From left: Lauren Young, Glaiza de Castro and Jak Roberto
I’m still in an Iloilo state of mind. I got a Dinagyang fiesta hangover. The culminating event of the Kapuso extravaganza was a mall show in SM Iloilo, featuring Glaiza de Castro, Lauren Young and Jak Roberto, who topbill GMA 7’s coming afternoon soap, “Contessa.” The fun trio was mobbed by their Ilonggo fans.
We ribbed Jak about his rumored romance with Barbie Forteza. He refused to budge, but the twinkle in his eyes was a dead giveaway. For her part, Glaiza told us that she’s now ready for a serious relationship, since her previous ones were short-lived.
Lauren cracked us up with her antics. She could pass for a comedienne. The three stars enjoy each other’s company, and it shows even when nobody’s looking.
Here’s my chat with Glaiza (G), Lauren (L) and Jak (J):
What’s your plan for Valentine’s Day?
L: I might visit my boyfriend, Robby (Garcia), who works in Boracay. If I can block off Feb. 14 from my schedule, I would (laughs). He’s half-Brazilian. We’ve been together for three years.
G: Since my love life is zero, I might accept the invitation to perform in a band’s gig, to distract myself from the thought that I have no Valentine date (laughs).
J: I’m not the type who plans. I prefer spur-of-the-moment dates.
What love advice do you follow?
L: It’s better to be friends first before becoming lovers. Friendship is the best foundation. Keep everything fun.
G: Choose wisely before you give your full emotional investment. My past relationships lasted for only three to six months, because my family is my priority. But now, it’s my family who’s already bugging me to have a love life (laughs).
J: No pretensions. Show your true colors from Day One.
Since “Contessa” is about revenge, what are your thoughts about revenge?
G: I would rather see it as an act of seeking justice. In the show, I was wrongly accused of killing my husband on our honeymoon. Personally, I’m not the type who would seek revenge. I just lift it all up to the Lord.
Lauren, do you dream about being a beauty queen like your sister, former Miss World Megan Young?
L: I was toying with the idea of joining last year. But I said to myself, if I join Binibining Pilipinas, I would have to look like
a Victoria’s Secret model. There’d be too much pressure if I joined Miss World Philippines because of Megan, so I will just stick to show biz, where I don’t need a crown to be a winner (laughs). I often tease my sister, “Get out of show biz. This is my territory. You already conquered the beauty pageant world, so stay there (laughs)!”
How tough is it to shift from playing an antagonist to a protagonist?
G: I’ve always played kontrabida characters. In our show, it’s Lauren who portrays the villain. For a change, I get to feel what it’s like to be bullied. It’s emotionally draining, because almost every scene requires me to cry or have a breakdown.
It’s good that we have an acting coach on the set. There are times when she reminds me to tone down my acting, since I’ve gotten used to playing nasty characters. I’m enjoying this part of my journey as an actress. To be successful, we must endure hardship. So, I’m embracing this challenging role as Contessa.