Did Jao Mapa regret leaving showbiz back then?
JAO MAPA – A former ’90s heartthrob shared in an interview why he left showbiz before.
Jao was famous as a matinee idol in the early ‘90s. He was the mainstay of the popular ABS-CBN sitcom Palibhasa Lalake along with the popular group Gwapings consisting of Jomari Yllana, Eric Fructuoso, and Mark Anthony Fernandez.
Apart from that, Jao has also made films with veteran directors Mario J. Delos Reyes, Chito Roño, Lupita Kashiwahara and others. But after almost a decade he left the popularity of showbiz due to personal reasons.
In an interview with Push, Jao Mapa recalled working almost 24/7 on tapings and shootings.
Aside from that, he needed to travel different parts of the country for events and he did that for seven straight years.
After some time, he thought of leaving the limelight. According to him, it was difficult to turn away from showbiz.
“Actually, talagang it was the decision I made for myself dahil gusto kong magpahinga after seven years in the entertainment business,” he explained.
When he left showbiz, Jao Mapa decided to finish his studies. He graduated Fine Arts Major in Advertising at the University of Santo Tomas.
During the height of the pandemic, he lost his job, prompting him to get back on painting and started selling them online.
Meanwhile, Jao has returned to acting via Viva Films movie, Paraluman. It also stars with Rhen Escano and is directed by Yam Laranas.
It will premiere on streaming platforms such as Ktx.ph, IWant TFC and Vivamax this coming September 24, 2021.
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