Following Bella Padilla’s directorial debut, Bela Padilla, during the media conference for 366 on February 24, reacted to people who compared her to FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano actor-director Coco Martin.
She described Martin as a creative force in showbiz while recalling her time in FPJAP.
“Ang cute naman nun. That is very sweet. Maraming salamat, Coco is a very, very talented person. Bukod sa pagiging actor-director, kahit noong umpisa pa lang ng Probinsyano noong nandoon pa ako, siya rin ang nagko-conceptualize ng Ang Probinsyano. So he’s really a creative force in his generation, in his world. So I’m very proud of him.”
She humbly clarified that she still has a lot to go through before comparing herself to Martin as an actor-director.
“I think malayo pa ‘yung kailangan kong tahakin para masabing ka-level ko si Coco. Kasi Coco na ‘yun. Kapag umabot na po ako sa sahod ni Coco, masasabi po talaga na ka-level ko na siya.”
She also noted that she and Martin work in different and distinct genres.
“I’m happy to be compared to Coco because I have great respect for him as a creative force, but we do very different projects. I cannot– hindi ko kayang mag-direct ng action. I cannot come up with action scenes. But I guess in the same way, there are things naman na that I can do na hindi naman kaya gawin ni Coco. So we’re very different also.”
She then narrated her experience as a first-time director, recalling some bloopers on set.
“Syempre noong first few takes, medyo nangangapa ako. In fact, noong unang-unang eksena ng buong pelikula si Zanjoe lang ‘yung kinunan ko, hindi ako kasama sa eksena.
“And sa sobrang kaba ko siguro, or dahil naninibago ako, nakalimutan kong sumigaw ng sound, and camera, dumeretso ako sa action na hindi nag-roroll ‘yung sound and camera kasi bilang artista, pag nasa-set ka, ang hinihintay mo lang palagi is ‘yung action eh.”
Admittedly, she felt nervous while filming their first scene for the movie.
“Dapat hindi mo na naririnig ‘yung sound and camera na salita, parang in the zone ko na, pero syempre bilang director, kailangan mo siyang isigaw.
“So, nagkaroon ako ng ganong moment na, ‘Oo nga pala, hindi rin lang pala ako actress on set today. I am directing this.’ So we had to repeat that take and I had to say sound and camera. Tapos nagtawanan lang on set pero I felt rattled. Tumawa lang din ako pero hindi nila alam kabang kaba ako sa loob.”
As for her directorial debut, Padilla helms and stars in the Viva movie along with Zanjoe Marudo and JC Santos.
The tragedy-romantic film set in the idyllic sceneries of Turkey streams on Vivamax on April 22.
