Maja Salvador dishes on real, reel tiffs

MAJA Salvador says she reached out to Kim, for the record.

“I prayed hard for this.” Thus, Maja Salvador—who recently reconciled with former best friend Kim Chiu a year after their highly publicized tiff over actor Gerald Anderson—described the peace she was now enjoying.

“I’m relieved that I can again walk the corridors of ABS-CBN without fear of being heckled [by Kim’s supporters],” she told the Inquirer during a press conference for her drama series “The Legal Wife.”

Maja admitted that it would take a while for her and Kim to be friends again. “What’s important is that we’ve taken the most important first step,” she pointed out.

The actress refused to go into the details of the make-up meeting, but admitted that she was the first to reach out. “I’m glad that, in an interview, Kim confirmed that we are okay.”

In “The Legal Wife,” Maja plays the mistress of Jericho Rosales’ character, Adrian de Villa. Angel Locsin plays Adrian’s wife Monica. “I’ve embraced my character,” Maja said. “I know that what she is doing is wrong but I understand her, and sometimes pity her. Monica is her best friend and she loves her. That’s why she struggles with her feelings for Adrian.”

Maja added: “All Nicole wants is to feel appreciated, especially by her father (played by Mark Gil). Her ex-boyfriend Max (JC de Vera) betrayed her. She feels confused, unloved and jealous of Monica.”

Any interesting feedback from viewers?

I feel effective as a kontrabida when I get hate comments. I get tweets like, “I hate you Nicole, but I love you Maja.”

Do you have a “peg” for your character?

I spoke with a lot of women in the same situation as Nicole’s. I feel sad for them because they make do with the limited time that their lovers give them. They cannot demand for more.

Nicole has a “mistress” bible. What have you learned from it?

The book is about being a good mistress. It says a mistress should avoid doing what her man hates about his wife. She should always be well-dressed—bawal maging losyang. It says that, since she has little time with him as a rule, she should be ready for anything. I remember how painful it was for Nicole to have prepared dinner for Adrian, only to be told that he couldn’t stay because Monica would be home early.

Why do you think a person cheats on his or her partner?

There is really no specific reason. It’s usually because he or she feels insecure. To avoid this, a couple should make God the center of the relationship.

What’s the most difficult scene so far?

It has to be the confrontation between Monica and Nicole. It was very physical—nasubsob ako sa floor. Angel asked beforehand where she could hit me. We hugged each other and bawled afterward.

Did you have apprehensions before accepting the role?

None. Nicole’s personality is very different from mine. I don’t want to be a mistress. I want a guy who will love only me. I accepted the project because Nicole is an interesting character and viewers will learn a lot from her.

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