NEWSFLASH

---

MOUNSOUR DEL ROSARIO IN THE NEXT VAN DAMME MOVIE

Manila, Oct. 29, 1998 - If there is one person who's more excited over Hollywood super action star Jean Claude Van Damme, it's Monsour del Rosario, himself an action star of no mean feat.

Monsour first met Van Damme early this month in Tokyo where Van Damme filmed a commercial for a herbal tea. Monsour was in Japan for a 17-day show and when he learned that Jessica Rodriguez (Van Damme's special friend) and Shirley Kuan (Van Damme's booker-manager for Asia who negotiated Van Damme's commercial deal) were in the company of Van Damme, Monsour took three days-off to meet his idol in the flesh.

The action stars hit it off like two long-lost twins.

In Tokyo, Monsour and Van Damme went bar-hopping with Jessica, Shirley and Van Damme's entourage from Los Angeles. They even went to the (hotel) gym together and Monsour had a chance to display his Taekwondo expertise for Van Damme to see and assess.

Van Damme held his hand up and let Monsour did spin kicks against Van Damme's palm. Van Damme's verdict? Monsour has a good form, all right, but he advised Monsour to make his arms and chest bigger and to shed the flab around his tummy. He also told Monsour to maintain his kicks and to improve his acting, promising Monsour a role in his (Van Damme's) next movie, "Monk," which will be shot in China and Canada.

It was in a Tokyo sauna where Monsour saw how beautiful his idol's body is. "Sa ganda ng katawan niya," laughed Monsour, "talagang mababakla ka sa kanya."

"I only wanted to see Van Damme in person dahil idol ko nga siya," added Monsour, "and that would have been enough for me. I didn't expect him to promise me a role in his next movie (to be shot in early 1999)."

"Van Damme does treat me like a little brother," said Monsour who, at 6'1 is three inches taller than The Muscles From Brussels. "He calls me the taller Jet Li, the better-looking Jet Li daw."

---