Willie Nepomuceno could only be thankful he is now healthy enough to resume work.
The impressionist was sidelined the past three years recovering from a stroke.
He admitted in a recent interview, “I thought it was the end. Wala na, tapos na.”
Fate has other plans for him, however, and after undergoing rehabilitation, he is now back to doing what he does best.
“Well, yeah business as usual but with changes,” he said with a smile, relating he has since foregone smoking.
Nepomuceno believes his smoking contributed a lot to him having a stroke.
He said, “I had a terrible nicotine habit. Akala ko si Superman ako, eh. Hanggang ayun, tinamaan tayo.”
Apart from personal lifestyle changes, Nepomuceno is also not too keen on doing impressions of prominent political personalities, a trademark from way back.
“It’s not as if I just woke up and decided on it,” he said. “Kahit dati pa reluctant na ako (doing it) kasi minsan parang wala na eh, parang I am just making fun of their appearance. At ‘yun ‘yung ayaw ko as impressionist. Dapat there’s more to it than just imitating someone’s look or mannerism.”
Among personalities he has avoided doing in the past include Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Jose De Venecia.
“If you would notice, people always harp on their appearance, ‘di ba? Si Madame Gloria maliit, may nunal; si De Venecia, malaki tenga, mapungay ang mata; kapag ginaya ko sila eh, ang kalalabasan parang niri-ridicule ko lang ‘yung appearance nila.”
Nepomuceno doesn’t want to do President Duterte as well but for a different reason.
“To be honest, I already did an impression of him, around 2016 ito, during the campaigns, pero that’s it, ayoko na muna,” he said.
He worries that doing Duterte at this time will only add to the “divisiveness” and the “confusion.”
“If I impersonate him, of course, I will have to make jabs and people will then accuse me of being a ‘dilawan,’ they will give it color. And I find that corny,” Nepomuceno explained.
Not that he is afraid of backlash.
“Been there, done that,” he said, noting how he had a “love-hate” relationship with the former strongman Ferdinand Marcos as with Joseph “Erap” Estrada, for his on point mimicry of them.
“Siguro, pahinga muna ako diyan. Besides, halos lahat naman ng comedian ngayon ay nag-i-impersonate na, hayaan na lang muna natin sila. Exit muna ako,” he added.
So what will he be doing for “Music and Laughter,” his performance with good buddy Nonoy Zuniga at The Theatre at Solaire on July 27?
“Well, of course, my impressions pa rin akong gagawin but you know what? I’ll also sing.
“Believe it or not, that was my original dream, to be a singer. Kaso wala, eh. Ang daming poging singer nu’ng nagsisimula ako.
“Ngayon susubukan ko uli, malay mo at my age ma-discover ako, magkaroon ako ng second wind.”
-NEIL RAMOS
