‘Mudrasta’ Roderick Paulate shares who could follow in his footsteps

From Jack en Poy: Hale-Hale Hoy! and Petrang Kabayo to many other well-known comedy movies and sitcoms that defined an era, veteran comedian and actor Roderick Paulate has long been a household name in Philippine entertainment.

Now, with his upcoming film Mudrasta, Paulate makes his big-screen comedy comeback and shares his thoughts on who might be the next to follow in his footsteps.

“Hindi ko masabi kung sino talaga yung tumatahak ng gano’n dahil iba-iba ng style… iba-iba ang brand of comedy. So, nahihirapan ako. Lagi kong sinasagot, hindi sa pagiging safe, sabi ko maraming magagaling na comedy actors. Madaming gustong maging komedyante… To be honest, nahihirapan ako isipin na sino ba talaga yung susunod na pareho kami ng step o yung journey na tinahak sa showbusiness,” Paulate said during the Mudrasta press conference on August 5 in Quezon City.

Paulate said that while all comedians aim to make people laugh, each of them has their own unique journey. “Parang iba e. Oo, lahat kami nagpapatawa, pero iba-iba yung mga pinagdaanan namin e,” he continued.

Paulate cites Vice Ganda as a talented comedian who has carved out a different path in the industry.

“Katulad ni Vice Ganda, ‘di ba, magaling. It’s his time. Talagang siya naman yung sa comedy ngayon. Pero iba yung journey na dinaanan niya,” Paulate said. He noted that Vice started in stand-up comedy and recalled a time they were part of the same concert, where Vice performed as a front act. “…Iba yung tinahak niya e. Iba din ako. Kaya hindi ko masabi kung ano talaga yung susunod.”

Paulate believes there are many talented comedians, and while some may be better than him, many haven’t had their chance to be discovered yet.

“Maraming pwedeng sumunod sa akin. Maraming mas magaling pa sa akin. Hindi naman pwedeng ako lang ang magaling dito… Kaya lang, hindi ko alam kung sino pa. Kasi marami namang mga potensyal na aktor na maaari nating sabihin na hindi lang nabibigyan ng oportunidad na maging komedyante. Maraming magagaling, nakikita ko… Pero hindi pa sila nadi-discover.”

Paulate is back on the big screen with Mudrasta, a CreaZion Studio family-comedy film set for nationwide release on August 20, 2025. The film is directed by Julius Ruslin Alfonso and written by Joni Fontanos, and also stars Tonton Gutierrez, Carmi Martin, Sunshine Teodoro, Debbie Garcia, and more.