‘Napakadaling katrabaho ni Direk Ricky kasi he’s very professional. – Jackie Lou Blanco’
ESTRANGED couple Ricky Davao and Jackie Lou Blanco play husband and wife in GMA-7’s new episode, “AlterNate” for the drama anthology, “I Can See You.”
How was it working together?
“It’s easy to work with Jackie kasi magaling na artista and we have a good material in ‘AlterNate’ as the parents of Nate, ‘yung Dingdong Dantes na mabait,” said Ricky. “We shot the show on lock-in taping for one month in San Pablo, Laguna at okay naman ang lahat.”
“I’m very happy we were given the chance to work together again after so long,” said Jackie. “As actors, huli kaming nagkasama was in ‘Captain Barbell’ pa in 2006. But he got the chance to direct me in one soap. Napakadaling katrabaho ni Direk Ricky kasi he’s very professional. Wala kaming naging problema at all.”
It’s their three kids who got excited when they found their parents were working together again.
“Kinukumusta kami lagi at ang sabi ko sa kanila, grabe, ang galing talaga ng tatay nyo,” said Jackie. “May mga binigay na naman siya sa eksena namin na hindi ko ine-expect. He always surprises me.”
“Our kids are mga Marites (meaning, they want chismis),” said Ricky. “Lagi kaming kinukumusta. When they learned there’s a scene that I would slap Jackie, they got worried.
‘Will you really slap Mama? Is it for real?’ Sabi ko, ang gusto ni Direk Dominic Zapata, back slap, parang ‘yung kay Gina Alajar kay Claire Castro in ‘Nagbabagang Luha’ that went viral sa tindi ng sampal ni Gina. Pero hindi kami umabot sa ganoon. We are both professional actors. Basta kung anong kailangan sa eksena, ‘yun ang ginawa namin.”
So wasn’t there anything rekindled between them? “Jackie and I, araw-araw nagkikita kami. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, magkasama kami. ‘Yun ang bonding namin. Si Jackie runs everyday and lahat ng mga kasama ko rito, puro health buffs, so tinuturuan nila akong mag work out and I lost 10 lbs. during our month’s stay in Laguna.”
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Geneva Cruz says she was so surprised when she got the offer to act in GMA-7’s new afternoon soap, “Little Princess” that now airs on GMA Afternoon Prime.
“Sabi ko, talaga ba? Ako, aarte ulit?” she said. “Ang tagal ko nang ‘di umarte kasi I chose to focus on singing in concerts and live shows. But now, because of the pandemic, walang live performances for singers, so my cousins Sunshine and Donna told me to give acting another chance.”
Her role turned out be a big challenge for her. “I’m a contravida. Siguro it’s because people see me as this very strong woman who can stand on my own. But actually, si Odessa, my character, is so different from me. She’s the wife of Jestoni Alarcon and inaapi niya si Jo Berry na anak ni Jes kay Angelika de la Cruz.”
She studied hard to be able to do her role well. “Odessa is so different from me, so nahirapan talaga ako and playing her was truly a big challenge for me. Na-stress ako and it was really a struggle for me. Laging galit, e ako comedian ako off cam. I keep on asking them kung tama ba ang ginagawa ko, ano ba ang kulang. Nangapa talaga ako, but I enjoyed it.”
In the end, she enjoyed being a part of “Little Princess”. “It’s really a blessing and I’m grateful to GMA-7. Last year, I lost my mother to Covid. It was very difficult losing her. You know, my mom loves watching teleseryes and it’s too sad hindi na niya ako mapapanood dito. I enjoyed doing it sa lock-in taping namin kasi masaya. We are like brothers and sisters, nagkukwentuhan kami, nagkakantahan, we exercised together, kumain kami ng marami, nang sama-sama. It’s a friendship na hindi mo mababayaran and I will always treasure it.”
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Cindy Miranda was the only star at the Zoom press con of Vivamax new movie, “Reroute,” because her co-stars John Arcilla, Sid Lucero and Natalie Hart were not available to join her. “Reroute” starts streaming on January 21, directed by Lawrence Fajardo of “A Hard Day.” It is the story of a couple, Cindy as Trina and Sid as Dan, who are having marital problems.
On their way to the province to visit the dying dad of Sid, they were told by soldiers to take another route as a military operation is currently going on in the highway. They take what they think is a short cut, but they get lost along the way.
Their car also breaks down and then they meet a man who offers to help them, John as Gemo, and his wife, Natalie as Lala, who both turn out to be very strange and have their own secrets, making the film an intense suspense-thriller.
“‘Reroute’ is the most intense movie I’ve made. The story is so gripping. I have to level up kasi award-winning actors ang mga kasama ko, John Arcilla and Sid Lucero. I was intimidated and I kept on asking myself kung puede ba akong makipagsabayan sa kanila, pati kay Nathalie Hart na magaling ding artista.”
How was it working with John and Sid?
“Both Sir John and Kuya Sid are good, but magkaiba ang personalities nila. Kami ni Sir John, parehong seryoso, naka-isolate talaga kami before each take. Ako, I don’t talk or make kuwento kasi I want to be in my character right away and I don’t want to be distracted. Si Kuya Sid, sobrang makuwento siya, masayahin, relaxed lang siya. Maingay siya kaya nasasabihan siya ng ‘Sshhh’.”
But she really enjoyed working with both actors. “I learned a lot from them kasi they shared with me their acting experiences before at naging mas relaxed ako sa kanila. But I really saw myself in Sir John. Masyado siyang focused. Nagpa-picture nga ako agad sa kanya kasi siya si Heneral Luna. After working with both of them, mas na-inspire nila ako na mahalin ang trabaho ko.”
Does she have a boyfriend right now?
“None, it’s my choice. Kasi nga sobrang busy ako at sunod-sunod ang projects ko sa Viva. I really want to be an actress. Nasa provincia kami, sa Nueva Ecija, and my parents want me to be a doctor. I took up HRM in college. I didn’t want to be a beauty queen but naging daan for me to act. So now, I’m so happy na nagawa ko ang gusto ko and I don’t feel like I’m working at all kasi enjoy na enjoy akong umarte.”
