum.

Aside from putting up her own music label, Sharon has also organized her own production, Numbers Entertainmetn and Management which is currently producing Fanny Serrano's ''It's A Fanny Day''  30-minute beauty magazine show on Studio 23.