‘Wala namang problema sa competition with Kylie as long as it’s a healthy competition and it would help us both to be better in our craft. — Ariella Arida’
ARIELLA Arida
ARIELLA Arida represented our country in the 2013 Miss Universe and was third runner-up in the pageant. She then tried acting and now gets to play a lead role in Viva’s sex comedy, “Sarap Mong Patayin,” where she shares topbilling with hunk Kit Thompson and comedian Lassy Marquez. What’s her role in the 11th movie directed by the very prolific Darryl Yap?
“I play Krista,” she said. “The movie is about catfishing sa social media where someone pretends to be another person para makaakit ng ibang tao. It’s very relevant now kasi marami talagang nagpapanggap. Hindi ko alam, si Lassy Marquez, ginamit pala ang litrato ko para mahulog ang loob sa kanya ni Kit Thompson.”
She has a kissing scene with gay comedian Lassy in the movie. Did she feel reluctant to do it?
“Hindi naman. Direk Darryl even said, kapag nahalikan ka ni Lassy, hindi ka na tatablan ng COVID virus. Pero siya pa nga ‘yung parang nagdalawang-isip kung hahalikan niya ako.
Sabi ko, alang-alang sa sining, sige, gagawin ko.”
So how is the kiss?
“Pinakamalansa sa lahat ng malansang isda,” she said.
Lassy joked: “Hindi ako nag-toothbrush bago kami naghalikan.”
She said she had fun doing the movie. “After the kissing scene, nagtatawanan na lang kami. First time ko makatrabaho lahat ng kasama ko rito and lahat sila, magaan kaeksena kaya naging madali ang lahat for me kahit mabibigat ‘yung mga eksenang ipinagagawa sa amin
“This is actually my first lead role kasi puro support lang ako before, even sa teleserye. But naisip ko, I will just be playing a character. It’s not Ariella naman, so dun ako nag-focus, sa role ko bilang Krista. At kapag ganun ang mindset ko, nawawala ang reservations ko.”
Another beauty queen is now very busy with Viva, Kylie Versoza. They’re now being pitted with each other as the “Bagong Pantasya ng Vivamax.” How does she feel about it?
“Wala namang problema sa competition with Kylie as long as it’s a healthy competition and it would help us both to be better in our craft. But I pray that someday I’d be given the chance to do action roles, parang ‘Lara Craft, Tomb Raider,’ and I also want to try bad-ass roles.”
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Carla Abellana is getting married next month to Tom Rodriguez. But both of them are still busy working with their respective shows. She with “To Have and To Hold,” and he, with “The World Between Us.” How did the lock-in taping of her romance-drama with Rocco Nacino and Max Collins affect their wedding preparations?
“When we announced our engagement, we thought matututukan namin ang aming wedding preparations,” she said. “But we have to work at sabay kaming naging busy sa lock-in taping. Mabuti na lang that most meetings with our wedding coordinator and planner, online lang. Nagawa naman namin, time management lang ang kailangan.”
“To Have and To Hold,” which they shot in Bataan, is now shown on primetime. What’s her role?
“I’m Erica Gatchalian and I’m married to Rafael Rosell as Tony. Anak ako sa labas and I come from a broken family. So, si Erica, she’ll do everything para maging buo ang family niya. At hindi siya papayag na basta masira ang marriage nila. Kaso her husband is unfaithful then she meets Rocco as Gavin na troubled din ang marriage kay Max as Dominique so nagkaroon ng complications.”
She’s soon getting married. Does doing this kind of show give her any feeling of reluctance?
“Yes, may times na natatakot ako, ano ba ito? But not naman to the point na nagdadalawang isip na ako. But I do get so many lessons for married couples from the characters we play in our show and I can imagine myself in their situation. Knock on wood, wag naman sana mangyari sa amin ni Tom ang nangyari sa kanila. In the end, I think it’s about fighting for your husband or your wife and being willing to forgive.”
Does she believe in unconditional love that accepts a partner who made a mistake?
“Yes, I believe in giving a second chance to someone you love but who has hurt you, that’s part of unconditional love. Also, in marriage, we are committed with each other, lalo na sa Catholics. It’s a sacrament and you make a vow in front of God, so you will do everything to save your marriage. But when he commits the same mistake over and over again, it comes to a point na nagiging martir ka na and iba na rin ‘yun.”
