PAULINE Mendoza got excited when GMA offered her “Widow’s Web.”
“Thanks to GMA kasi sobrang ganda ng project na ito and it’s on primetime pa,” she said. “I got so excited dahil makakasama ko uli si Miss Carmina Villaroel na antagonist ko in our last show, ‘Babawiin Ko ang Lahat.’ First time ko rin to work with our director, Jerry Sineneng and with my leading man, EA Guzman.”
She plays Elaine Inocencio, a simple lady who works in the hotel owned by the family of Carmina Villaroel, Vaness del Moral and Ashley Ortega.
“This is about four women at silang tatlo ang mga mayayaman. Ako hindi. This is also my first mature role, sobrang kakaiba ito from the past shows I did like ‘Kambal Karibal’ and ‘Babawiin.’ First time I’d be married kasi magiging asawa ko rito si EA as Frank. Then, when he is accused in the murder of Ryan Eigenmann na brother ni Miss Carmina and husband ni Ashley, I’ll do my own undercover investigation to help get him out of jail.”
She will do everything to prove her husband EA is innocent. “Ipaglalaban ni Elaine na makamit ng mister niya ang tamang hustisya but in the process, marami siyang makakabanggang ibang characters kaya marami talagang dramatic confrontation scenes and I want to thank our director, Jerry Sineneng, sa lahat ng pag-aalalay niya sa akin.”
“Widow’s Web” will start airing on February 28 at 9:50 p.m. on GMA.
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Michelle Dee was our country’s representative to Miss World in 2019 and made it as a semi-finalist. She went into acting after that but her supporters are now urging her to join Miss Universe Philippines this time, scheduled to be held on April 30.
“If ever I’d join a pageant again, it has to be now as I’m already 26 years old, so it’s now or never,” she said. “I’m so thankful for the encouraging messages I got from friends, like Heart Evangelista, Megan Young and Lovi Poe, who all said ‘Go, girl.’ So ayun, pinalakas nila ang loob ko.”
After “I Left My Heart in Sorsogon,” she’s now back reprising her role as villain Serpenta in the second season of “Agimat ng Agila.” Did she have second thoughts when the role of Serpenta was offered to her?
“No, like I said, acting has become my passion and when they offered me Serpenta, I was excited to play such a powerful character. She is so different from anything I’ve done before.”
How is it working with Sen. Bong Revilla? “He is so good, so helpful. He bonds with us sa lock in taping. Sabay-sabay kaming kumakain. He reaches out to you kaya maganda ang working relationship niya with all of us. I’m really happy to be given the chance to work with him.”
What is the reaction of her mom, former Miss International Melanie Marquez, about her acting? “My mom really monitors my shows at lagi siyang may sinasabi about my performance. She can be my worst critic but with Serpenta, she’s very pleased sa naging atake ko sa role ko. Very effective daw so I’m happy na nagustuhan niya.”
Will she be willing to go sexy for the camera? “I don’t really mind doing films that will require me to show some skin. Basta as long as the story and the director’s treatment can justify the act of going sexy, I can consider it.”
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JC Santos is identified with romantic dramas where he almost always ends up crying, just like in his most recent film, “More Than Blue.” That’s why he welcomes doing an action-packed project like “Adarna Gang,” which is loosely based by writer-director Jon Red on the classic legend of the “Ibong Adarna.”
“Nakakatuwa, kasi I did ‘Ibong Adarna’ as a full-length play on stage some years ago and I played the role of Juan,” he said. “Now, in the movie, I’m also playing the same role, pero siempre, this is a different take. But the basic story of three brothers looking for the bird Adarna, ganun pa rin. Ang brothers ko rito are sina Mark Anthony Fernandez as Pedro and Diego Loyzaga as Diego, with Coleen Garcia as Adriana. But we’re not looking for her to rescue her kundi para patayin siya, kasi ‘yun ang utos ng father naming si Ronnie Lazaro.
Our dad kasi killed Coleen’s father and she’s now out for revenge and has vowed to kill all of our family, so kailangang maunahan namin siya.”
He’s been doing one project after another. Does he get confused playing so many characters? “What I do is sobrang paulit-ulit na pagbabasa ng script when I have a new project, para mas maintindihan ko ang role at maiwala ko sa system ko ang character that I played before. I read it more than ten times. Kailangan, you make sure na iba-iba ang portrayal sa characters that are assigned to you.”
How is it being a first-time father?
“I would say na hiyang ako sa pagiging daddy kasi nae-enjoy ko siya every day,” he said with a laugh. “I just love watching my daughter, her name is River, grow. They say when you become a father, mawawala na raw ‘yung freedom mo, but ako, na-e-enjoy ko watching the new little discoveries I see in her habang lumalaki siya. I also enjoy having a baby ngayong pandemic kasi it’s so much fun. Ansarap nang nasa bahay ka lang with your family. Kung wala sila, baka nabaliw na ako.”
