
Until some time around the ‘80s, Philippine show business really hovered around finding Pinoy versions of American celebrities. Everyone had to be the “[insert icon here] of the Philippines” to be somehow recognized, with very few exceptions. At present, that overwhelming drive to compare Filipino celebrities to Hollywood may no longer be as strong, but we still see it from time to time. Here are 8 Pinoy celebrities who have drawn comparisons to international stars, to varying degrees of success.

The Disparities: Ramon Zamora was never really just an action star. Not only was he a capable onscreen martial artist, but he also had excellent comedic timing, having been a regular character in Super Laff-In from 1969 to 1972. He regularly played a stereotypical German character during his stint, and popularized the catchphrase “Isprakenheit!” He was set to star in a show with Lucky Manzano and Anne Curtis when he passed away at 72 in 2007 —another thing he has over Bruce Lee, who died when he was 32.

The Disparities: Karen Carpenter never had a bus line in her name. Neither did she have it canceled on her, nor did she become infamous for a lot of other things outside of singing the way Claire happens to be now.

The Disparities: Not very much, to be honest. It’s well-known that despite being a cover band, the members of the Bloomfields are musically.jpgted and capable of playing their own music. They also have a tendency to feud among themselves, if the changes in their lineup and issues over band names over the years are any indication.

They also have the same incorrigible yet somehow endearing diva attitude that’s all part of their appeal. Also, they have the same figure. Especially lately.
The Disparities: In recent years, Mariah’s voice has been noticeably in decline. Regine seems to still have the same vocal quality she always had, but she shoehorned herself into belting her way through every song even when it’s completely unnecessary. Nonetheless, both divas have very similar careers, personalities, and only Mariah has exhibited a very questionable choice in her choice of men, if we look at how well Regine and Ogie have turned out after an initially rocky start thanks to Ogie being, well, married at the time.

The Disparities: Gerald can't really sing.

The Disparities: When asked about the comparison, Erik Mana expressed mixed feelings over it. As flattering as being compared to David Blaine is, Erik also doesn’t want to limit his legacy to merely being in the shadow of another performer. The fact that Erik also does stage magic now also furthers the divide between the two, since Blaine never really outgrew street magic.
(And then there's this guy.)
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If you don’t believe me, here, have a Rickroll on the house, and let's party like it's 2007 again : [buffer by="10px 35px 10px 35px"]
The Disparities: Roderick Paulate is an accomplished actor. His singing is just a small facet of his career at this point. Rick Astley, on the other hand, simply does what he does best: entertain Kel Fabie, his number one fan.

The Disparities: Except the part where Kris Aquino makes all her interviews about herself, obviously. Can you imagine if it was Kris Aquino who conducted the tell-all interview with Lance Armstrong instead of Oprah? Would Kris have told Lance that Bimby could beat him in a bicycle race if the disgraced biker stopped using performance enhancing drugs? Or that Josh has one more testicle than Lance does?
Let’s face it: The best comparison you can draw between Kris and Oprah is that Kris Aquino is every bit as good a host and interviewer as Oprah Winfrey is white.
So do you think Kris Aquino is our Oprah? Post your violent reactions in the Comments Section.