For Ina, portraying a zombie is like an ‘out-of-body experience’

Raymundo (right) with “JoshLia”

Ina Raymundo said her role in “Block Z” is one of the most physically demanding, so far.

The actress gave movie scribes a glimpse of how she is like in the film during a recent press conference.

“That ‘sample’ was just for five seconds, but it was the longest five seconds of my life,” she declared. “I don’t want to portray another zombie character ever again. It was so difficult doing that, like an out-of-body experience. I didn’t care about how scary I’d look.”

She said the physical demands for “Block Z” equalled that of her werewolf character in the fantasy-adventure TV series “La Luna Sangre.”

“I played a werewolf in ‘La Luna’ longer than I was a zombie in ‘Block Z.’ I really prepared for both projects. I did a lot of cardio at the gym, so I won’t look like I’m catching my breath the whole time,” she said.“Block Z” follows a group of university students who tries to survive a deadly viral outbreak. Ina, who plays the queen zombie or Patient Zero in the film, said it would have been more difficult for her to portray the role if she was handled by a different director.

The actress described the film’s director Mikhail Red as someone who is “very systematic.”

“He already knows which shots to take when he comes to the set, that’s why no effort is wasted. He’s very organized,” she pointed out. “That’s how all directors should be because making a film isn’t easy.”

“Mik is very cool. Filipino movies—let’s face it—always have budget constraints. It’s awesome for Mik to be able to make a serious zombie movie with a limited budget,” she added. Block Z” also stars Julia Barretto, Joshua Garcia, Ian Veneracion, Dimples Romana, Mariz Racal, McCoy de Leon, Yves Flores and Myrtle Sarrosa.

Ina Raymundo

“She’s a good girl,” Ina would repeatedly say about Julia when Inquirer Entertainment asked her how much she knows her “Block Z” costar.

“I can say that our personalities jive; swak na swak kami,” Ina reiterated. “She is very sweet and funny. I guess she’s just misunderstood because with her, what you see is what you get.”Ina further said: “In all the projects we’ve worked together, I have never heard her say anything negative to me about other people. As in zero! She’s very positive. For me, that’s how you judge people—if they would intentionally say something bad about others.

“Julia is a good actress, too. She’s been working since she was 6. You cannot deny her experience as an actress. She’s a natural.” Ina has worked with Julia, and her onscreen partner Joshua, in three projects: the hit romantic-comedy “Vince and Kath and James,” the drama series “Ngayon at Kailanman,” and now, the zombie flick “Block Z,” which will start screening in cinemas on Jan. 29.

“Our relationship goes beyond show biz,” she declared. “I don’t want to talk about them anymore—basta I love them both. People will enjoy Julia and Joshua here because their rapport is genuine and not forced.”

Raymundo in “Block Z”

Joshua and Julia, collectively known as “JoshLia,” broke up in June 2019. They started shooting “Block Z” in March and finished it in July. In August, Julia got implicated in the breakup of Gerald Anderson and Bea Alonzo, something which she denied having anything to do with. INQ