WHEN FRANCIS MET NATASHA IN HEAVEN

Sometimes Philippine showbiz and Hollywood has its parallels. Minsan, sinasabihan tayo na ang mga Pinoy ay gaya-gaya sa Kano sa paggawa ng pelikula. But as far as lovelifes/ showbiz births/intrigues and showbiz deaths are concerned, patas lang ang local and foreign entertainment. We cannot avoid it but its true.

Katulad nga lang ng pagkamatay ni Francis Magalona last March 6, 2009 at age 44, he left behind his wife former actress Pia Arroyo-Magalona and eight kids, two of them actresses Maxene and Saab. Who would ever thought that after Kiko (as he is fondly called) was mourned by Philippine entertainment, it was Hollywood's turn to say goodbye to Natasha Richardson, an acclaimed actress and wife of actor Liam Neeson. Richardson, 45, died from a skiing incident in Canada on March 19, 2009. Most of us don't know her very well, except for one role that we remember from her the most: that of being Lindsay Lohan's mother in "The Parent Trap" in 1998.

Now what do Francis Magalona and Natasha Richardson have in common? Eto aking nadiskubre....

-Both were born to celebrity parents. Francis was born to Pancho Magalona and Tita Duran who both made their mark in Philippines as one of the famous love teams during the '40s. Natasha Richardson was born to actress Vanessa Redgrave and director Tony Richardson.

-Both got married to celebrities. Francis married budding actress Pia Arroyo while Natasha won the heart of actor Liam Neeson.

-Both shone in their respective fields of endeavor. Francis became a pioneering rapper/musician in the Philippines and received major awards while Natasha is more known as a theatre actress, and won a Tony award for Best Actress for her role in "Cabaret".

-Both have made their mark in only a handful of movies. Francis was best known for his roles in "Bagets 2" and "Ninja Kids" while Natasha's best known role for most of us is her portrayal of Lindsay Lohan's mom in "Parent Trap".

-Both died at the peak of their careers. Kiko died at age 44 while Natasha died at age 45.

It's ironic that while Philippine showbiz had just mourned the loss of a great Master Rapper, Hollywood has just lost one of the greatest theatre/movie actress.