Monday, September 3, 2012

Bea Alonzo confidently rises to the challenges of ‘The Mistress’


Even if Bea Alonzo is a picture of confidence these days, the 24-year-old actress admits she still wondered if she could tackle the demands of her title role in Star Cinema’s “The Mistress.”

“When the project was first pitched to me, ang una kong reaction, takot ako pero gusto kong gawin. But I’m not sure kung kaya kong panindigan, kung kaya kong ibigay ‘yung hinihingi ng role,” Bea admitted to InterAksyon during the launch event for Tupperware Brands’ Search for the 10 Women of Confidence that she graced as one of its brand ambassadors.

She said it was her boyfriend, actor Zanjoe Marudo, who convinced her to accept the project.

“I consulted Zanjoe and he said it’s a beautiful project. Sabi niya, magsisisi ka pag hindi mo tinanggap,” Bea recalled. So she did.

But even though she also revealed that “The Mistress” is the most challenging role of her career, Bea said she has so far no regrets about doing it even as her acting ability is being pushed to its limits with every shooting day.

“I’m still enjoying the character. Kaya lang, aatakihin yata ako sa puso kada shooting day kasi mahirap talaga ‘yung role. But we have a very good director (Olivia Lamasan) who will not hesitate to point out your mistakes so this has been a learning process for me,” she further confessed.

While Bea is no slouch in the acting department with two Gawad Pasado Best Actress awards and eight other nominations from other award-giving bodies to her name, she readily concedes that “The Mistress” continues to push her acting ability “on the edge.”

For starters, the role required her to have shorter hair and Bea admitted that she was hesitant to part with her trademark long locks.

“I wanted to cry when I had to cut it but I had to choose between putting on a wig and cutting it. I chose to cut it because the wig might just be distracting. I’ve grown to like my new hair, though,” she continued.

And then, there’s the much talked about love scene between her and actor Ronaldo Valdez, who plays her lover and benefactor and is 40 years her senior.

“When I accepted the role, I expected it,” she said about the scene. “But it’s not what everyone is imagining since our movie is not R-18. I actually expected worse but the scene is tastefully done and Tito Ron was really nice about it.”

But more important than cutting her hair and doing a love scene with the 64-year-old who previously played her father in the teleserye “I Love Betty La Fea” is the fact that “The Mistress” also reunites her with John Lloyd, who like her is also celebrating his 10th year in the business.

It should be noted that Bea’s greatest success is with John Lloyd as her leading man. “I Love Betty La Fea” ran for eight months on ABS-CBN while two of their films, “One More Chance” and “Miss You Like Crazy” are ranked among the top 10 highest grossing Filipino films of all time.

After “The Mistress,” the loveteam is also doing “A Beautiful Affair,” another teleserye scheduled to premiere this October.

Although never romantically linked, Bea has remained good friends with John Lloyd as she is with his recently estranged girlfriend, Shaina Magdayao. Asked if she did anything to try to help the two patch up their differences, Bea said she opted to stay out of her friends’ personal affairs.

“I have nothing to do with that and it’s really none of my business,” she said. “But I’m just here as a friend and ready to give helpful advice if they need it.”

source: interaksyon.com