Heartthrob lawyer of Cebu Oliver Moeller still feels surreal that he got up close and personal with celebrity A-listers during his stint on It’s Showtime’s “Expecially for You.”
Oliver was the trending searchee who won the heart of Miss Universe Philippines 2023 Michelle Dee when he joined the popular dating search segment of the Kapamilya noontime show on April 6, 2024.
Eighteen days after his appearance on It’s Showtime, or on April 24, Oliver was officially welcomed as the newest talent of Cornerstone Entertainment, the talent management headed by Erickson Raymundo and Jeffrey Vadillo.
This was also the first time that Oliver got to meet the entertainment press, including PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal), at a media launch held at Kao Manila in Newport World Resorts Manila in Pasay City.
Oliver flanked by Cornerstone bosses Erickson Raymundo and Jeff Vadillo
OLIVER MOELLER ON VICE GANDA, KIM CHIU
Asked about what it was like meeting Vice Ganda, Kim Chiu, and the other mainstay hosts of It’s Showtime, Oliver answered, “It’s hard to put into words.
“These are people you see on TV, and you never really think you’d be able to meet the person, you never really think you’d be able to shake their hand.
“But [I’m] super happy, super fortunate. They’re amazing people. I was introduced to them backstage. They’re all amazing.”
Oliver went on to say that everyone in the show made him feel welcome on and off cam.
“They all invited me to lunch with them after. They’re super nice. They introduced themselves.
“It was one of the probably craziest moments in my life,” he said.
“EXPECIALLY FOR YOU”
Oliver had it pretty easy when he appeared on “Expecially For You” as he instantly got the vote of approval of Michelle’s mother, Miss International 1979 Melanie Marquez.
Both mother and daughter liked how well-spoken and confident he was when he answered the hypothetical situationers thrown at him in the segment.
Melanie hinted at Michelle that Oliver is not just tall, but he’s also intelligent and a lawyer like Melanie’s current husband, Adam Lawyer.
Back to the Q&A at the presscon, PEP.ph asked Oliver if it was nerve-wracking to be in a show that usually requires a searchee to open up about his past relationships.
He replied, “I didn’t quite know what the exact question is gonna be on that show.
“I just tried to answer as normally and as naturally as I could.
“I feel like everyone has parts of ther private lives that they wanna hide and stuff. But I feel like I’m just an open book. I’m more than happy to share.”
As it was, he didn’t know what goes on in “EXpecially For You” until he got the invitation to be part of the show three days before he appeared on It’s Showtime’s April 6 telecast.
“Only after I got the call was the first time that I quickly searched on YouTube on what the show was about.
“I’ve always been familiar with Showtime, but I never actually saw ‘EXpecially’ before that.
“I quickly watched and I was admittedly a bit nervous because sometimes they ask for you to showcase your talent.
“So I was thinking, ‘What can I possibly show on TV?’ So luckily, they didn’t ask for a talent portion.”
ON PIOLO PASCUAL AND KATHRYN BERNARDO
Dubbed as “Piolo Pascual’s lookalike” by netizens, Oliver recalled that he gets that comment way back his college days.
Beaming, the 32-year-old Cebuano said, “You know, people would make jokes that I’m the ‘discount Papa P ng Cebu.’
“So, yeah, I mean, it’s flattering. If it makes people happy, then I’m all for it.”
He also mentioned that Piolo Pascual and Kathryn Bernardo are some of the celebrities he’d like to meet if given the chance.
“I’ve heard they’re amazing people. If I’m fortunate enough to have a project with them or even just to meet them, I’d be pretty happy.”
When told that he might get mixed reactions in saying that he’d like to meet Kathryn, who’s currently single and being linked to several celebrity suitors, Oliver replied, “Right now, I’ll be happy just to meet her.
“These people are people you used to see on TV. I never would have imagined that I’d get to see these amazing people in person.
“So, I’m just happy to make friends for now and get to know everyone in the industry. That would be awesome.”
OLIVER MOELLER ON SIGNING WITH CORNERSTONE
Now that he’s welcomed to the fold of Cornerstone, Oliver said that he’s open to any opportunities that might come his way.
He understands, however, that acting would require him to go through workshops and he’s still uncertain if he’s up for it.
“I realize I still have responsibilities with my law firm. Even now, I’m still a full-time lawyer. I’m still helping manage our family business.
“Right now, I just really want to focus on stuff like content creation, influencing. I know they have a huge influencer or content creator group, so I’d like to focus on that.
“But again, you’ll never know what’s gonna happen in life. Maybe acting is in my future, I honestly don’t know yet.
“But I really trust my team with Cornerstone to guide me towards wherever I’m going in the industry,” Oliver said.
He also underlined that he’s based in Cebu for now, but he’s willing to fly to Manila if he gets offered a project or an endorsement deal.
“Again, I’m gonna keeping my doors open. You never know, di ba?
“Three weeks ago, who would have imagined that I’m in this position now?”
Following his trending appearance on EXpecially For You, Oliver said he hopes to use his newfound fame to influence people with his advocacies including legal education, fitness, and sports.
Aside from his expertise on corporate and labor law, the 32-year-old Cebuano maintained that he’s a fitness buff who’s into multiple sports like swimming, basketball, crossfit, and Olympic weightlifting.
He used to play volleyball and badminton, and is currently into golfing.
“It’s always challenging,” he said to PEP.ph when asked why he has a lot of sports.
“I love physical movement ever since I was a young kid, so every chance I get to go outside, I take it.”
OLIVER’S TYPICAL DAY AS A LAWYER
When he’s wearing a lawyer hat, Oliver described his usual routine at his law firm in Cebu.
“My usual day would be me showing up at the office at 8, usually after I work out in the morning.
“I check all the documentation that came in that was delivered to our firm before, check emails, have my morning coffee, talk to my colleagues.
“My partners and associates are also good friends of mine. Our work environment is pretty chill, pretty happy.
“It can be a bit unpredictable at times. As a lawyer you have set days, you know when you have a hearing, you know you have a meeting with clients.
“Sometimes you never know who walks in at the office, if it’s a potential client or if there’s a problem or an existing client with an emergency.
“I’ve always been the type of person who loves routine, but it’s nice to have that bit of excitement every now and then.”
Oliver finished law at University of San Carlos in Cebu, and then he took up a masteral degree on public international law and international law at Queensland University in Australia.
PEP.ph asked what made him decide to move back to Manila after working at a law firm in Australia.
Oliver said, “While studying there, it was hard for me to balance an actual career in both fitness and law at the same time.
“Because of that, it was really difficult for me to choose just one. I love the law, I love fitness and sport, but I wasn’t quite sure if I was willing to sacrifice one for the other.
“So, I was fortunate enough that here I have my family, I have a support system.
“I guess, it’s easier to have a career in law and still pursue fitness and sport, which is why I decided to fly back here in December 2021.”
