RICHARD Yap (left), Jodi Sta. Maria and Ian Veneracion
Actress Jodi Sta. Maria may have called it quits with actor-politician Jolo Revilla, but there might still be “a second chance” for them after all.
“There’s always a risk in loving. I guess I’d welcome him (returning lover) in my life again if I see that he is working hard to change his old ways,” Jodi said at a recent media gathering for the movie, “The Achy Breaky Hearts.”
The actress confirmed her breakup with Jolo in Tuesday’s “Tonight With Boy Abunda” on ABS-CBN, saying that while she and the Cavite vice governor “were no longer together … [they remain] friends.”
The now loveless Jodi didn’t look a bit broken-hearted when she faced reporters during Tuesday’s press conference. What with two handsome actors, fighting for her heart in her new movie.
Costars Richard Yap and Ian Veneracion, when asked if they would consider pursuing Jodi romantically had they not been married, both answered in the affirmative.
“Jodi is very lovable,” said Richard, her leading man for two years in the TV series, “Be Careful With My Heart.” “She’s beautiful and kind. She has most of the qualities you’d want in a partner, but we try to separate the real from reel.”
“I have a wife, but this did not stop supporters from openly wishing that we’d end up together,” he added.
“Jodi is easy to love,” Ian agreed. “It isn’t hard for a man to find something to fall in love with.”
Ian is Jodi’s leading man in the TV drama program, “Pangako Sa’Yo,” and in the film, “All You Need Is Pag-ibig.”
So, how does Jodi handle her love interests in the movie?
“I’m very careful because Richard and Ian are married men. I make an effort not to do anything that would fuel rumors. For me, the boundaries have always been clear. I see to it that I do not do anything to cross them,” she stressed.
The actress said her 10-year-old son Thirdy has no qualms about his mom being paired with either Richard or Ian. “I make it a point to expose him to the kind of work that I do, so he understands. He knows both Richard and Ian,” she pointed out.
Richard added: “This is nothing new to my kids. I don’t think my son even cares about what I do for a living. They’re all friends with Jodi, too.”
Ian said they “are all professionals—this is what we do as actors. My children visit me at work sometimes, so they’re comfortable around their Tita Jodi.”
Richard described the ongoing online discussion between his and Ian’s supporters as “healthy competition.”
He added: “This shows that people are interested. They’re taking sides. We hope that they will not fight and just unite to watch the movie.”
“It makes the film more interesting,” Ian said. “They would discuss it online and argue about who they think Chinggay would end up with.”
Directed by Antoinette Jadaone and with a script she cowrote with Yoshke Dimen, “The Achy Breaky Hearts” is centered on Chinggay (Jodi), who has been single for seven years.
Conflict begins when she is unexpectedly faced with the dilemma of choosing between two men, a new love, Ryan (Ian), and, an ex, Frank (Richard). The film begins its theatrical run on June 29.
Asked where he would like to take Jodi on a date, Ian said: “I’ve always wanted to take her paragliding because she’s afraid of heights. I had to reassure her that it’s safe. She said she was willing to try it someday.”
Since Jodi likes to travel, Richard for his part said he’d take her to “an exotic place, somewhere she has never been before, like Machu Picchu.”
For Richard, getting back with a former beau has its advantages. “You know the person better. You don’t have to start from zero. You also know how to correct the mistakes that you did in the past. In a new relationship, you resort to trial and error to determine what works. With an old one, you already know the dos and dont’s.”
While Ian agreed that “the ex is the safer choice,” he said “it’s worth taking the risk if you pursue a new love. I’m adventurous. I explore. I take risks.”
“Ultimately, if you still cannot choose between your past and your present, it’s always safer to wait, to not make any hasty choices,” Jodi concluded.
E-mail mcruz@inquirer.com.ph