- Coney Reyes explained why she initially turned down the role in Victor Magtanggol.
- She thoughtfully reconsidered when she found out that Alden Richards specifically asked for her.
- The respected actress had been meaning to work with Alden, too.
Although she is perfect for the role, Coney Reyes turned it down when it was initially offered to her. The seasoned actress changed her mind when she found out that Alden Richards specifically asked for her.
Turning it down at first
Coney explained why she turned down the role. The time that it was offered to her, she was quite resolute about wanting to take a break from television work as she was enjoying time being with her grandchildren. She became interested when she found out that Alden wanted her for the role. Plus, she also wanted to work with him.
“When they offered me the part noong March, I turned it down. Kasi I wasn’t ready to work pa on TV. I was enjoying my time kasama ko ang mga apo ko. We were traveling and all that. Pero they said na first choice nila ako to play Alden’s mom at ni-request din daw ako nung bata. So medyo nagkainteres ako sa role. So sinabi ko na I will let them know kung kelan ako puwedeng mag-work na. Plus gusto ko ring makatrabaho si Alden. Tumatanggap naman ako ng teleserye, pero not one after another.”
Coney’s last television series aired in ABS-CBN and ended in June 2017. Although she isn’t overly picky with roles, she was intent on taking a breather before accepting another TV series.
“Like yung huli ko was My Dear Heart sa ABS-CBN 2. Noong June 2017 pa iyon natapos. Hindi sa mapili tayo, pero after working on a TV series like four or six months, gusto kong mag-timeout muna. Hindi na kasi tayo kasing lakas noong mga 15 or 20 years ago. And I like spending lots of time with my kids and grandkids.”
Finally saying yes to Alden
Coney shared that when she told GMA-7 that she was ready to work again, no time was wasted to prepare for the acting veteran’s scenes with Alden which were filmed in Japan.
“When I told GMA-7 na I’m ready to work again, inayos na nila ang pag-shoot namin ng mga scenes sa Japan. My first taping day was that scene na pinapakita sa trailer na nag-meet kami ni Alden sa park. Kaya mabigat kaagad yung scene. Kasi iyakan agad.”
Coney prayed with Alden before they shot the scene. She commended Alden for being a good actor and she couldn’t help but cry with him.
“Before we shot that scene, I asked Alden if we could pray first. Para lang ma-bless kami ni Lord for that scene. Ang bilis umiyak ni Alden. So I held him. Tapos sabi niya, ‘Kasi naalala ko ang mama ko sa inyo.’ Siyempre, naiyak na ako! Pati ako sumabay na sa pag-iyak!”
