Alex Calleja, Laugh Factory’s Funniest Person in the World 2016 competition finalist, is bringing stand-up comedy to television with his new show, sure to make Kapamilyas laugh, Lakas Tawa on ABS-CBN TVplus’ CineMo.
Calleja places a high value on originality. His top tip for aspiring comedians is to write their own jokes. “You just have to be original. Write your own joke, have your own persona, identity, tackle topics that you relate to,” says the finalist in DZMM TeleRaydo’s stand-up comedy contest LOL: Laugh Out Loud in 2008.
He displays his knack for comedy as a writer in It’s Showtime, but feels some pressure headlining a TV show by himself. “The pressure is on me because I also write the show. But it’s a pressure that is fun. Writing for a sitcom is different because actors deliver the lines. In this stint, the jokes come out of my own mouth,’’ he said.
In the show, his jokes tie together to form a narrative or monologue. Audiences can expect him to impart little nuggets of wisdom along the way through Lakas’ Tawa’s “Aleksyon of the Day,” one of the show’s sub-segments.
This solo TV stint debut comes 10 years after Alex left a career in IT and programming. He followed his passion to make people laugh and found himself writing for Kapamilya shows like It’s Showtime!, Goin’ Bulilit, and CineMo’s Sunday sitcom, Funny Ka, Pare Ko.
He has made a name for himself in the local stand-up comedy circuit with his group Comedy Manila. He has also seen himself compete in both local and international stand-up comedy contests such as the LOL: Laugh Out Loud stand-up comedy contest of DZMM TeleRadyo in 2008 to Laugh Factory’s Funniest Person in the World competition in Finland last year.
Alex has high hopes for stand-up comedy in the Philippines and is proud of its achievement of breaking into mainstream media.
Lakas Tawa is seen three times a day on CineMo, at 10:55 a.m., 4:55 p.m., and 10:55 p.m., Monday to Saturday.