In Philippine cinema, best friends and villains are roles that always end up getting casted only after the “bidas” (leads) have been signed up. Curiously, artistas who get typecasted in the former are the ones with long(er) shelf lives in the industry. Must be the relative dearth of artists who are either wholesome or antagonistic enough to fill in such slots.

In the hit indie movie “Zombadings 1: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington“, one character stood out aside from the title roles (and Roderick Paulate). He is Jigs – the best friend of Remington – played with such relaxed ease by Kerbie Zamora. For the uninitiated, this showbiz newcomer first tried his luck by joining ABS-CBN’s Be Bench / The Model Search (won by now popular GMA-7 staple Carl Guevarra) way back in 2007. Still in his teens then, he went back to anonymity (save for some gigs in fashion shows here and there) after getting eliminated. But the acting bug must’ve been so strong that he continued to audition for TV and movie roles that would give him the much-needed break.

Fast forward to early 2011. Kerbie finally landed the role of Jigs in “Zombadings 1: Patayin sa Shokot si Remington” – a collaborative effort among Director Jade Castro and Screenwriters Raymond Lee and Michiko Yamamoto. Not a few showbiz insiders and kibitzers resorted to raising their eyebrows and dismissing the whole production as just a gay-themed zombie flick. But lo and behold, the Cinema Evaluation Board rewarded it with a sought-after “A” rating and the rest is history.

Lead actor Martin Escudero and Kerbie were taken along for a successful ride that brought them to a good dose of indie fame which saw the movie getting extended for screening weeks after it opened last August 31. This popularity did not go unnoticed to fans and supporters who sustained the healthy word-of-mouth.

Right now, Kerbie’s star has already started picking up. He can proudly claim that he already has a solid group of fans and supporters (happily called “The Kerbies“) who are with him every step of the way. In fact, his first fans/supporters’ day (organized by BM Pascual) was successfully held last September 24, 2011 at Chef’s Bistro in Quezon City. The attendees – a good mix of young and eternally young followers – gamely joined in the fun and nonstop bonding that definitely warmed the heart of the guest of honor even more.

From hereon, things can only get brighter for this very down-to-earth and good-natured guy in his renewed attempt to crack showbiz. With the help of his handlers (Mercator Model and Artist Management), die-hard fans and The Kerbies, the road to fame is clearer and with less hurdles to deal with.

Shine on, Kerbie, shine on! 😉