Jennica Garcia | PHOTO: Eric John Salut
Actress Jennica Garcia would have been an OFW had she not mustered enough guts to call a network executive to ask for work.
This, Garcia revealed during the grand media conference for “Dirty Linen” recently.
When asked how she got the role, Garcia said that as much as she wanted to, she couldn’t claim that she was handpicked for the role of Lala in the series.
“Gusto ko man sabihin… ang sarap sabihin na handpicked (ako) pero hindi po talaga ‘yun ang nangyari talaga,” she admitted. (As much as I want to say…it’s so beautiful to say that I was handpicked, but that was not what actually happened).
Garcia recalled that work came few and far between after being an actress for seven years.
“Bale, seven years po akong nag-artista. Seven years din po akong tumigil. Pagbalik ko po, nakagawa ako ng isang proyekto, tapos wala na pong sumunod. It was almost six months of no work,” she shared. (It’s like, I was an actress for seven years. I stopped acting for seven years. When I made a comeback, I did one project, then there was none that came after. It was almost six months of no work).
With that, she needed to make a desperate move to save her family. She remembered her mom, Jean Garcia, as telling her she could approach Dreamscape Television head Deo Endrinal.
“And so, I sent a Viber message to Sir Deo (Endrinal) asking for work kasi wala po akong kilala from ABS-CBN. Hindi ko po kasi makalimutan ‘yung sinabi sa akin ni Mama dati, matagal na ‘yun. Parang sinabi niya na, ‘Anak, just in case na maisip mo, na gusto mo (mag-work) with ABS-CBN, gusto ko alam mo na Sir Deo is a very trusted friend of mine and you can go to him,” she said.
(So I sent a Viber message to Sir Deo asking for work because I don’t know anybody else from ABS-CBN. I remember my mother telling me before that in case I thought of working with ABS-CBN, she told me that Sir Deo is a very trusted friend of hers, and that I can go to him.)
At the time, Garcia was left with no choice but to reach out to the network executive.
But in case she did not get work, she already had Plan B.
“Ang iniisip ko na rin po noon, sige, okay lang. Kapag hindi ako nabigyan (ng work), mag-o-OFW na lang ako kasi kumbaga, ito lang ang alam kong trabaho, ang pag-aartista. So, ang isa ko na lang naiisip is mag-ibang bansa,” she said. (What I was also thinking then, it’s okay. If I’m not given work, I would work abroad to be an OFW since the only job I know is acting. So, one of my options was to work abroad).
“Dirty Linen” premieres on Jan. 23 at 9:30 p.m. on Kapamilya Channel, A2Z, TV5, iWantTFC and Kapamilya Online Live on ABS-CBN Entertainment’s YouTube channel and Facebook page.
Directed by Onat Diaz and Andoy Ranay, the TV series stars Janine Gutierrez, Zanjoe Marudo, Tessie Tomas, Seth Fedelin, Francine Diaz, Christian Bables, John Arcilla, Joel Torre, Epy Quizon, JC Santos, Xyriel Manabat, Dolly de Leon, Raven Rigor, Andrea Del Rosario, CJ Navato, Rans Rifol, Raphael Robes and Rubi Rubi, with the special participation of Susan Africa, Soliman Cruz, Liza Diño, Karl Medina and Ruby Ruiz. /ra