Kathryn feeling scared but ready to go back to work this month

Kathryn Bernardo

With Metro Manila now under general community quarantine, actress Kathryn Bernardo said she would return to work this month, but admitted to still feeling scared for her safety and uncertain whether or not the newly drafted health and safety guidelines would work “because they’re not something we’re accustomed to.”

“I feel that going back to work will be scary and difficult [because of the dreaded COVID-19]. I received a copy of the rules and regulations only recently. I’m going back to taping this month and expect it to feel weird,” Kathryn confessed.

Kathryn and love team partner Daniel Padilla are doing a drama series, with the working title “Tanging Mahal,” slated to air on ABS-CBN this year.

“I guess we will all have to adjust to the new normal. You may feel scared and emotionally unprepared, but you have to learn to cope with the changes because, as they say, the world doesn’t revolve around you,” the actress poin­ted out. “You want to be a good citizen. You want to follow the rules. We can all strive to learn these guidelines and practice them.”

Kathryn recently joined fellow ABS-CBN contract artists Maja Salvador, Dimples Romana and Maymay Entrata in the 11th series of the pa­nel discussion “Actor’s Cue,” which is a segment of the “#ExtendTheLove” fundraiser.

“Let’s just pray that a vaccine will be developed soon, so that we can all go back to normal, because what’s happening is really affecting our industry, especially since we’re used to working as part of a large group,” she explained.

Meanwhile, Kathryn also admitted to feeling “challenged” with the preparations for her latest project.

“It’s because you don’t want people to say they didn’t see anything new from you as an actor when they eventually see your latest work,” she explained. “They took time off to watch, expecting to see the character and not Kathryn. I need to make a conscious effort not to repeat what I’ve done in the past. The more projects you tackle, the harder it is to achieve this.”

This was why, Kathryn said, an actor really needs the help of her director. “It was especially difficult when I shot ‘Hows of Us,’ then ‘Hello, Love, Goodbye’ immediately after. My audience should see the difference between George and Joy (her characters in the two films, respectively). They differ in how they fall in love, as well as how they get angry,” she explained.

Asked whether she has ever felt starstruck with the actors she has worked with in the past, Kathryn said: “Yes, a lot of times, but I’m good at hiding my feelings. I feel this especially with the senior actors. Kinikilig ako! I used to just watch them, but now I’m able to hug them, to bond with them.”

She said she would definitely feel starstruck with veteran actress, Vilma Santos. “I hear a lot of stories about how it’s like to work with her, about how great an actress she is. I imagine that I won’t know how to react in front of her, too,” Kathryn said.

Kathryn is also a huge fan of Ronaldo Valdez. “When I was younger, I would watch his afternoon teleserye. Napakagaling n’ya,” she recalled.

“It would also be exciting to work with Christopher de Leon. Many times, especially with the senior stars, I would just stare at them, too amazed to react. I’d forget that I should also be acting with them,” she added.