Filipino actor Rustom Padilla caused a stir when he arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 last Thursday in a barely recognizable full female model-like getup: red and orange headscarf covering much of his neatly tied black hair, oversized black shades, black fitting dress with matching shoulder bag and of course, bright red lipstick to complete the look!
Rustom surprised everyone when he arrived at the aiport last Thursday in a full woman's ensemble
The openly gay celebrity is not new to cross-dressing in public. He did this before during the Awards Night of 31st Gawad Urian held October last year when he, as the 2007 Best Actor winner for a gay role at the film ZsaZsa Zaturnah ZeeMovie, surprised everyone when he dressed up as a lady while presenting the 2008 Best Actor trophies to Mark Gil for the movie Rotonda, tied with Jason Abalos for Endo. On TV, he’s essayed the role of a cross-dressing manager of a talent agency in the soap Eva Fonda.
But his airport arrival is far more controversial as he said in a welcome interview that he is now a woman and has changed his name to “Bb. Gandanghari” (Bb. is pronounced as be-be, and in Tagalog is an acronym for the word Binibini, which means “Miss” or “Lady”). Perhaps to dissuade people from asking about the old him, he said figuratively that Rustom is now dead and that Bebe is here to stay. During his three-month stay in New York, while he admitted not having taken estrogen pills or any hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to enhance his looks, he took modeling course, Pilates fitness program to reduce his weight, and psychiatric tests among others to immerse and prepare himself as a woman. He claimed now to be a physically, emotionally, mentally, psychologically and even spiritually changed woman.
He guested yesterday at the showbiz-oriented show Startalk at GMA-7, where he sashayed the catwalk while fully made-up with an up ‘do and wearing a chic white dress with wide black belt, skinny jeans, pink-bowed shoes before sitting for an interview. There he stated he does not consider undergoing sex change at the moment. He added that he would love to work with actor Richard Gomez (with his height and physique) and with Piolo Pascual (given the right material), as well as with director Zoren Legaspi, the partner of his ex-wife Carmina Villaroel. He said he looked up to Hollywood actress Audrey Hepburn and Filipina supermodel-actress-beauty queen Melanie Marquez as fashion icons. On Brad Pitt as a lover, he said: “he’s good!” Three-part clips of this amusing interview under the title “Rustom Padilla is now Bb. Padilla” can now be seen at youtube.
Rustom, with a towering height, handsome face and buffed up physique typical of a matinee idol, is an in-demand dramatic and action star in the 90’s and was married to Villaroel who divorced him later. In 2006, Rustom came out in the reality show Pinoy Big Brother, (PBB) confessing to starlet Keanna Reeves that he actually belongs to us.
Rustom's transformation:
A daring shoot in his heydays as matinee idol in the 1990s
Another yummy shot :P
He started losing weight here: A photo in his home during a 2002 Yes interview
Rustom in his PBB days
Post-PBB
At the Urian Awards last year
Presenting 2008 Urian Best Actor award to Mark Gil
A TV grab of January 17, 2009 interview at Startalk
When asked for a closing message to the public, I could only agree with what he said: "Life is short, and do not be afraid to be who you are and what you are because that's the only way to happiness. Only God can see your heart, and that's the most important thing." Expect to hear this nice quote again in beauty contests, lol!
I am not surprised nor disgusted watching the new Rustom who’s obviously struggling to sound womanly; in fact, I am amused! I can forgive his voice as I know it needs a tracheal operation to change it. Blessed with a beautiful face, flawless skin, leaner body, not to mention his finesse demeanor, Bebe could easily pass himself off as a woman, not only at the airport but everywhere as long as his voice would not betray him!
However he did some blunders that cast doubt on his ‘serious and real’ intentions. During the course of the interview he said that Bebe is a character that people would watch and he’d portray. Take note he is slated to direct and self-star in a play early this year, which he already mentioned at the 2008 Gawad Urian --- thus making his cross-dressing-cum-woman-claiming act a premature yet wise promotional gimmick, isn't it? Not only that. In the last two events he’s been dressing up like a woman, he forgot wearing a bra! Too bad a miss for someone like him who claimed to having passed all the necessary tests of being a woman.
Despite all these, I'd still admit I like what I am seeing; I am still entertained and thrilled by him. I'm beginning to get more excited on what he'd be wearing and saying next. After all this is why actors are paid for. They really know when and how to steal scenes; and for one, Rustom is damn good at it!
Go Bebe!!!
Rustom surprised everyone when he arrived at the aiport last Thursday in a full woman's ensemble
The openly gay celebrity is not new to cross-dressing in public. He did this before during the Awards Night of 31st Gawad Urian held October last year when he, as the 2007 Best Actor winner for a gay role at the film ZsaZsa Zaturnah ZeeMovie, surprised everyone when he dressed up as a lady while presenting the 2008 Best Actor trophies to Mark Gil for the movie Rotonda, tied with Jason Abalos for Endo. On TV, he’s essayed the role of a cross-dressing manager of a talent agency in the soap Eva Fonda.
But his airport arrival is far more controversial as he said in a welcome interview that he is now a woman and has changed his name to “Bb. Gandanghari” (Bb. is pronounced as be-be, and in Tagalog is an acronym for the word Binibini, which means “Miss” or “Lady”). Perhaps to dissuade people from asking about the old him, he said figuratively that Rustom is now dead and that Bebe is here to stay. During his three-month stay in New York, while he admitted not having taken estrogen pills or any hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to enhance his looks, he took modeling course, Pilates fitness program to reduce his weight, and psychiatric tests among others to immerse and prepare himself as a woman. He claimed now to be a physically, emotionally, mentally, psychologically and even spiritually changed woman.
He guested yesterday at the showbiz-oriented show Startalk at GMA-7, where he sashayed the catwalk while fully made-up with an up ‘do and wearing a chic white dress with wide black belt, skinny jeans, pink-bowed shoes before sitting for an interview. There he stated he does not consider undergoing sex change at the moment. He added that he would love to work with actor Richard Gomez (with his height and physique) and with Piolo Pascual (given the right material), as well as with director Zoren Legaspi, the partner of his ex-wife Carmina Villaroel. He said he looked up to Hollywood actress Audrey Hepburn and Filipina supermodel-actress-beauty queen Melanie Marquez as fashion icons. On Brad Pitt as a lover, he said: “he’s good!” Three-part clips of this amusing interview under the title “Rustom Padilla is now Bb. Padilla” can now be seen at youtube.
Rustom, with a towering height, handsome face and buffed up physique typical of a matinee idol, is an in-demand dramatic and action star in the 90’s and was married to Villaroel who divorced him later. In 2006, Rustom came out in the reality show Pinoy Big Brother, (PBB) confessing to starlet Keanna Reeves that he actually belongs to us.
Rustom's transformation:
A daring shoot in his heydays as matinee idol in the 1990s
Another yummy shot :P
He started losing weight here: A photo in his home during a 2002 Yes interview
Rustom in his PBB days
Post-PBB
At the Urian Awards last year
Presenting 2008 Urian Best Actor award to Mark Gil
A TV grab of January 17, 2009 interview at Startalk
When asked for a closing message to the public, I could only agree with what he said: "Life is short, and do not be afraid to be who you are and what you are because that's the only way to happiness. Only God can see your heart, and that's the most important thing." Expect to hear this nice quote again in beauty contests, lol!
I am not surprised nor disgusted watching the new Rustom who’s obviously struggling to sound womanly; in fact, I am amused! I can forgive his voice as I know it needs a tracheal operation to change it. Blessed with a beautiful face, flawless skin, leaner body, not to mention his finesse demeanor, Bebe could easily pass himself off as a woman, not only at the airport but everywhere as long as his voice would not betray him!
However he did some blunders that cast doubt on his ‘serious and real’ intentions. During the course of the interview he said that Bebe is a character that people would watch and he’d portray. Take note he is slated to direct and self-star in a play early this year, which he already mentioned at the 2008 Gawad Urian --- thus making his cross-dressing-cum-woman-claiming act a premature yet wise promotional gimmick, isn't it? Not only that. In the last two events he’s been dressing up like a woman, he forgot wearing a bra! Too bad a miss for someone like him who claimed to having passed all the necessary tests of being a woman.
Despite all these, I'd still admit I like what I am seeing; I am still entertained and thrilled by him. I'm beginning to get more excited on what he'd be wearing and saying next. After all this is why actors are paid for. They really know when and how to steal scenes; and for one, Rustom is damn good at it!
Go Bebe!!!
love ko si rustom noon hindi ngayon....kadiri YUCK! ang sarap ng chupain noon pero ngayon ang sarap nyang pachupain.
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