Bago maging aktor/komedyante si Benjie Paras, isa itong basketball player, kunsaan namana ng mga anak niyang sina Andre at Kobe Paras ang husay nila sa larong ito.

Aayon kay Andre, “Honestly, I guess my Dad got everything from being an athlete. That’s where he learned his values, his discipline, like not staying up too late na nadala niya sa showbiz. And what I learned from him wasn’t as an actor/basketball player but as a father, what he learned from both worlds talaga.”

Pero yung interes nila ni Kobe sa basketball ay nakuha nila sa ama?

Pagsang-ayon ni Andre, “It came from him but he didn’t force us. I see him every day. I see him on TV. I see him in PBA. Yun kasi ang naabutan ko sa kanya that’s why me and my brother fell in love with the sport.”

“Noong tumagal, it’s more of who achieved it better. As we can see, Kobe did. I didn’t give up because I know there’s showbiz that I also need to do.”

Mas mahal niya ang pag-arte?

“Well, basketball will always be there. First love ko yun, e, hindi makakalimutan. Sa showbiz, I started at 18. Medyo late, but I started to love it. I don’t want to love it when I’m older. I want to love it hanggang ngayon na bata ako,” dagdag niya.

Dads as friends: pros and cons

Sa kasalukuyan, madalas na nangyayaring ang mga magulang at ang kanilang mga anak ay nagiging parang magbarkada.

Mas okay ba yung ganung set-up?

“Oh, of course, there’s always na father kailangan. Kapag naging kaibigan mo yung anak, they might abuse your power. They’re gonna abuse it by coming home late. It’s better that you have that relationship but make sure that you have a point na you have to scold them when you can—to be a father talaga,” diin niya.

Kailan nga ba nagiging ama at kaibigan sa kanya si Benjie?

“Friend kapag when the day’s light. When we’re sad, of course, father comes up with advice. And then, kukulitin ka, ‘Ngiti na ‘yan. Labas tayo.’ Then, he becomes a friend,” ang masaya pa niyang kuwento.

Ano ang madalas na payo sa kanya ng ama?

Ani Andre, “Advice like, ‘Alam mo, noong panahon namin, wala kaming ganito,’ and that, ‘you’re very lucky.’

“And then ako, ‘Oo nga ‘no, we’re lucky now. I can’t take things for granted.’”

Career plans

Dahil maituturing pa rin namang baguhan si Andre sa larangan ng pag-arte, mayroon ba siyang partikular na gusto gawin o makita sa sariling ginagawa niya pagdating sa pag-arte?

Ngayong buwan lamang ay ipinagdiwang na ng GMA Afternoon Prime series na “The Half Sisters” ang unang anibersaryo nito, at nagpapasalamat daw si Andre sa mga patuloy na sumusuporta sa kanialng programa at sa loveteam nila ng kaibigang si Barbie Forteza.

Ayon kay Andre, “Whatever the network gives, I’ll accept. But of course, I wouldn’t mind doing other roles like comedy o kontrabida. For me, it’s just a relationship.”

“You have to go through a lot before you’ll find the one. So maybe, if I’ll go to other things, I can find the one genre that I love to do talaga,” panalangin niya.