“I know I look suplada—but, I’m not. I’m actually kalog. Maybe I should smile more,” Solenn Heussaff mused as she thought about our observation that her French-Filipino looks intimidate some people. Then, she flashed her lovely smile and said, “I think they’re just not used to candor (laughs). I don’t give ‘show biz’ answers kasi, because I started in this business at a relatively late age—I’m already 26. People who are 19 or younger are still discovering who they are, so they play safe.”
What does she do when dirt-digging reporters put her on the spot? She replies, “I don’t like disrespecting people—some of them don’t know where to draw the line. One time, somebody asked me if I was Brazilian waxed (depilation of body hair in the pubic region), which is too personal. So, in jest, I asked him, ‘What about you—are you the one giving or taking?’—and he didn’t ask me again (laughs)!”
How does she react to the nasty things said about her on Twitter? Solenn quips, “The reason why people say mean things about you is because they want you to react. At the end of the day, if you really hate me, why are you even following me on Twitter? How do I deal with them? I read them—then, I block them!”
At a time when a spate of “indiscretions” involving “wholesome” celebrities is rocking Tinseltown, it’s refreshing to meet someone whose career isn’t steered by a fabricated image “conjured up” by a network of handlers. With Solenn, what you see is what you get.
The actress-singer is comfortable in her own skin. But, more than that, it isn’t really hard to like Solenn, who’s slowly but surely making her presence felt in diverse multimedia endeavors (singing, acting, hosting, etc.), ever since she won viewers over in the first celebrity edition of “Survivor Philippines.”
Her eponymously titled debut album is proof enough that Solenn isn’t just another pretty face—she even composed some of her songs, including the sassy and sexy track, “Chemistry,” which she co-wrote with Rivermaya’s Rico Blanco (“I’ve known him since I was 14”).
Before show biz beckoned, Solenn finished a fashion-design course and, later, worked as a designer for Lulu Tan Gan for three years (“My most recent show was held last July”). What else don’t we know about her? She discloses, “I love lechon!”
Formal lessons
Throughout our chat, she endeared herself to us even more by trying to answer in (broken) Tagalog, which she says she needs to work on: “I learn so much on the set—but, I need to take formal lessons on grammar and expand my vocabulary.”
This willingness to learn assures her future in entertainment. As an actress, Solenn is instinctive and natural: She puts herself in her character’s situation, so her scenes always come off well. In fact, we’re happy to note that she also acquits herself well alongside her seasoned costars in the Metro Manila film fest entry, “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,” where she portrays Selene, the put-upon half-sister of Maricel Soriano and Jericho Rosales.
Didn’t her scenes with Soriano “scare” her? She quickly replies, “I had not seen a lot of Filipino movies before, so I didn’t really know much about her. But, you know she’s a star, because when she enters the room, she has that glow.”
Steamy scenes
Didn’t she have a difficult time shooting her steamy scenes with Dennis Trillo and Paulo Avelino? Solenn explains, “I’m not the shy type. What I noticed, however, is that, if your partner in a kissing scene is awkward, you’ll also feel awkward. But, if the guy is comfortable, you will be, too. I just go with the flow.”
What attracts her in a man? She shares, “I won’t lie: Looks get my attention first. I like tattooed ‘bad boys’—and all my past boyfriends had shaved heads, ‘yung mukhang madungis (laughs)! Personality-wise, the guy has to be close to his mom and his family, because that will guarantee that he’ll also treat me well.
“He should be smart but not nerdy. I like guys who love to travel, and try out new things. That’s why I avoid dating Frenchmen, because they’re so picky. Don’t say no until you’ve tried it—just like show biz: Initially, I kept saying no to it—but, now, I’m having the time of my life!”