Alden Richards recalls pageantry days, demonstrates walk and Q&A skills

Alden Richards may now be known as Asia’s Multimedia Star and a Box Office King, but his early beginnings can be traced back to pageantry.

On Friday’s “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda,” the Kapuso actor recalled that he joined three pageants before he entered show business 13 years ago: Mister and Miss Intramurals in Paco Catholic School in 2008, Ginoong Santa Rosa in 2009, and Ginoong Laguna in 2010.

He won all of them.

“Gulat nga po ako eh,” he told Tito Boy playfully.

He also proved that he’s definitely worth his salt as a pageant king after he demonstrated his question and answer skills and walk during the program.

Alden recalled the question asked to him during the Ginoong Santa Rosa question and answer portion, which goes, “Do you think that joining pageants such as Ginoong Santa Rosa is a form of exploitation to the youth?”

As he and Tito Boy recreated the Q&A, he answered the question in effortless fashion.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I don’t believe that joining pageants is a form of exploitation because these kinds of events harness the youth to become themselves and to reach their dreams in all sorts of ways and I do like to think this is a steppingstone for them to achieve their dreams in the future,” he said.

Alden also gamely demonstrated his pageant walk for casual wear, shooting the audience some charming and smoldering looks here and there.

In the same program, Alden shared about the status of his love life.

Alden will be starring in historical drama “Pulang Araw” with Barbie Forteza, Sanya Lopez, David Licauco, and Dennis Trillo.

“Pulang Araw,” written by Suzette Doctolero and directed by Dominic Zapata, is set to premiere on Netflix, Friday, and on television on July 29.

He is also set to fly to Canada for the filming of “Hello, Love, Again,” the sequel to “Hello, Love, Goodbye,” his blockbuster film with Kathryn Bernardo.

The sequel continues the story of Ethan (Alden) and Joy (Kathryn), two struggling OFWs who met in Hong Kong and fell in love at the wrong time. Five years later, they meet again in Canada.

The sequel is scheduled to be released in Philippine cinemas on Nov. 13, and is the first film collaboration of GMA Pictures and Star Cinema.