Meme-mories and Fun Facts: Gian and Maki reveal a side of Vice Ganda you might not know about!

For young artists still making their mark in the entertainment industry, having someone who’s already been there, done that, and made a name for themselves is definitely a big deal. And when that mentor happens to be the one and only Vice Ganda, you can bet there are tons of unforgettable moments and valuable lessons to take away from that friendship.

Gian Bernardino of Cup of Joe and Maki give us a peek into their closeness with the Unkabogable Superstar as they share their core memories with her, along with some fun little things they’ve learned about her along the way.

For Gian, his ultimate ‘Meme-mory’ was getting a personal invitation from Vice herself to perform with her at an event. Although a prior commitment kept him from joining the lineup of artists, the invitation alone meant the world to him. “Parang na-validate ‘yung existence ko sa mundo niya,” gushed Gian, who didn’t waste that interaction by telling Vice how much she’d inspired him. 

“Sinabi ko agad sa kan’ya ‘yung mga gusto kong sabihin kasi siya ‘yung inspiration ko na kaming mga queer, pwede kami maging main character, lalo sa field ko na talagang straight male dominated,” he further shared. But, wait, Gian’s ‘Vice Ganda lore’ doesn’t end with that, as she eventually invited him out for drinks, too. 

After watching his recent “GGV” episode with Maki, we’re now convinced that Gian could ace a Vice Ganda trivia quiz without even reviewing. During the guesting, Vice herself noted that Gian has an entire collection of her iconic references stored in his brain, and that includes memorizing her lines from the movie “Girl, Boy, Bakla, Tomboy.”  

So, when asked to spill a piece of fun fact about Vice, Gian shared that Vice isn’t immune to her co-stars’ pranks and jokes. He narrated how during an overseas show, Vice was supposedly all set to travel in a private car because she was exhausted, until fellow performers Darren Espanto, Robi Domingo, and their companions persuaded her to join their minibus, hyping up how much fun they’d have together. 

But, the promised fun never happened as everyone fell asleep, leaving Vice with nobody to talk to for the ride. “Naghihintay siya ng kakausap sa kanya pero wala, nauto talaga siya,” laughed Gian.  

Meanwhile, Maki’s favorite ‘Meme-mory’ takes us back to an ABS-CBN Christmas Special after-party where he was able to chat with the “GGV” host. When Vice learned that Maki and her partner Ion Perez share the same birthday, she told the “Dilaw” singer, “Kaya pala ang gaan ng loob ko sa’yo.”  

And when asked to disclose a fun fact about the icon, Maki dished that he actually sees a bit of himself in Vice when it comes to planning production numbers, as they both pay attention to the smallest details and refuse to settle for a ‘puchu-puchu’ output.  

Watch the unfiltered “Gandang Gabi Vice” episode with Gian and Maki for free on iWant (for Philippines-based users only).