Breaking stereotypes
Growing up, model turned actor Carl Guevarra has been called a lot of names. All of which are dreadful variations of the word, fat. Now, at 22, standing at 5’9” with neatly chiseled features and buff physique, Carl literally looks as if he’d stepped out of a fitness magazine. But regardless of a promising showbiz career, people are still calling him names. Nastier ones. And he’s all beefed up to prove them all wrong.
The Former Fat Kid Syndrome
“I was that kid who didn’t care how fat I was as long as I get to eat everything I want,” shares Carl. “At my heaviest, I weighed almost 240 pounds – and I was only 16. During that time I couldn’t bring myself to think that I can lose the weight. I just gave up and ate some more.”
Worried about his son’s eating habits, Carl’s father enrolled him at a gym, got him a personal trainer, and hired a nutritionist. But like any angsty teenager, Carl wasn’t too excited to sweat the big stuff. Until he realized how much his father was paying for his fitness program.
“At first I was really lazy and whiny about it. Recognizing my Dad’s efforts (and expenses) inspired me to take care of myself. I went to the gym every day. I gave up fried dishes, junk food, and rice for steamed vegetables and fish. When I started losing some weight, I became more committed and in turn became more conscious,” says Carl.
A year and 38 inches later, Carl became underweight; dropping from 240 to 148 pounds. “I didn’t notice that I was losing so much weight. I had an exercise addiction. I was spending way too much time in the gym and over-exercising. Whenever I ate more than my prescribed calorie intake, I go to the gym to sweat it away,” recalls Carl.
Eventually, Carl overcame his weight insecurities and self-consciousness, realizing that too much of a good thing can still lead to bad. Slowly, he went from dieting to eating healthy and worked on being lean instead of thin. He gained 12 pounds of muscle. It was then when he and his brother stumbled upon the Be Bench/The Model Search advertisement in a mall. Suddenly, the fat kid was trying his luck in modeling.
Model behavior
Pretty much like joining a gym, Carl joined the model search rather half-heartedly. This time it was his elder brother doing the convincing. “It was my Kuya who really wanted to join. I was apprehensive at first. I just got from being overweight to underweight to relatively proportional and there I was, auditioning for a model-search alongside experienced models showing off their under wear,” he shares.
Given their genetic looks and fit bodies, Carl and his brother were a shoo-in for the competition. However, to Carl’s surprise, his brother was eliminated in the first episode. He, on the other hand, ended up winning the whole thing.
“I seriously didn’t expect to win. I was just turning 18 when I joined and I was uncomfortable in under wear shoots and TV shoots. o nagustuhan nila ako kaya ginalingan ko na lang din. When I won Be Bench, that’s when I realized what I got myself into. This is serious business and it changed my life for good,” he says.
Winning the competition opened a lot of doors for Carl. The transition from model to actor was not a walk in the park. Not to mention that he’s under more scrutiny from the public and the unforgiving eyes of show business. So he worked hard to prove he's not just a pretty face and ripped body.
“Even after winning a model-search you’d think I’d grown confident about my body. But I’m still scared of getting fat. I still watch what I eat. I even cook and bring my own food in tapings. I have a cheat day now, though. I eat rice and pizza on Sundays. But of course I pay for all of it in the gym the entire week,” he says smiling.
At present, Carl works out in the gym for 30-minutes when he has taping and goes on for three hours on his regular, non-working schedules. He does cardio exercises and lifts weights to keep his washboard abs and rock-hard muscles. He’s very dedicated to maintaining his physique. Same is true with his acting.
No more hamming
Ever since he got his break in acting, Carl is in no way resting on his laurels. After joining GMA 7 last year, Carl has been busy from one show to another and is currently starring in "Blusang Itim". He’s relatively new to the business and has been prey to harsh critics saying he can’t act. Carl, however, is not showing signs of backing down.
“It’s like being bullied in school all over again. Only this time, people are saying, ‘Maganda lang katawan niyan,’ which is very ironic,” he says. “I’m doing my best to prove them all wrong. I’m working on my acting and constantly attending workshops to hone my acting skills.”
Handling stereotypes and criticism is not new to Carl. In fact, he takes every harsh remark and judgmental word and turns them into challenges. He’s gone from fat kid to model, from an IT boy to a household name.
When asked if his willing to get fat for a role he only has this to say: “I would be glad to! I could finally eat whatever I want. And it’s for work!” - Article courtesy of Manila Bulletin
Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites
