Scene from “Maalaala Mo Kaya”
For award-winning actress Charlie Dizon, the hardest thing about not being part of a love team is creating chemistry with each and every male partner she has to work with.
Charlie has just finished taping for the drama series “Viral Scandal,” which is currently streaming on the Kapamilya Channel. There, she is paired with Joshua Garcia.
For an episode in the drama anthology “Maalaala Mo Kaya” (MMK) this April, she had to work with Kiko Estrada.
“It all depends on who I’m partnered with. I would usually try to check first if the person is easy to talk with. Most of the time, I’m the one who breaks the ice. I would often introduce myself first and ask how he is doing,” Charlie said during a virtual chat to promote the MMK episodes lined up for the month of April.
“I’m lucky that the actors I’ve partnered with were all nice to me. They’re also easy to work with. The advantage of this is that I get to learn from each of them, and that I grow as an actress. If I see that they have this particular technique that I also find effective, I adapt it. I’m lucky because all of them are as passionate as I am with the work they do,” added Charlie.
She was also able to work with Paulo Avelino in the movie “Fangirl,” and with Jameson Blake on projects like “Four Sisters and a Wedding,” and “Sunset Girl.” Charlie’s first MMK project, the 2021 Valentine’s Day episode, was with Jameson.
Working with Kiko
Recalling what it was like working with Kiko, Charlie said: “When I learned that he would be my partner, I felt shy because I have never met him in person before. I was worried that we might look awkward together, especially because we will be portraying real people here and that we’re supposed to be lovers,” she began.
“But when we attended our pictorial for the picture props we will use in the episode, I realized that we jibed immediately. We were sharing jokes with each other right away. I knew then that work would be easy with Kiko,” Charlie said.
She also noticed that Kiko is a dedicated actor. “He memorized the script beforehand. We also talked about our characters and the dynamics of us being boyfriend-girlfriend in the show,” Charlie observed. “Kiko comes from a family of actors. He shared with me how his parents would give him advice about working in show biz and how passionate they are when it comes to the craft. That helped me, too, because I understood where Kiko is coming from.”
Charlie said that, like Kiko, she would always aim to “level up” in terms of performance in each new project she takes on. “It really depends on the material that’s offered to me, as well as on the people I would be closely working with. Each project has different sets of artists and production team members. One thing is certain, I make sure to learn something new in each set I step on, even if it’s just by way of observing my coworkers,” she pointed out.
Charlie Dizon
Testing limits
“I thought I was already challenged when I did ‘Fangirl.’ When I did ‘Viral Scandal,’ I realized that it’s far more difficult. Through the show, I got to test my limits. I learned about the technical side of acting, too. The experience was really different,” Charlie recalled.
“I’ve been acting for quite a while now, but I was never conscious of my camera angles and blocking. Back then, I’d say, ‘bahala na,’ but now I realized that I needed to take note of these things as well in order to make work easier for the rest of the team. I’m lucky that I was well taken care of on the set; that everyone I worked with was dedicated to playing their roles well, not just my coactors but also the directors and staff members. They’re all very passionate that you’d feel ashamed not to be at the same level as they are.”
Playing an OFW nurse
In the episode that will air on April 23, Charlie plays an OFW nurse named Raquel, who meets Ralph (Kiko) while she was in the process of mending her broken heart. Ralph eventually proposed marriage to Raquel. As they were preparing for the wedding, COVID-19 happens.
Charlie said playing Raquel had been a “refreshing change” from portraying Rica Sicat in “Viral Scandal,” but not necessarily easier to do. “To be honest, I really felt the pressure. I was portraying a real-life character. I just hope that my performance is close to what really happened. I hope I was able to give the right emotions, even though I wasn’t really around when the story happened and that I was just depending on the script,” she pointed out.
“I really wanted to be told that I did well. It was a good thing that I got to talk with the letter sender before the shoot,” Charlie said. “I got a deeper understanding of what she is like as a person. I also asked her for tips on what she wanted to see from me, like the emotions I should express. I realized that I needed to portray this as truthfully as possible.”
Proud
Now that it’s done and will be seen by more people, Charlie said she couldn’t help but feel proud. “I’m happy that I was able to finish it, that it’s now going to inspire more people. For sure, many will be able to relate to this, especially because it happened at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic,” she declared.
Meanwhile, the April 2 episode will feature Hero Angeles, Marlo Mortel and Sky Quizon portraying the Villadarez brothers. They lost their parents prematurely and were left in the care of their strict grandmother, Dining (Peewee O’ Hara). Watch how Michael (Hero), Angelo (Marlo) and Anthony (Sky) overcome obstacles thrown their way and how they are able to repay Dining for adopting them.
Watch “MMK” on A2Z, Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live on YouTube, ABS-CBN Entertainment Facebook page and iWantTFC. Outside the Philippines, it is available on cable and IPTV via The Filipino Channel.