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Interview with Gabby Concepcion in Melbourne Australia
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Jan 14, 2024
The Philippine Times senior writer A.K. Raine Cabral-Laysico had a sit-down interview with Mr Gabby Concepcion at Melrose Reception in Melbourne on 4 November 2022 during the grand coronation night for The Face Australia Pageantry 2022, produced by Ms Choy Symes. Gabby caps his Australian Tour with Melbourne after having visited Sydney and Brisbane for a number of events. He was last here in 2018 and he shared fond memories of his last visit. Video was taken by Jason Cordi.
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0:00
Good evening everyone, we're currently here with Mr. Gabby Concepcion at the Melrose Reception
0:06
Place for the Coronation Night for the Faith Australia. So thank you for joining us as we
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just spend a few minutes with the legendary icon that is Gabby. So Gabby, how are you
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I feel so ancient. I feel like I'm antique when you say that
0:24
So it's an icon, so someone who's been around and has had a great body of work over the years
0:32
decades in show business. Similar to, I guess, Jack Nicholson or even..
0:37
Okay, that sounds better. Hi guys, hello Melbourne. I normally say Melbourne, right
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But here it's Melbourne. Is that right? No R's, yes. I always say it
0:50
And it's nice to be here in front of a lot of Filipinos. I've been walking around
0:55
going to the mall and you don't see very many Filipinos. Right
0:59
Tonight is a mixture. Yes. And it's nice to be here again. Well, I'm only going to be here till tomorrow
1:07
Tomorrow? Oh, so this is your last engagement? This is my last engagement here in Australia
1:13
And what was the first? We came from Sydney. Yep. And then we went to Brisbane. Right
1:18
And then this is my last leg here. Your last leg. We were supposed to have four. Right
1:22
But there's some complication in the next town that we were going to go to. And we're good
1:30
It's also nice that I'm taking off tomorrow because it's not that I really want to. I'd
1:34
like to spend my birthday. It's my birthday, that's why. Yeah, on the 5th, tomorrow
1:38
Oh, wow. Yeah. Wow. So happy birthday to me. Birthday Eve with Gabby, guys. So we feel very honored that you chose to spend it with us
1:49
Well, it's special. It's going to be a special day. Yeah. You know, ever since I turned 35 last year, I don't count anymore
1:56
No, that's it. Yeah, that's it. It's always been that time. I'm telling you
2:00
And I just sort of wanted to ask, like, now that I understand that you were here back in 2018
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And you're back again now. What were sort of the greatest things that you sort of rediscovered about Melbourne
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the second time around? Well, I noticed that there are more buildings now, especially in the marina
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We took the boat out and I saw a lot of new buildings. And I wasn't sure if those buildings were there before I arrived or after 2018
2:34
Pandemic happened, so there was no chance to come back. I was invited to come, but
2:38
pandemic came. But now again, 2022, I am here. Yeah. And I don't know, the only thing I remember was the iconic Ferris wheel
2:50
The Melbourne Star. There you go. I even took that and we went upstairs
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I was upstairs on the top. All the way to the top. It was fun. It was fun
2:59
But what I haven't seen is the glass. They were talking about..
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Level 89, sky deck, the glass box. Eureka. Yes, we should take you
3:10
I want to see that. What time is your flight? We can do that after the event. Yeah
3:14
What time is your flight tomorrow? It's 10.55 in the morning. Oh my goodness. We have to go tonight
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Are they closed tonight early? We'd have to check. 11. So we can definitely go
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We can probably still go there and take some footage so that maybe we'll see the city there
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Yeah, they have an edge location. So there you go. So we can make that happen
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I won't make it. I'm leaving tomorrow. Unless I extend. Yeah. Now, Gaby, so we've got a great impression of Melbourne
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And what about the people? How did you find Filipinos in Melbourne and Filipinos in Australia
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Well, they're all the same. Been around different places and Filipinos are basically the same
4:01
They're very hospitable. They offer you adobo and sinigang and palabok and stuff like that
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And palabok isn't easy to make. It's hard. Yeah. And the welcome really wherever we are in the world remains
4:20
Yeah. And that's one thing I hear about other foreigners saying about Filipinos
4:25
They're different. They're very friendly. I believe that. That's true. That's true
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And what sort of, you know, when you go in and obviously attend events and things like that
4:39
is there sort of any preparation that you do do? Or even just red carpet events and everything else
4:46
I know you've been invited to thousands over the years. Well, yeah, they asked us to. They asked me to sing one or two songs
4:56
You see, I'm not a singer, I'm an actor, but I think I'm going to get away with it
5:00
I'm going to act singing tonight. So let me know. Let me know how I do. Rate me
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Ten stars. Ten stars straight away. Just make a comment. Comment below. Is that what it is
5:14
And going back to, I guess, and I know, you know, if you can just humanly, Gabby
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but how did you end up acting in the first place? It was all an accident. It's not even in my bucket list
5:25
What was initial bucket list and how did it come to be? Number one, I wanted to become a dentist
5:30
Number two, I wanted to become a pilot. And number three, I wanted to become a real estate broker
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I was able to fulfill the broker. That's what my job was when I was in the US
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And dentistry, not, I couldn't do that because I was already filming
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And the time. And when I got in school, everybody was in the first, second, third floor
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and nobody was going into class. So I couldn't, nobody could start their class
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So I had to leave the campus. That was during the heyday
6:02
And flying, I'm colorblind. Oh, goodness me. So I can't do it. I'm colorblind with the reds and greens
6:10
Oh my goodness. Specifically. I didn't know that until I had to take some tests
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And then they told you that. Oh, I didn't want to do anything else. Acting was not in my top five, top ten. It's way
6:23
Under. Yeah. And how did it eventuate though? What was the first project
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Okay. I was in high school. Yeah. And somebody came over and he was a talent scout for Regal Films
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Yes. We know Regal. You're familiar with Regal Films. Yes, yes. And I was asked to audition. Right
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And that was the time when, you know, high school kid, we were looking for a job, a summer job. Yes
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So we were willing to, you know, work in a hotel or anything. At that time. Yeah
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You're a student. What else can you do? I mean, what can you do as a student? It's a summer job. Something to do. I didn't end up doing anything for the hotel. Yeah
7:02
I did an audition and they put me in this movie with Mother Lily and it's called Catorce. Right
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And Catorce, I was out with Alfie Anido and Dina Bonnevie. That was the original one. I know they did a remake of that one
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But the original one was with Alfie Anido and Dina Bonnevie. Dina's also very pretty. Yes
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She's beautiful. Yeah. Yes. And I think that was also Dina and Alfie's first movie
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Oh, wow. And then the rest they say is... Well, it was just, again, another summer job for me. And then Mother Lily, the owner
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signed us in for another three years. For the first three years
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And every summer I would have a job. So now I didn't have to worry about working every summer
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because she made us work even during school time. Right. But I had to make a condition. My parents didn't want me to shoot during school time
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So it was after school. So school came first still. Yes. So they would schedule a shoot after school
8:08
Okay. Yeah. Until I finished my high school and I continued with college
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And the same thing. They didn't want me to work and forget about school
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I had to finish school if I wanted to do work in show business
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So I did the same thing simultaneously. It was tough. Amazing. But if you put your mind to it, it can happen
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I graduated and then I came to America and same thing. I went to school and I graduated. So it's just about school
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My grandmother was really very insistent on finishing college. College and everything else. Yeah
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And what advice, because obviously with all your successes and being an icon in the industry
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what advice would you give to, I guess, people who want to pursue their own dreams
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Yeah. One thing I learned about, and they don't teach this in school, is that this, I guess it's a natural, it's an international behavior
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I think, and I'll use the Filipino word, pakikisama. Okay. Okay. Then I guess in English, maybe it's just basically, it's not the exact interpretation
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but I think being nice to everybody, that's a general, it's a universal attitude. Yeah
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You have to be accommodating. Yeah. You have to be friendly. Yes
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And you have to remember people. And one thing my father would always tell me, I never forgot
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you should be nice to everybody on your way up. That's if you go up
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And because they're the same people who you will meet on your way down. Right
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So, and one more thing he said, you're already doing that work, you might as well excel in it or make the best
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So, it wasn't my line, but I put my heart and soul into it and everything that he said
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And I really don't know the formula. I just listened to what he said. And lo and behold, I'm kind of still around
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Definitely, 100% around. There must be something good about what he said
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and there must be some truth in what he said. That's amazing
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And I think for those who are watching tonight, it's really all about following, not necessarily even your passion
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but making the most of the opportunities. It's an opportunity. That have come your way
10:45
And Gabby, but how would you handle those disappointments or failures or things that you don't really expect happening to you
10:54
How would you pick yourself up? That's everywhere, whether you're in show business
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or you have your personal experience with anybody. I guess it's just trying to be level about everything
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Make sure your hothead doesn't get ahead of you. Be rational, think about things
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It's hard to do. It's easier said than done. But I think it goes a long way when you get to think about things before you do it
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And that's happened to me too. I'm not perfect. That happened to me too. I've had mistakes and I make irrational decisions
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But that's one thing we learn along the way. You stumble a few times and you learn from that, right
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Yeah, that's amazing. And that's really an awesome experience. Now for the last 10 seconds
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what we're going to do is we're going to do a quick round. I'm just going to say a word
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can be a city, can be noun, anything else. And then you just tell me the first thing that comes to your mind
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Are you ready? Okay, Melbourne. Ferris wheel. I don't know. US. Disneyland
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I guess, failure. Time to stand up. Yeah. Successes. Enjoy it. Family
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I love it. Happiness. It's euphoric. Ambition. I'll still to become a pilot
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Dream. Maybe that's the one I want to be a pilot. Well, that's it guys
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Thank you so much for joining us. Yeah. And Mr. Gabby Concepcion
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anything else that you want to tell our viewers? You know, any upcoming, what keeps you occupied these days
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And you know, how can we reach you? Say, hey, are you on any social media
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Let us know. Yes, Rain. I asked your name earlier. This is the first time we're going to meet, right
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So you're probably blessed. You're Rain with a lot of blessings. Now, I say that you're young and I'd like to say hi to your mom
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We called her up earlier. Yes. I'd like to say hello to all the moms out there
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And you're like my mom too, because we're in the industry, right
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Some of them are already my contemporaries, right? Yeah. So if you guys are still, my moms are out there and the dads are out there
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Hello to everybody. It's nice that you have children like you. I hope they all become like her
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And thank you for having me here in Melbourne. I hope to come back more often here in Melbourne
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Not only Melbourne, but maybe I can visit. I've never been to Perth. Oh, Perth people, take note
13:37
Since this is going to be all around Australia, correct? Or just Melbourne
13:40
Just, it's all around Australia. We have viewers and Philippine Times is distributed across the entire, all the states. Yes
13:48
All right. For those who still speak Tagalog, Magandang araw po sa inyo lahat. Sana madalaw po kayo, kunsan man kayo sa dulo ng Australia
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And I'd also like to visit Tasmania. So anyway, malapit na po ang Pasko
14:00
Happy holidays to everybody. Merry Christmas po. Have a happy New Year
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And I hope to see you again next year. Take care because we care
14:08
Amazing. Thank you so much, Gabby. And thank you everyone. Catch you later. Bye. Mabuhay
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you
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