Ian Veneracion (left) and Jodi Sta. Maria
Actor Ian Veneracion and former onscreen partner Jodi Sta. Maria both spent New Year’s Eve in Iceland, as shown in a photo uploaded by the actor on his Instagram account on Dec. 30.
But they were not alone. They were accompanied by their families on that holiday trip.
“Our families didn’t go there together. While we went to different destinations—because my kids are adventurous and prefer taking outdoor trips—there were times when we ended up staying in the same hotel. The trip was a lot of fun. The place is very beautiful,” he told the Inquirer during the press conference of his latest film, Dan Villegas’ horror thriller “Ilawod.”
“Jodi and I are close. We’re very comfortable with our friendship. I’m also OK with the whole group, especially the children. My kids enjoyed hanging out with them. When we went ice skating, even though we have our own service vehicle, we opted to ride with them because their bus was noisier, happier and had more trail food,” he said.
Ian added that they all went to a cathedral known for its New Year’s Eve celebration. “We also walked the streets, watched the fireworks and witnessed the Northern Lights together,” the actor recalled.
When asked by newsmen, Ian refused to confirm if Jodi’s rumored boyfriend, Cavite Vice Gov. Jolo Revilla, was with the actress and her child, Thirdy.
“I don’t know what the status of their relationship is. I don’t ask,” Ian simply said.
Is his wife getting jealous of the attention he is getting from more women now?
“She trusts my judgment,” Ian said. “She always says, ‘You know better. Bahala ka na.’ She knows that to cheat or not is really up to me.”
On rumors that he has already broken up with his wife because of actress Jessy Mendiola, Ian said: “I have no idea where that came from. Jessy and I have never worked together. It was my son who reacted. He said, ‘You should sue these people!’ I explained to him that I’ve been part of show biz for a long time, and that 99 percent of the time, I get so much kindness from people—this is nothing.”
Other than that rumor, Ian’s love life has always been very quiet and private.
“It’s because my reputation as an actor is important to me,” he explained. “I’ve never had any girlfriend from show biz. I don’t want … my leading ladies to tell me that I have taken advantage of them while doing kissing scenes. It’s important for me that people see me as someone very professional.”
Asked how he could effectively portray a character in a horror film, his answer was: “I think the real job of an actor is not to act, but to feel what he should at a given situation and eventually share that emotion with his audience.
“An example: In order to show fear in this movie, I thought of my family. I imagined wanting to wake up my son, Draco, from a trance because he doesn’t recognize me anymore, but couldn’t.”