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1. JR has been doing stand-up comedy for 12 years now. - Now 33, JR has been navigating the stand-up comedy scene for already 12 years after he took a comedy class then. “If [my career] were a child, it’s about to go through puberty,” JR answered when asked how long he has been in the entertainment business.@jimmccambridge via @jrdguz
2. He started to learn stand-up from his comedy class in college. - According to the stand-up artist, during his college days, he was once offered by his university buddies to register in a comedy class as his raw talent was slowly taking shape. “It’s like the most Asian thing, you know?” JR chuckled. “You have to do it through school. And so, that’s how I learned.”@jjbcomedy via @jrdguz
3. He has a girlfriend! - You, guys! JR is already off the market and over the moon with his American girlfriend Taylor Leapaldt and the two are going stronger and better by the second. In our one-on-one chit-chat, in fact, JR told us that in his first theater show, Taylor was in the crowd. Sweet!@jrdguz
4. He thinks he is a true “tita magnet.” - When asked what his favorite fan encounter was, JR answered that it was an experience with a certain Californian tita who got in touch with him through a sign that she was holding. “I get a lot of titas, you know? I’m a tita magnet!” the stand-up talent quipped. @_joseph.gabriel_ via @jrdguz
5. His father, Tony, is raking in a following of his own. - Since JR is fond of roasting his family in his stand-up shows, his dad Tony has slowly garnered a good number of followers under his name, too. “It’s like when you see NBA players buy their parents a house or a car. I’m not there yet but I can get them to the point where people would want to take pictures with them. It’s cheaper!” JR bantered.@kingkoy918
6. He loves basketball. - JR is quick to respond when I asked him what random stints he has outside of stand-up. “I love basketball. It’s so Filipino! When I’m touring and then I come back home, I spend every day just going to the gym and playing basketball. My dream is really to go to the PBA, you know?”@taylorlynnleo
7. He lives by the beach. - Fun fact: JR was born in the Philippines but grew up in the sunny state of California. On a gloomy day, he actually loves his alone time and he spends it seaside-style. “I live by the beach so if it’s cloudy, I like to sit by the beach.”@atxmediagroup via @jrdguz
8. He’s a “sadboi.” - “I like to be very emo on a dull, gloomy day,” JR shared. “I’ll be just journaling and writing my feelings, listening to music, reading a book, or watching Netflix or something.” @mattmisiscostudios via @jrdguz
9. He watches K-dramas. Wow! - Besides basketball, JR is keen on watching K-dramas with his parents. “I’ve also watched ‘Squid Game.’ My parents love a lot of those, like ‘Crash Landing on You.’ They love that! They love all that stuff.”@jrdguz
10. He loves soup and the likes of sinigang and bulalo. - In our interview, JR revealed that he is into soups and that sinigang and bulalo, to him, are the best Filipino foods. “I’m a soup guy! I love soup.” @addisonimprov via @jrdguz