Alessandra de Rossi
Given the chance to live abroad, actress Alessandra de Rossi said she would take on the offer in order to have a quiet and more private life, but not to pursue an international acting career.
The award-winning actress said there were a lot of incidents in the past when she would be contacted by international producers “because they wanted to collaborate with me on a project, or because they wanted me to audition for a role. I’m not really sure if I want that. I didn’t imagine being an international actress. What I wanted when I was younger was to be an international ramp model, but many people said I’m not that tall. I’m only 5’6.”
“Besides,” Alessandra continued, “making it in Hollywood as a Filipino actress would mean I’d have to undergo workshops there, apply for accreditation, and I have to have the correct American accent. I can’t always play a Filipino character in all the projects I’d audition for … That sounded so complicated, and all I ever wanted was a simple life.”
Reporters present during a recent press conference had asked Alessandra about her plans of making it in Hollywood because she was promoting the action drama movie, “Watch List.” It was written and directed by Indian-American filmmaker Ben Rekhi, whose previous works include collaborations with George Clooney and the Coen Brothers.
It was said that the Hollywood-based director only had Alessandra in mind for the title role. She plays Maria, whose husband is killed under mysterious circumstances. To protect her family from people responsible for her husband’s death, she joins a vigilante group, a decision that puts Maria and her three children in great danger.
De Rossi at a recent press conference
“Ben explained to me that he was inspired to write the story by an article about a widow with a similar experience. The script was in English that we all helped translate in Filipino,” said Alessandra of the movie, which will hit cinemas on Feb. 19.Working on the film had been physically demanding for Alessandra, she recalled. “I’m not the type of actor who would complain. After working with Direk Carlitos Siguion-Reyna, who took four days to shoot one scene, nothing will shock me anymore. Here, we did one scene for six hours. We did it again and again and again. That’s Ben’s style, and I respect that. It just meant that if I was wet in that particular scene, then my clothes will be wet until he finally says he’s done with me,” she said.
“The only difference is that in Hollywood, you work for only eight hours in a day. That’s it! Here, we were called on the set at 6 a.m. and would be sent home at 2 a.m. the following day,” Alessandra recalled. “At the time I was doing this, I was also working on a soap series, ‘Since I Found You.’ That’s also why my character Maria looked like a zombie.”
She added: “Ben looks at everything, even how you breathe while doing action scenes. I counted it, he would average 10 takes per scene. Through it all, I would tell myself, ‘This is Hollywood-style. Welcome to Hollywood! You made it, girl!’”
Alessandra admitted that she had second thoughts about accepting the project because of its political inclination. “I don’t want to be branded as someone who is anti- or progovernment. I don’t meddle with political issues. I chose to be quiet on social media,” she explained.
De Rossi in “Watch List”
“But I couldn’t turn it down because the story is so beautiful, and it’s based on true events. He didn’t just make things up,” she added. “It’s a case of mistaken identity. This can happen to any of us at this point in time. But let’s not focus on the political side of the film. I’d rather the audience look at how a mother was willing to risk it all to protect her children.”
“Watch List” is distributed by Reality Entertainment. With Alessandra in the cast are a talented ensemble composed of Art Acuña, Jake Macapagal, Lou Veloso, Micko Laurente, Timothy Mabalot, Jess Mendoza and Angeli Bayani. INQ