First-time lead star Ivana Alawi on Wednesday, June 15, admitted she is not an actress, making it difficult for her to do dramatic scenes in ABS-CBN’s upcoming teleserye A Family Affair.
Her last acting stint was in the 2019 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) entry Tripol Trobol: Huli Ka Balbon!
“So noong start, I think ang last taping ko was three years ago or more. So pagbalik ko, nahirapan talaga ako,” said Alawi during the media launch of A Family Affair.
The 25-year-old artist pointed out that it was definitely a new experience for her.
“Kasi I’m used to being myself. Kahit ‘yung boses ko, sabi ni direk, kailangan mong ibahin nang kaunti. Alam mo sa vlogs ko, ang ingay ng bunganga ko ‘di ba? So we had to really kind of change it. Hindi ko p’wedeng ilagay si Ivana doon. Kasi I’m not Ivana there, I’m Cherry Red.”
Even with the trailer garnering more than 300,000 views on YouTube since its release, Alawi still doubted whether she could be a good actress.
“Actually, kahit pinapanuod ko ang sarili ko, lagi kong jina-judge sarili ko. So hindi pa kasi siguro totally na-adjust ako eh. Hindi pa eh. So ‘yon, malalaman natin ‘pag nanood na kayo.”
In the series, Alawi’s character Cherry Red is torn between two brothers, Paco (Gerald Anderson) and Dave (Sam Milby) Estrella. The show is full of action and drama, making her wonder, “Kaya ko bang umiyak nang umiyak?”
She explained that being “too kind” and “too forgiving” is a liability in acting—she had no personal memories or experience on which she could base the character Cherry.
“Kunwari, iiyak ako. Kasi hindi ako ‘yung taong mapagtanim ng galit. Kapag may nangyari, mabilis akong magpatawad. So sabi ko, hirap na hirap ako sa mga crying scenes kasi wala akong mapaghugutan.”
As for the intimate scenes, the young talent stated it was not a challenge at all.
“Sa love scene naman, I feel very safe kasi, especially nagtitiwala naman ako sa mga co-actors ko. Hindi naman ako nahirapan.”
Jerome C. Pobocan and Raymond Ocampo direct A Family Affair. It also includes Jake Ejercito and Jameson Blake.
The series will begin airing on June 27 across several local and international platforms. It will also be available on iWantTFC and The Filipino Channel.
