Kempee de Leon, one of today’s hottest comedians, continues the wacky tradition started by his father Joey de Leon as he takes the lovable gay character to both the small screen and the big screen. On television, Kempee played gay roles on GMA Network’s “Bahay Mo Ba ‘To?” and “Love to Love.” In the big screen, he also played a gay role in MAQ Productions’ romantic fantasy trilogy “Happily Ever After”.
In the “Multong Bakla” episode of this movie directed by Maryo J. delos Reyes, Kempee plays the irrepressible Pampee, a dearly departed soul longing for his “papa”. Pampee takes out his restlessness on young lovers Abby and Ogie (Nadine Samonte and Tyron Perez) who often meet at the unfinished two-storey home that is Pampee’s temporary haunt.
It was actually because of the rave reviews in “Bahay Mo Ba To” and “Love to Love” that Kempee cinched the role in “Happily Ever After”. “Tawa ako nang tawa nang nakita ko si Kempee sa show nya,” remembers Mother Lily Monteverde, “kaya pinagawa ko kaagad ang script ng ‘Multong Bakla’.
Keempe feels proud and thankful to be a part of a film produced by MAQ, the sister company of Mother Lily Monteverde’s regal Entertainment. In the 1990s, Regal made the phenomenal box-office “Starzan” series of his dad Joey.
In his teen years, Kempee made movies for Regal, playing either a sidekick to his dad or a part of a young ensemble cast. He considers the “Multong Bakla” episode in “Happily Ever After” as his biggest break in his career as an adult.
This twenty-something comedian/singer is certainly enjoying playing gay. Keempee describes his role of Pampee as “sobrang landi!” He admits that people will surely compare his gay acting style to his father’s. joey made gay characters like Barbi and Helen Bola, and now Doughnut of “Nuts Entertainment” fame, household names. But keempee states that the way he attacks his gay roles is truly his own.
“Yung sa daddy ko parating naka-costume, naka-damit babae, naka-wig at naka-makeup,” he points out.
In contrast, Keempees’s gay characters always wear men’s clothing and keep their hairstyles very short. The younger de Leon brings out the gaiety through hand gestures, facial expressions and other endearing mannerisms. One highlight in “Multong Bakla” had Keempee sashaying to a popular dance craze. The way he moved in that scene was even more graceful than many female dancers!
Is he afraid of being typecast? Keempee doesn’t think so after al he’s the only on among his contemporaries who can play the gay character to the hilt! “And besides there’s a saying, ‘strike while the iron is hot! So I’m going to do gay roles as long as the offers keep coming in and as long as the audience wants me to,” he says with a smile.
So pleased and impressed is Mother Lily with Keempee de Leon that she’s including him in her list of “upcoming superstars”. She says of Keempee, “He’s definitely next in line!” Mother is seriously thinking about offering Keempee a big comedy picture that’s similar to Joey’s popular “Starzan” series.
Keempee recently admitted that he has a seven year old child with a former non-showbiz girlfriend. While things did not work out between him and the child’s mother, they’ve remained friends and Keempee is doing his best to be a good father. This optimistic fellow is also certain that like his career which is enjoying a second wind, he will eventually be successful in the field of love and romance. “Darating rin yun,” Keempee says. DP
