Veteran actress Susan Africa has responded to the outpouring of praise, posts, and memes from netizens lauding her versatility in roles following her character’s apparent rise in affluence in the official trailer for the second season of ‘FPJ’s Batang Quiapo.’
Viewers were intrigued by Susan’s departure from her usual portrayal of characters who are often oppressed or facing challenging circumstances. She is known for her frequent roles as mothers battling illnesses or enduring hardships.
Jerry B. Grácio, a respected writer at ABS-CBN, also joined the conversation.
“In fairness, in the trailer for the new installment of #FPJsBatangQuiapo, Susan Africa’s role appears to be affluent. She’s doing well, having moved away from her usual ‘tuberculosis-stricken’ roles,” he noted.
In fairness, sa trailer ng bagong yugto ng #FPJsBatangQuiapo, mukhang mayaman ang role ni Susan Africa. Bongga na nakaahon-ahon na si Madam mula sa kanyang api roles. Jusko, ang galing-galing ni Susan, huwag natin siyang ikahon sa mga karakter na lagi na lang may TB. https://t.co/9nwFZwnqdt
— Jerry B. Grácio (@JerryGracio) September 9, 2023
Netizens resonated with his observation.
Susan Africa gained fame for her iconic portrayal of ‘Susan’ in the 90s soap opera ‘Mara Clara.’ Since then, she has often been cast as mothers, housemaids, or aunts grappling with poverty or illness.
During a recent interview with One Balita Pilipinas, Susan expressed her surprise at becoming a trending topic in online discussions. While she appreciates being remembered for her memorable role as Susan, Clara’s mother, who frequently faced mistreatment from Gary, she clarified that she has previously taken on affluent roles in both television and film.
Susan reminisced about her roles in TV series such as ‘My Dear Heart’ on ABS-CBN and ‘The Sisters’ on TV5, where her characters were middle-class. She also received accolades for her performance in ‘Olongapo… The Great American Dream’ at the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), where she portrayed a wealthy and antagonistic character.
“Sobra akong nagulat po, kasi no’ng napanood ko yung trailer, sabi ko ‘Split second lang ‘yon,’ ‘di ba? Gano’n kabilis. And then no’ng nakita kong… minemessage na ‘ko ng mga friends ko, ‘Uy trending ka na…’ ‘Ha? Bakit?’ Nabasa ko yung comments, tawa ako nang tawa,” she shared.
Susan expressed her delight at the positive feedback from ‘FPJ’s Batang Quiapo’ viewers and the steady increase in TV ratings and live concurrent views for the show each night.
