BEING A DEAD RINGER FOR showbiz heartthrob Piolo Pascual has pros and cons, says young actor Joem Bascon.

?Early on, it was good because people remembered me easily. After a while, it became a disadvantage?I didn?t have my own identity,? Joem told Inquirer Entertainment.

This is why, Joem said, he had to carefully pick projects that would set him apart from his famous look-alike. ?For one, I don?t do love teams. Piolo is the ultimate matinee idol. He works well with an on-screen partner. Me, I get offbeat roles.?

He has appeared in critically acclaimed, independent films (?Batanes,? ?Adela,? ?Karera?), and is currently shooting for the Cinemalaya entry ?Sanglaan.?

On TV, he is seen regularly on ABS-CBN?s ?I Love Betty La Fea.?

Also, Joem is set to play opposite Judy Ann Santos in the upcoming drama series, ?Habang May Buhay.?

Joining show biz was purely accidental for him, he said.

Joem?s family owns the resort where the teleserye ?Hiram? was shot in 2004. Director Jerry Sineneng spotted Joem and convinced him to join an ABS-CBN acting workshop.

Joem and Piolo actually worked together in the drama show, ?Walang Kapalit.?

?He?s a nice guy,? Joem said of Piolo. ?He jokingly told people on the set that he was my kuya.

Joem revealed that he also had to turn down projects that tended to ?challenge my values.?

Joem?Joseph Emmanuel Bascon in real life?is a Christian pastor?s son. ?The restrictions I impose on myself aren?t just for my sake but for my whole family?s. I always discuss details with my dad before saying yes to a project.?

E-mail mcruz@inquirer.com.ph.