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You were 38 the first and last time we had you on the cover. On our end, a lot has happened since then—FHM staffers got hitched, some lost girlfriends, some got abs, some gained considerable weight. And yet here you are looking as hot as ever. What’s the secret that we should tell our wives?
I’m staying happy. Nag-stop ako roon sa age na 21. Ha ha! It’s just a state of mind. Age lang yan eh. Hindi porke’t you’re turning 43 hindi mo na gagawin yung mga bagay na you used to do
before. So kung ano yung na-e-enjoy ko, yun ang ginagawa ko. And I still like to find things enjoyable for me.

What sort of activities do you find utterly enjoyable?
Being with my kids. Playing with them. Being active in sports din. I tried skydiving a few years back. Yung mga ganung tipo. So extreme talaga, yung nakakataas ng adrenaline. Yun yung
mga bagay na na-e-enjoy kong gawin. Pero recently hindi masyado kasi I’m busy with tapings.

So this “forever 21” state of mind,did you take that to heart back when you were 21?
No, no. Na-realize ko lang yun mga thirtysomething na ako. When people ask me how old I am, bigla akong napapa-stop: “Ilang taon na nga ba ako?” Kasi ang pinaka may impact na birthday ko was yung 21st birthday ko, after college. Ewan ko, siguro yun yung pinakamasayang birthday ko. I really don’t know pero somehow I’m stuck at 21.

Must have something to do with how you celebrated it…
Actually simple lang yung celebration, it’s not extravagant or whatever. Pero siguro yun yung happiest ako with my family, friends, tapos may work ako agad. Kaya siguro may impact. Also,
feeling ko mature na ako nun and ready. Siguro kung nangyari yung mga nangyari sa akin sa showbiz when I was younger, baka di ko na-handle. By that time medyo balanced na yung utak ko.

Because of the characters you portray on TV, men get the hots for you but, on one hand, are scared to approach you. Why shouldn’t we fear you?
Kasi approachable naman ako eh. All you see is a facade. My features are intimidating, my eyes are sharp. That’s why you have to know the person first to know what she’s really like.

What do most men get wrong about you?
That I’m unapproachable, masungit, medyo mysterious din. Pero dapat nga mas enticing yun eh. I like people na hindi pretentious. I can feel that eh— yung first time na makita ko yung tao, alam ko kung totoo siya. Pero siyempre I’m not always 100-percent correct. Mas gusto ko yung tao who are true to themselves. Mas na-a-appreciate ko yun.

So your bullshit detector’s functioning very well.
Yes, ha ha!

Care to give one BS you’ve recently, well, detected?
It has something to do with music. Merong isang tao na kasama ko sa play na matagal ko na ring nakaka-hi,hello. During the last run, he was suddenly extra friendly. All of a sudden he patronized everything that he knew I liked—rock ’n’ roll bands, music. Akala niya siguro hindi ko siya kilala, akala niya hindi ko alam yung totoong preferences niya. Mahilig kasi akong mag-observe ng actions ng tao through their body language. Minsan nagko-contradict yung sinasabi at ginagawa niya. And more often than
not, tama yung basa ko sa kanya.

What’s a really bad signal, one that tells you to avoid a particular person?
Ang No. 1 turnoff ko yung mayayabang, yung masyadong malakas ang dating. Yung nagpaparinig na, “I have this, I have that.” To me, parang, “Oh okay. I hope you’re happy.”

FOR EULA VALDES' FULL INTERVIEW, GRAB THE JULY 2011 ISSUE OF FHM!