FHM.com.ph

INTERVIEW: Allan Hernandez
PHOTOGRAPHY: Xander Angeles of Edge of Light

We’d like to know how…(Pops interrupts)
You forced me! Ha ha ha!

We did? It was consensual! No, really, the question is: Do we declare today a national holiday because you have finally unveiled yourself nicely?

(looks at her stylist) He said yeah! Actually on my way here I was asking myself: “Did I really say yes to this shoot?! How was I convinced again?” But the truth is, FHM has been asking me to do the cover for the longest time.

So what did we do to make you say yes?
I don’t know nga eh. I’m still trying to ask myself if I’m totally convinced. This shoot was supposed to happen the week before pa, it was already scheduled and all. But then sa sobrang nerbiyos ko I said, “Teka, tawad lang. P’wede next week na lang?” As if that was gonna make a difference! Ha ha ha! I guess I just had to prepare myself mentally and…I want to say physically but all I did was starve myself for this shoot.

Tell us more about the physical sufferings you had to go through for this.
Apart from the starvation? I’d have to say it was more the mental part. Because I had agreed to do it, I had to prep myself by [answering questions] like why am I doing this in the first place.

You haven’t done anything like this ever in your entire career, yes?
No, not at all.

And will this be the last or the revelation of a new Pops ready for more?
This will be the last, ha ha ha! No, but they’re gonna see… (Pops’ handler interrupts)

Oops, your handler says there’s more daring stuff ahead…
Really?! (laughs) But people will be seeing me with more skin only because I play a superhero alien in the movie ZsaZsa Zaturnnah, which is pretty much what this pictorial is for—maybe that’s part of what convinced me to do this cover, to give some sort of a teaser before I do the movie.

Are you saying eyes are really gonna be popping out of their sockets for you in the movie?
Well no, I’m not gonna go bold, daring, sexy, or anything like that. Zsa Zsa Zaturnah is actually a comedy musical. It’s just the superhero outfit.

See Pops Fernandez's magazine-exclusive pictures and interview in the August 2006 issue of FHM Philippines.