Gladys Reyes: I am more of a comedienne in real life

Gladys Reyes with husband Christopher and their kids

If there’s an honor roll for the top 10 “kontrabidas” of show biz, Gladys Reyes will definitely be on the list.

She unleashes her onscreen power anew in GMA 7’s afternoon soap, “Madrasta” (weekdays after “Prima Donnas”). She portrays Elizabeth Ledesma—a successful aesthetic surgeon and protective mom of Sean (played by Juancho Triviño).

Catch the fiercest rivalry between the wife and the present love as they vie for a spot in the life of one man. Liaisons dangereuses à la Pinoy.

Here’s my chat with Gladys:

What would you be like if you were a madrasta? I will play it cool. I won’t try too hard because I don’t want them to feel like I’m replacing their mom. I pray that we will all get along.

How do you handle it when you’re working with a ham actor? If, despite giving my best, I felt my coactor was not responding the way I expected him to respond, I just let it be. It’s the director’s call if we need to do it all over again and if so, I try to be patient.

How do you detach from the kontrabida roles you play? Once the camera stops rolling, I shake it all off, no matter how intense the scene was. Bitaw na agad sa character ‘pag ‘Cut’ na. Ayokong bitbitin pauwi ang katarayan ko sa scenes (laughs).

I am far from what I usually portray because I am more of a comedienne in real life. I talk nonstop and love to laugh. I’m so hyper.

Tell us about your kids. Christophe is 13; an old soul who likes to sing Beatles, etc. and play the guitar; a member of his school’s varsity team; [and] has a YouTube channel, Christophe.

Aquisha, my mini-me, is 11. She plays Dorothy in her school’s version of “The Wizard of Oz” and is a K-pop fanatic.

Grant is turning 9 and is into football. He is the sweetest. He always tells his dad and me that he will take care of us when we grow old.

Gavin is 2. He is the most talkative and likes mimicking us.

Tell us about your resto. Estela is on Brickroad St. in Cainta. It’s open Tuesdays-Sundays 11 a.m. to 12 mn. Specialties are pan-seared salmon, chicken curry kebab, gambas and salpicao. We will soon serve baby back ribs, vongole pasta, ox tail kare-kare.

What makes your marriage work? Prayers, patience, partnership and our faith.

What stands out in your memory about your “Mara Clara” days with Judy Ann Santos? How our friendship blossomed, and we were able to preserve it over time.

What’s the best advice has she (Judy Ann) given you? We don’t give advice to each other, but she gave me simple, easy-to-prepare baon tips for the kids since she is an expert in the kitchen.

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PERSONAL: Thanks from the bottom of my happy tummy to Shria and Pat Florencio for the healthy all-organic birthday treat in my fave resto in Boracay, Nonie’s. It’s heaven for vegans like me.