Chuck Smith

I WROTE A BOOK, and now you buy the book! Happy to announce that my book, a collection of personal essays titled SON OF A DEAD ‘80s BOLD STAR under UST Publishing House is now available for purchase online! From the press release: “In Son of a Dead ‘80s Bold Star, Smith explores and excavates a life that was defined by an unusual circumstance. “As a child, he was led to believe that his biological mother was Pepsi Paloma, one of Philippine’s most controversial and tragic pop culture figures. Pepsi was an actress who showbiz described as a “bold star,” a female protagonist in low budget, occasionally experimental sexually explicit films that dominated Philippine cinemas during the 1980s. The actress died when Smith was just three months old. “Hence, Pepsi’s story, lore, and ghost became a defining part of Smith’s life and sense of self. “Son of a Dead ‘80s Bold Star chronicles Smith’s journey—through personal essays and entertainment reportages—to make sense of this inherited identity, detailing the grief, joys, and self-discovery he experienced while navigating the exciting and tumultuous world of Philippine show business.” The personal essay is a literary form I have always adored and loved. So, no joke, this is a major accomplishment for me. This book is for family and friends, for loved ones, for fellow lovers of the written word, for writers and mentors who inspired me and encouraged me to write this story, for everyone who believes in the power of the personal narrative. Son of a Dead ‘80s Bold Star retails at PHP 420 and is available at the UST Publishing House bookstore in the UST Main Building. It is also available via the UST Publishing House’s official Shopee and Lazada stores. Thank you, guise. Labyu. ❤

REGINE, REGINE! From the Playwright's notes: I wrote the first draft of this play in 2021, a time when the most popular gay/queer stories that managed to penetrate the local media zeitgeist are of the Boys Love/Yaoi genre. I have been reading/watching Boys Love even before it became popular in the Philippines in 2020. As someone who considers himself as a pop culture journalist, I wrote almost exclusively about BL shows during the first months of the pandemic. BL is part of my gay consciousness as a person heavily defined by the media he consumed. The popularity of Boys Love in local media has also, I believe, allowed a wider local audience to accept these narratives. I was a film worker prior to the pandemic, and I heard film executives say that the mainstream Pinoy audience is not yet ready for gay stories (despite the commercial success of films such as Jun Robles Lana’s Die Beautiful, among others). So this is an achievement, I think. But Boys Love, I have also come to realize, is not specifically concerned with the gay narrative. I am happy it exists, for better or worse, but it does not (at least not always) tell my story. I wrote Regine: The Fairy Gaymother as an exercise to write a story about being gay in the Filipino context, partly autobiographical but also informed by the stories of the gay men I know and have encountered. I hope that those who will encounter Regine: The Fairy Gaymother will find value in this exercise. CAST AND ROLES: Diego: Adrian Lindayag Susan: Tex Ordoñez-De Leon Jun: Ron Capindig Regine Velasquez: Anton Diva Playwright: Chuck Smith Director: Mark Daniel Dalacat Dramaturg: Ian Ramirez

I don't know if other people did this when they experienced this sort of thing. But when it became apparent that this was inevitable, I tried imagining what I would write to announce (is this the right word?) that it did happen. The only words that I could muster were not even mine. It was -- oddly but also unsurprisingly, I guess -- borrowed, paraphrased from a television show: My father is dead, and everything is worse now.

Sa ating pagtanda, may mga pagkakataong marami tayong tandang pananong na kailangang sagutin, para sa sarili. Nasa harap mo man o wala ang kasagutan. Sa aklat ni Chuck D. Smith na author ng “Son of a Dead ’80s Bold Star” na inilimbag ng UST Publishing House, ganito niya binuo ang aklat, sa pamamagitan ng mga personal na sanaysay at mga isinulat na interbyu tungkol sa ibang tao, makikilala natin siya at ang mundong kinabibilangan niya.  Pamagat pa lang, maiintriga ka na, lalo na sa lalamanin ng mga pahina. Kaya nang una ko itong marinig, lagi na itong nasa radar ko, hanggang sa mabigyan ako ng pagkakataon na mabasa ito. Masasabi kong may binigay ang aklat na hindi ko inaasahan—may mababasa akong ibang tao, akala ko mapupuno lang ang aklat ng sariling mga kuwento/danas. Katulad ng kadalasang koleksyon ng mga personal na sanaysay, pero nagkamali ako, binigyan ako ni Smith ng magandang latag ng mga sanaysay. Nagsimula sa sarili - tungo sa ibang tao - pabalik sa sarili. Hindi rin siya mahirap basahin, para ka lang nakikinig sa isang malapit na kaibigan, habang nagkakape kayo isang hapon.  Malakas ang unang personal na sanaysay na “Origin Story” pero hindi ko inasahan yung impact ng huling sanaysay. Pagkatapos ko mabasa ang huling pahina, gusto ko lang manahimik sa isang gilid at magmuni sa mga nabasa. Siguro, dito ko sasabihin na ihanda mo ang iyong sarili, sa pagpasok sa aklat ni Smith. Imposibleng hindi mo maramdaman ang gaan at bigat ng kaniyang mga salita. Kahit interbyu pieces niya sa mga artista, na bahagi ng aklat, mararamdaman mo, na wala sila sa harap ng kamera, tao silang nakikipag-usap. Gustong-gusto ko ’yung tungkol kay Cherie Gil na may pamagat na “The Gypsy”.  Kaya kung mababasa ito ni Smith, kung ano man ang balak niyang buoin sa susunod niyang koleksyon, tungkol sa mga nakaharap niyang artista. Magiliw akong mag-aabang.  Kayang mangusap ng Son of a Dead 80s Bold Star sa iba’t ibang mambabasa, lalo na sa punong-puno ng kuryosidad (mahilig sa tsismis). Mabubusog sila ng aklat (lalo na sa karanasan ko). Kung interesado kang bumili ng kopya, available ang aklat sa online shopping channels ng UST Publishing House sa halagang 420 pesos.

🔎 BOOK SPOTTED! The book “Son of A Dead ‘80s Bold Star” by award-winning essayist Chuck D. Smith @rcdsmith featured in this article published on the Philippine Daily Inquirer is available at our bookshop. 📖🧡 Grab a copy now while supplies last! #ISTORYASTUDIOS #ISTORYASTUDIOSbookshop

Late New Year essay. 2025 was… a year. Not the best; that I ended the year with a horrible case of the cold that I’m still recovering from is very expected. But it was also a good year. Finished work for Quezon as the film’s “ganda lang ang ambag” hire. While working on that film is not the most financially smart decision I’ve made, I’ll forever be proud of the work we’ve done there. Also published—finally, if I may say, because this was technically slated for publication late 2024—my first book. End result was very close to the vision I had for it years ago. It’s not perfect, but it's a thing I’m very proud of. But really looking back, I realize that it is the friends and people that really made 2025 an amazing year. People who (literally and figuratively) held my hand while I was going through it. Friends who endured the worst version of me. Friends who showed up when I asked them to show up. Friends who were just there because they know I needed them. Would not be here without you guys. Posting this video @nikkifairyowls made last September because she was not able to attend the MIBF book signing for my book. Guess I’m using this as an excuse to (very belatedly) post this video. But anyway, as always, thank you guise. I love you.

Menty breakdown sa Phao Praya River after "Quezon"! Basically nagkape lang kami ni @moonymoonz (best travel buddy ever) with a side of [redacted] post-mortem slash labasan ng personal at professional sama ng loob + celebrating the fact na buhay pa kami after months of kms jokes. Also celebrating end of Q campaign and me publishing the book. Moments include: - aurahan sa @baantrok - me achieving my pandemic dream of having coffee across Wat Arun - @moonymoonz and the book at @baantroklivingroom - @nikkifairyowls and @degolas make an appearance! - M at @nanacoffeeroasters.ari bago mainis sa tugsh tugsh music at 11 in the morning - M sa @baccbangkok habang stressed kay Bessie Mae - Random Bonchon and duck meals in Chinatown! (Best meals in BKK)

Historical film arc ends! #Quezon season is officially over (for most the marketing team, anyway). Finally starting to feel human again. Much is said about film production, but very rarely do we talk about how a film is marketed. Because, why? Film marketing (arts marketing in general) is just a relaying of a movie's value to the audience; at its worst, its a regurgitation of film as mere "content." But also, this team deserves all the flower. Will forever believe that while we could have done more, what they did (what we did) is amazing. (Special mention sa cast members ng pelikula who made the work fun and fulfilling--at pinapakain kami 😅). Proud to have been part of this team with these amazing, talented, and lovely people. This is Chuck, PR Associate for Q, signing off.

10 months of promo for the biggest Filipino film of 2025, done! Went through a lot, from stressful photo shoots to cinema Q&A that made news headlines. Glad to have done movie PR work again with these crazy people @secretjerry @moonymoonz

I have a book out how crazy is that 📷: @hope.jpeg

Happy New Month to those who celebrate! (ang haba ng January, parang ang dami kong anime arcs na napagdaanan in life plz halp)

"The resolutions don't matter, what matters is the art," sabi ni Austere Gamao sa tulang "Fights."