Janella Salvador as Regina Vanguardia/Valentina. Image: Instagram/@jeg.imahe
Janella Salvador admitted that taking on the roles of Regina Vanguardia and Valentina in “Mars Ravelo’s Darna” was not a walk in the park, but it was certainly the experience of a lifetime.
Days after the finale of “Darna”, Salvador said goodbye to her characters in a heartfelt Instagram post on Saturday, Feb. 18, which was accompanied by clips of her most unforgettable moments with the dual roles.
“A bit late to this but… How do I say goodbye to such a character? How do I un-Regina? It was definitely not a walk in the park to be evil yet full of heart, righteous yet troubled, intelligent yet mildly insane, beautiful yet monstrous and strong yet incredibly vulnerable,” she said in the caption.
The actress also added that bringing her character to life was an enjoyable experience.
“But I enjoyed every moment of bringing this character to life. Thank you for the experience, Regina V. Valentina, saying goodbye for now,” she wrote.
Fans had nothing but fond memories with the celebrity mom’s character, as seen in the comments section of her post.
Filipino journalist Edson Guido praised Salvador’s portrayal of Regina and Valentina, saying it was “nothing short of a masterpiece.”
“You poured your heart and soul into such an iconic character and brought a level of depth and nuance that was truly remarkable. Congratulations on a job well done Jea and you should be immensely proud of yourself,” he added.
Image: Screengrab from Instagram/@superjanella
One @loida_t hoped that the actress’ character would return with a “better budget for CGI [and] greater storyline.
“Pinoy Big Brother” alum Justin Dizon said “For me, you’re the best Valentina! Ang husay mo!”
Image: Screengrab from Instagram/@superjanella
During the finale mediacon for the series, Salvador said playing the role of Valentina and her alter-ego was a source of inspiration due to Regina’s determination to make things right.
“Si Regina naman talaga ay hindi masamang tao (Regina is not a bad person). She’s also a victim so I feel like ang pinakagusto kong dalhin sa kanya ay ‘yung (what I really want from her is her) confidence niya to stand for what she feels is what is right. ‘Yung kaya niyang ipaglaban ‘yung feeling niyang tama (the need to fight for what is right),” she said.
The actress-singer also thanked fans for the success of the DarLentina (Darna and Valentina) pairing, alongside “Darna” co-star Jane De Leon, and said that a possible “girls’ love” or GL series is a step forward for LGBTQIA+ representation in local media.
“Kaya nila kinapitan [‘yung Darlentina] kasi hindi sila na-represent nang maayos in terms of women’s love. I’m glad they did because I want to be the voice of people who aren’t represented and I love the community… It would matter a lot to the community kaya open at willing ako. Kasi feeling ko, gusto nilang ma-represent nang maayos and just because it’s different. We should normalize it,” she said during an ambush interview with reporters.
(The reason why they held onto the Darlentina pairing is because they don’t feel represented in terms of women’s love. I’m glad they did because I want to be the voice of people who aren’t represented and I love the community. It would matter a lot to the community that’s why I’m open and willing to do so. I feel that the LGBTQIA community wants to be represented well, and just because it’s different. We should normalize it.)
“Mars Ravelo’s Darna” aired its final episode last Feb. 10, and it starred Salvador, Jane De Leon, Joshua Garcia, Zaijian Jaranilla, Richard Quan, and Paolo Gumabao. EDV