Dawn’s major worry at 48: Limited roles

Dawn Zulueta

Dawn Zulueta, who’s widely regarded as one of the most beautiful faces in show biz, said she would be lying if she said that aging was something that didn’t worry her.

But more than her looks, the one thing that truly concerns the 48-year-old actress about aging is that the roles being offered to her start becoming more limited.

“Let’s face it: In our industry, women my age usually get relegated to mother roles. I don’t mind doing that. But if it’s just the same mother-whose-child-is-missing role, you can’t help but start thinking, ‘OK, I need to do something that will excite me.’ And I haven’t been excited for some time,” Dawn told reporters at a recent press conference for the Metro Manila Film Festival entry “Meant to Beh.”

That’s why she agreed to do the comedy film “Meant to Beh,” a welcome breather from all the drama television series she has been doing the past seven years.

“I really enjoy discovering comedy, because it’s a genre that I don’t typically get to do. All my ideas about comedy are all in my head, because I have never gotten the opportunity—I was never offered sitcoms or anything of the sort,” she said, adding that she’s kalog when she’s with her friends.

“But no one gets to see that,” Dawn said.

Doing comedy is a challenge. But with Vic Sotto as her leading man, work gets significantly easier and more fun. “This is especially difficult for me, because making people laugh is dependent on many things, like timing. But you learn by just observing your coworkers, like Vic. I also rely on my director (Chris Martinez) for guidance,” she said.

The story of “Meant to Beh” is close to Dawn’s heart, because like Andrea—the character she portrays—she, too, is a mother of preadolescent children. Her son, Jacobo, is 12; her daughter, Ayisha, is 8.

“As a parent of youngsters, I try to make sure to keep them disciplined and at the same time make growing up fun for them,” Dawn said. “More than the money or toys, it’s the time we spend together that will stay in their hearts. So, we try to create moments, memories any way we can—may it be going out of town or simply playing Monopoly at home,” she said.

It’s also crucial, she stressed, to make the children feel that they’re contributing to the family, that they’re part of a unit. “I tell them that they’re doing their part just by studying hard … I want to instill in them a sense of responsibility or purpose at this age, so that they grow up grounded,” she said.