Althea Vega’s martial arts skills put to good use in ‘Watch Me Kill’

Althea Vega

While she has starred in acclaimed independent films that have been screened at international festivals, Althea Vega hasn’t quite made inroads in mainstream show biz, save for minor roles in a number of TV series.

Much of the recognition she has gotten in her career the past 10 years, interestingly enough, was from moviegoers abroad.

Althea recalled attending and walking the red carpet of the 2014 British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards in the UK, where her movie “Metro Manila” was nominated in the best non-English language film category.

“People would walk up to me and commend my performance,” Althea said. “It’s heartening to know there are actually people out there who appreciate my work,” she told the Inquirer at a recent press conference for the film “Watch Me Kill,” an entry in this year’s Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino, which opens on Sept. 13.

Still, Althea dreams of one day being able to shuttle between indie and mainstream projects.

“It’s difficult to make it to television, because there are a lot of emerging talents—younger and more beautiful actresses,” Althea said. “But I’m hoping that an indie actress like me could show my talent to the mainstream.”

Being cast in a soap opera, she said, would be a personal breakthrough for her.
“I would love that. But not because I want to be known. My goal is to work with as many actors as possible, so I could learn more about the craft,” she said.

Luckily, Althea gets to collaborate with mainstream stars once in a while when they cross over to the indie scene, like Angel Aquino in the LGBTQ-themed “Astray” in 2013.
This time around, in the psychological thriller “Watch Me Kill,” Althea got to share the camera with Jean Garcia.

“I was initially intimidated. But I got comfortable with her easily because she doesn’t have any airs,” she said. “I’m blessed to have worked with an actress as respected as Jean.”

In “Watch Me Kill,” directed by filmmaker TA Acierto, Althea plays a pivotal role that’s being kept under wraps.
What she can only say now is that she portrays Red, a hired killer and admirer of the more seasoned assassin Luciana (Jean), who finds herself questioning her purpose after taking a young girl accompanying one of her targets.

Because Althea also works as a fitness coach and has a background in karate, doing an action film means another item has been ticked off her bucket list. “I’ve always loved doing martial arts since I was young… I’m also interested in sports,” related Althea, who has won various fitness competitions, and represented the country at the 2016 Fitness Universe.

“I would love to show that I can do other things, too, besides drama,” she pointed out. “And as long as there are producers or directors who trust in my talent, I will continue to act.”