Really, now. This supposed May-December affair is a bust. While drumbeaters are tripping all over themselves playing matchmakers to sexy star Sam Pinto and teen actor Alden Richards, the alleged "cougar" couldn't be more perplexed.
"It's flattering, but I'm not really that much older than Alden," Sam told us. "He's 19; I'm 21. Just because of my sexy image … people think I'm a cradle snatcher."
Truth to tell, Sam said she prefers "someone who's mature and will take care of me. Then again… Alden can very well surprise me!"
Taking his cue, Alden "surprised" Sam with dinner aboard a Manila Bay cruise ship, with the help of sweetdeals.com.ph and Barbara's restaurant on their first date last week.
Impressed An insider said Sam was impressed. "I had no idea what he had planned. He took care of everything." Alden was just thankful it didn't rain. "I wanted our first date to be different. It was very romantic," he said.
Although they're costars in the first coproduction venture between GMA Films and SMDC, "Tween Academy: Class of 2012," Sam is paired with Elmo Magalona onscreen.
More than Sam's beauty, Alden said, he fell for her simple ways. "She's down-to-earth and friendly. She's beautiful, inside and out."
Me, sexy? Sam was voted as this year's sexiest Filipina by readers of a men's magazine. "It's crazy," she said. "I don't consider myself sexy. I'm not even voluptuous or curvy." And she wanted to make it clear, "I didn't really get more votes than (President Aquino). It's just that… people could vote more than once in the magazine's survey."
Sam, who's part of GMA 7 shows "Party Pilipinas", "Bubble Gang" and the just-concluded "Captain Barbell", wants to steer clear of politics, absolutely.
Asked about her stand on the RH bill, Sam responded with refreshing candor. "I don't know much about reproductive health. I haven't been reading the papers or watching the news lately. I've been too busy with work."
However, Sam has an opinion on celeb haters in the age of Twitter. Fellow Kapuso star Solenn Heussaff has been sharply criticised by anti-RH bill Netizens because she supports the controversial measure.
"It's funny," Sam noted. "Everyone has the right to express his or her opinions online. When an ordinary person makes a comment, no one bothers. But when celebrities post their thoughts on Twitter, people make a really big deal out of it."
Sam also confessed that she was initially shell-shocked by the biz. "Even though I have an uncle in show biz (comedian Gary Lising) nothing prepared me for it."
Still, she's ecstatic over her big leap from the Kapamilya to the Kapuso channel. "I love everyone in GMA 7. They're so nice. Even a big star like Ogie Alcasid would be the first to greet me on the set."
