New Zealander-Australian Sam Hammington and his sons William, 6, and Bentley, 4, best known for starring in the Korean TV show “The Return of Superman,” had fun over the weekend as they held their fan meeting in Manila.
The trio met Pinoy fans at “The Hammingtons in Juanderland: Fanmeeting in Manila” on July 17 at the New Frontier Theater.
At the fan meeting, Sam donned barong Tagalog while his two kids also wore Filipino costumes.
They played air hockey, newspaper dance and shopped in a sari-sari store. They also tried Filipino food including banana cue, lechon, adobo and champorado (rice porridge).
During a press conference for the fan meeting held on July 16 at the Novotel Manila Araneta City, Sam talked about holding the event after two years and their experience in “The Return of Superman.”
Two years after the pandemic, Sam said they are glad to be able to travel again and hold shows like the fan meeting.
“I think, for me, being able to travel again and like this experience, being able to meet our fans. And being able to give our thanks to fans that have supported us through the pandemic and have been there for us,” he said.
He added, “I think the first thing I want to do, which we are doing now, is getting back to Australia.” He said they were scheduled to fly to Melbourne on July 18 and would stay there for two weeks before going back to South Korea.
In “The Return of Superman,” dads take care of their children on the show. The Hammingtons entered it in 2016 and announced in November last year that they were leaving the show.
The show brought them awards including the Top Excellence Award (Male Variety Category) for Sam and a grand prize for the show at the KBS Entertainment Awards.
Sam said the TV show brought them so many experiences.
“I think the best part of being on the show is that we had so many experiences, just experiences that you could not have normally, experiences we couldn’t have had everyday. Developing memories. We had so many great memories during that period of time,” he said.
He said leaving the show meant more time for the family.
“After ‘Superman,’ the biggest change is having some normality especially for Ben who grew up on the show. It’s an opportunity for us to just kind of spend some time together as a family. Five years was just the right amount of time. I think anything longer than that wouldn’t be better for the show or for us. I don’t envision us going back because the boys are too old now,” he said.
They pursued projects after the show including the “Wilbengers: Suspicious Camping Commotion,” an animated superhero film starring William and Bentley, together with their dad. They recently launched their new variety show titled “The Hammingtons’ Dream Closet,” which airs on the ENA channel.
They also have their own YouTube channel “The WillBen Show,” which now has 400,000 subscribers.
For first-time parents, Sam said, “So there is no real know-how. You just have to find out what works for your children. What works for William doesn't work for Ben. You just have to take your time and kind of evaluate.”
He revealed that he and his wife have been trying to have another baby but said, “Unfortunately, it has not been successful.”
In maintaining a close relationship with his children, Sam said, “Patience, lots of patience.”
“Lots of understanding. I guess, for me, is having a friendship with them but also being a parent. It’s kinda difficult because you do have to teach them at the same time. It’s about bringing yourself down to their level,” he added.
On receiving a lot of love from “The Return of Superman,” Sam said that “it’s incredible.” “
“We are really appreciative just having fans all around the world. It really blows my mind that there are people out there supporting us and to that, I am thankful everyday,” he said.
“The Hammingtons in Juanderland: Fanmeeting in Manila” was presented by CDM Entertainment.