MANILA (Mabuhay)
    Like award-winning actor and heartthrob Aga Muhlach, John Prats seems to have a knack for charming people with his smile and easy-going nature.

    His fans love him for his good looks as much as they love him for his portrayal of troubled teen, street urchin, superhero and the like in the films and TV shows he has appeared in. His face is plastered all over teen magazines, and he already has several product endorsements under his belt.

    But the similarities between him and Aga end there, because technically, John still has a lot of work to do to get to where Aga is now. After all, he�s only 18. He hasn�t seen and experienced much of what the world has to offer, yet.

    "To be the next Aga Muhlach is talagang wow. Made na si Tito Aga," he says. "But I really want to make my own identity. As �the next Aga Muhlach,� people expect me to do what Aga has already done. I feel pressured, but you just have to be yourself. As long as you love your work (it�s okay)."

    To cut the story short, he wants to be known simply as John Prats. Which is just as well, since we�re sure the fans wouldn�t have it any other way, anyway.

    John is one of those actors who practically grew up under the spotlight. He started in the kiddie show "Ang TV" at the age of eight, and later starred in films like "Batang X," "Rollerboys" and "Ang TV The Movie."

    His more recent movies include the award-winning "Tanging Yaman," "Narinig Mo Na Ba Ang L8est" (which, coincidentally, stars Aga) and "Trip."

    John is probably best known for his role as "Yuan" in the now defunct youth-oriented TV series "G-mik," but he now has a chance to show his funny side in the sitcom "Whattamen," where he plays a batang kalye named Oca.

    He also has a new TV show coming out, but he�s keeping mum about it, only going as far as saying that his role is "more mature."