BB Gandanghari confessed that her transsexual status has not totally sunk into mom Eva Cariño’s consciousness. BB is unnerved that her mother sometimes refer to her as good old son Rustom Padilla.
“My mom would me, ‘Tom, why are you not visiting me?’” To which I reply, “It’s Rustom you want to see. Eh, paano dadalaw sa inyo ang patay? But if you tell me, ‘BB come visit me,’ then I’ll go see you every day,” BB said at a recent media gathering for the coming prime-time fantasy series on TV5, “Enchanted Garden.”
Although she hasn’t had a serious talk with younger brother Robin since coming out of the closet, BB said that she’ll be more than willing to make the first move: “I wish we could talk sooner. One of these days, gusto ko nang karirin. One thing for sure, I’ll be dressed and made up!”
BB wants her siblings to understand and accept her newfound identity. “But it’s just a matter of time. My siblings love me, no question about that,” she said.
Meanwhile, asked if she’ll agree to be interviewed by former wife Carmina Villaroel in her weekend talk show, BB said yes, but stressed that it’s not something she’s really planning to do. Thinking about it makes her a bit nervous, she said.
But should it happen, BB, now 44, clarified: “I want to make sure na walang mapaglalaruan at wala nang bubuksang mga lumang sugat.”
BB recalled the last time she and Carmina saw each other was in 2005.
In “Enchanted,” BB portrays Michiko, a kimono-clad spa owner who safeguards the passage between the mortal world and the mystical realm of Eden. The twist, BB revealed, is that her character transforms into a man when in Eden.
“Ipe-peg ko lang si Rustom one more time,” she said, laughing. “I’m not resurrecting Rustom though…It’s BB portraying a male character.”
If she is given a starring role on film, who would she choose as her leading man? “If it’s a comedy, perhaps Daniel Matsunaga. But if it’s heavy drama, I’d love to work with Cesar (Montano), Goma (Richard Gomez) or Dennis Trillo.”
“Enchanted Garden” premieres July 30 at 6:30 p.m.