Keempee de Leon almost declined to portray the role of 'Zandro'

Actor and comedian Keempee de Leon says his role as Zandro in the GMA primetime series "My Husband's Lover" is more challenging than his previous gay roles.    In the series, Zandro recently caused a stir when the cross-dresser showed up at the wedding anniversary party of his uncle Armando (Roi Vinzon) and the retired general's wife Elaine (Kuh Ledesma). Zandro's father (Armando's brother) Manuel almost had a heart attack when he saw his son in a lady's dress. This  prompted Armando to turn hostile toward Zandro. After receiving a brutal beating from Armando, Zandro left, devastated, and Armando called off the party.    Unlike Keempee's comic roles in the past, Zandro requires serious acting since the character is a "legitimate" contributor to the show's drama, not a comic relief.     "Beforehand, sinabi na sa akin ni direk na serious yung role ko at hindi kengkoy na katulad ng usual kaya yun ang lagi kong nilalagay sa isip ko tuwing nasa eksena ako," said Keempee.    The actor admitted that he was supposed to decline the role when it was first offered to him only because the taping schedule ran in conflict with his daily stint as co-host of "Eat Bulaga."   Luckily, the actor's manager and the producers of "My Husband's Lover" were able to make some adjustments to the schedule.    "So I said 'Yes' right away. Kasi tinanong ko rin kung sino yung director at nalaman kong si Direk Dom (Dominic Zapata) tapos gusto ko ring makatrabaho sina Dennis, Carla at Tom, although nakatrabaho ko na si Tom before," shared Keempee.    Keempee's debut in the series created a buzz online and was heavily discussed on Twitter. Netizens praised the actor for his natural and convincing portrayal of the role.    Keempee said he was overwhelmed by the warm acceptance of the show's viewers and the response all the more gives him the drive to do better each time he dons Zandro's identity.    As of this article's writing Zandro still does not know that his cousin Vincent (Tom Rodriguez) is also gay. But that's going to change as soon as Vincent reveals the truth to him.   Will Zandro's new role as Vincent's confidante eliminate the need for Lally in his life?   We'll find out soon in "My Husband's Lover" which airs weeknights after "Mundo Mo'y Akin" on GMA Telebabad.    'LIKE' the show on Facebook (www.facebook.com/myhusbandslover) and on follow @myhusbandslover on Twitter. - Neil Celeste T. Rara, GMA Social Media