Jericho Rosales, four years after Mr. Pogi 
by :Jayson B. Brizuela 10/4/00 YS from PhilStar

I can still vaguely remember the Mr. Pogi contest Grand Finals episode in Eat Bulaga where a total unknown, by the name of Jericho Rosales, wowed audiences with his dancing prowess, his winning smile, and most of all, his confidence. He bagged the top prize, of course, and became a co-host in the show for a month, but nothing could have prepared him for the bigger things that were to come his way. 

Now, who doesn’t know Jericho Rosales? He’s one of the country’s most popular young actors, but then again he’s really more than that--He’s considered to be among a new breed of young matinee idols turned dramatic actors. A member of Star Circle batch 4 and currently a main stay of the primetime thriller Oka Tokat, Jericho has had a long a fruitful career in the four years that he’s been in showbusiness. He looks back with a knowing smile on his face. 

"I didn’t come from a rich family," he says. "I guess it all started with the TV show Ang TV. I always watched that show and wanted so bad to be in it, but then I didn’t know anyone from show business and I didn’t know how to get in. But it was really my dream to join them." 

It wasn’t until several years, though, when, working part time as a personal drievr to his present talent manager, he stumbled upon a sign at the Broadway Centrum announcing auditions for the Mr. Pogi contest in the noon-time show Eat Bulaga. 

"That’s where I really started. Binigyan ako ng sheet, pinagsayaw ako, pinag-aerobics ako, hahaha!...pinaglahat ako, then 'yun I won." After a month, he left the show and auditioned for Star Circle Batch 4 hoping that he could still join the Ang TV gang. He got in, alright, but at that time the show was about to be cancelled. Eventually he landed a role in the drama series "Munting Paraiso." That’s where his dramatic acting skills were honed. More TV and movie offers came, and before he even realized it, he had become a star. 

When asked to describe himself, Jericho says that he’s fun-loving, makulit, and that it’s not so hard for him to relate to other people. 

And true enough, he easily smoothed himself into the Star Circle (batch 4) group. He may be viewed as a snob in person but once the ice is broken, he becomes a true friend and a good companion. He also has a knack for watching cartoons like Dexter’s Laboratory, Cow and Chicken, and even the Powerpuff Girls! Other than that, he also like spending hours playing with his Playstation. 

That from a guy who’s been successful enough to reap awards and accolades from people in the industry. "I try to keep my feet on the ground. Basically I’m just a simple person, I like doing simple things. I go to the mall a lot these days (he shops for new things for his new house, his pride and joy as of the moment) and it’s not so hard to make me smile, generally," he says. Well, it’s not so hard to see why, too. Any young man with a positive perspective in life like he does can easily attest to that. 

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