ALEXA Ilacad is excited to play her first lead role in the special Halloween offering, “Santigwar,” the Bicolano word for faith healer who fights evil spirits. She plays the daughter of the original “santigwar,” Dan Fernandez, but she’s the one who faces the aswang in the movie, played by the sultry Aubrey Miles.
“If you love horror movies, you’ll enjoy ‘Santigwar,’ directed by Joven Tan, as it’s sure to terrify you,” she says. “I enjoyed doing it with the other young stars in the movie like Marlo Mortel, Paulo Angeles, Marco Gallo and Khean Johnson na naging mga biktima ng aswang while they’re vacationing in our town.”
At the press con, she was asked about her revelations in Boy Abunda’s show that she got hurt by her past relationship with Nash Aguas. This was caused by Nash’s declaration to his current girlfriend Mika de la Cruz: “Thirteen years and I still love you.”
“Napaisip lang ako kasi sa 13 years na ‘yun, I was there,” she explains. “Okay lang sana kasi in ‘Goin’ Bulilit,’ they were together, puppy love, nauna sila. But when I read that ‘thirteen years thing,’ napaisip nga ako kasi inside that thirteen years, I was there. So, when you say na ‘thirteen years and I still love you,’ where was I?’”
She got a lot of bashing because of that. “It was because his camp was trying to spread rumors about me. Parang sinasabi na, I have no right to talk about ‘thirteen years thing’ and all of that, because ako naman daw ang nanloko. That accusation was so funny, kasi ang tagal na nilang sinasabi na nanloko daw ako and all that, but where’s the proof? I dare them. Show me what you have against me. Salita kayo nang salita, wala naman kayong maipakita. Wala naman kasi talaga. Wala nga akong dyowa. Sige, kung nanlalaki nga ako, nasaan? Naghiwalay kami nang maayos, kasi it’s not working anymore. He became very controlling. I felt wala nang mangyayari na maganda rito. Hindi ko kaya na ipagpatuloy ‘to.
There’s no trust anymore. When I went to ABS, sabi ng make-up artist sa akin, ‘Bes, sabi ni Nash na nanlalaki ka raw.’ So, ipinagkakalat niya ang assumptions niya at ‘yun ang pinamba-bash sa’kin ng fans niya, na galing din sa kanya kaya tigilan na nila ako.”
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Lovi Poe was last seen in a regular TV series last year in “The One That Got Away.” After that, she had a long vacation abroad. Now, she’s finally back in a new movie, “The Annulment”, with Joem Bascon and directed by McArthur Alejandre. She plays Joem’s wife, Gari, while Joem is Sherwin, and they have sizzling love scenes together. She admits it’s one of the sexiest films she has ever done. Why did she consent to do such provocative bedscenes?
“Simply because it’s needed in the story,” she says. “The movie shows sex in the different stages of the relationship of a couple. First is the honeymoon stage when the relationship is new, very intense and passionate. May shower scene pa kami rito. Then as the relationship sours, ipinakita ang sex habang magkagalit ‘yung couple. There’s forced sex, so sinampal ko siya, pinagbigyan and asked him: ito ba ang gusto mo? It helps that I feel very comfortable with Joem kasi we’ve worked several times before and neighbors kasi kami.
We’ve already watched the love scenes and we’re happy with the outcome.”
But she stresses the movie is not just about the sexy bedscenes. “More than that, it dissects the dissolution of a marriage that leads to annulment. I play Gari, a pre-school teacher who comes from a well-to-do family. Then I meet Joem who comes from a different background. I thought we’d be compatible and although I’ve seen some traits in him na hindi ko gusto, I thought mapagbabago ko siya once we’re married. But it didn’t happen, so the marriage suffers and I ask him for annulment. It turns out Joem and I have different perspectives and expectations in life.”
How does she feel when folks chide her for being single?
“I don’t compare myself with others. Just because they’re married na does not mean I also would. I don’t want to rush and regret it. I’d rather wait until I find the right person for me, kahit abutin pa ako ng 60 years old. I’d get married nga at 30, then realize later that it’s a mistake, huwag na lang. That’s why it’s important to find the right guy.”
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Ruru Madrid plays the title role in APT-Cignal Entertainment’s romance, “Cara X Jagger”, with Jasmine Curtis Smith as Cara. He plays a biker who figures in a motorcycle accident and gets afflicted with memory loss called hyperthymesia.
How is it working with Jasmine?
“I’ve always wanted to work with her because I know she’s one of the best actresses of her generation, having won acting awards early in her career,” he says. “I am very thankful to APT and Cignal for giving me the chance to be able to work with her and this is one film project I’d never forget. Intimidated ako noong una kasi dati na niya akong fan, but mabait pala siya. First scene pa lang namin, sabi agad sa amin, o sweet-sweetan kayo rito. I’m glad she trusted me right away so nawala na hiya ko sa kanya. I saw her serious love for her craft as an actress.”
Aside from “Cara X Jagger,” Ruru has finished another movie, the youth barkada movie, “Go La Union.” He was supposed to be the leading man of model Maureen Wroblewitz in her first movie for Reality Entertainment but it was to be shot in New Zealand right away and he cannot leave as he’s busy with the promo of “Cara X Jagger” that has a November 6 playdate. Ruru is being linked to Bianca Umali but he won’t admit it as of now. “Kapag personal relationship mo, ‘di mo naman kailangang ipangalandakan pa. Pero darating ang araw na lalabas din ang ganyang klaseng relationship.”
It’s said GMA has forbidden him and Bianca to admit it in public as this would surely hurt Bianca’s love team with Miguel Tanfelix. So now, they’ll just keep the public guessing.
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Alessandra de Rossi is happy to work with JM de Guzman in the Cinema One entry, “Lucid,” where she plays Anna Cruz, a lucid dreamer, who meets JM, a man of mystery who challenges her to make her dreams more daring and adventurous.
“This is something that happens in real life, may lucid dreamers talaga,” says Alex. “When it was first offered to me, I agreed to do it right away kasi nagandahan ako. Our movie is about a woman na marunong mag-lucid dreaming, so, sa kanyang daily life, hindi niya nakokontrol ‘yung mga nangyayari sa buhay niya, bored na bored siya sa life niya, ganu’n.
Parang empty na siya, burned out. Pero pagdating sa gabi, kapag natulog na siya, ayun, nakokontrol niya lahat sa panaginip niya.”
How is it working with JM? “Hindi ko alam na siya ang kapareha ko, but when I found out, natuwa ako. Sinabi ko agad sa kanya na idol ko siya. Pero ayaw niyang maniwala, kasi ako raw ang idol niya. Magaling naman talaga siyang artista at nagkasundo kami agad kasi pareho kaming seryoso with our craft.”
Alex herself is now no longer just an actress. She wrote the script of the movie “12” last year and now, she not only writes the script but also directs her newest project, “Fuffy and Fream,” opposite Piolo Pascual, who is also producing it for his own company, Spring Films.
“Siempre, we have to grow,” she says. “It’s a new adventure for me but I’m glad bago ‘yun, nagawa ko itong ‘Lucid’ with JM de Guzman and I really enjoyed working with him.”
“Lucid” will have its premiere night at Trinoma on November 10, 7:30 p.m.
