Bea Alonzo welcomes healthy competition among cast members in ‘A Love to Last’

Bea Alonzo

Because of competition, you are pushed beyond your limits,” according to “A Love to Last” star Bea Alonzo.

The actress said that while supporters of her onscreen partnership with Ian Veneracion have been growing in number fast, there were also those who prefer Ian’s team-up with Iza Calzado.

Bea plays Andrea or Andeng, while Ian portrays her husband Anton in the ABS-CBN top-rating family drama series. Iza is Grace, Anton’s ex-wife and mother to his three children.

“I think it’s good that this is happening. What we have is a healthy competition. There is really no kontrabida in this story. It all depends on which perspective you are looking at,” Bea said during a recent media luncheon organized by La Alegria Residential Estates by Sta. Lucia Land Inc., a company that she endorses.

“What’s good about the pairing that I have with Ian is that I now have a new group of supporters. It’s nice that I get to tap a different market, a different age bracket. It’s really refreshing,” Bea observed. “They are so involved in the story and are so active in social media. They review every single episode. I know, because I get to read some of their comments.”

Bea is also very much involved in the creative process of the show, especially in the development of her character. “The production team is generous enough to listen to my suggestions,” the actress said in response to the Inquirer’s observation that Andrea is now starting to show her feisty side.

“Expect more interesting things to happen. We know that ‘A Love To Last’ is a slice-of-life kind of show. It’s not story-driven—no big scenes like killings, explosions or kidnappings. The show reflects the conflicts that occur in our everyday life,” she explained. “Watch out for conflicts among the characters of Andrea, Anton, Grace and the kids. Will there be more catfights? It seems that the audience likes to see catfights.”

Bea said it was easy for her to feel comfortable working with Ian, “because he has a carefree attitude. Yes, he is 12 years older but I’ve never felt the age gap because we always joke around the set.”

Bea is also very fond of Hannah Lopez, who plays Kitty, Anton’s youngest child. “I always ‘kidnap’ her and make her stay in my dressing room,” she said.

It is with Iza that Bea often has “deep” conversations with. “They are often about life and love. I trust her. There is wisdom in what she says. She is very smart. We’ve all been working together for over a year now, so we’re able to form relationships with the other cast members.”

It is with teen actor JK Labajo, who plays Lucas, that Bea said she would often share her “interest in indie music. He would send me links to music videos of interesting artists or bands—those that I’ve not heard of before. I do that for him, too.”

Asked whether she was interested in doing indie movies someday, the actress replied: “I’d love to, if I came across something with a good script. I’m actually very sensitive when it comes to pitting mainstream against the indies. For me, filmmaking is filmmaking. The only difference is that one is financed by a small-time producer, while the other is by a big company. It’s all just storytelling. If you stay true to your feelings and passion, there’s really no difference.”