Vilma Santos hopes to shake off acting rust for ‘age-appropriate’ film
Vilma Santos with Christopher de Leon
It can be surprising to hear that an artist of Vilma Santos’ stature still gets nervous in front of the cameras. She has been acting since she was nine. And in her 60 years in the industry, she built a formidable career that most actors can only dream of — countless awards, blockbusters hits, and genre-defining film classics.
But despite all her achievements, Vilma, once in a while, still finds herself wondering: “Can I still act?”
That was the question that crossed her mind when she got the offer to do “When I Met You in Tokyo” — her first acting project in seven years and her first with perennial screen partner Christopher de Leon in 19 years.
“Naninibago talaga ako. Sometimes, I ask myself, ‘Makaka-arte pa kaya ako?’ In some ways, I feel like I’m starting all over again. Of course, the enthusiasm is there, but I need to shake off the rust,” Vilma said at a recent press conference for the upcoming movie.
“It’s not easy to face the cameras again because I went on a show biz hibernation. Public service became my focus for 24 years. Even doing press cons like this one will probably take some getting used to!” joked Vilma, who sat as Lipa City Mayor (from 1998 to 2007); Batangas governor (2007-2016), and representative (2016-2022).
Article continues after this advertisementAnd who better help her get back into the groove than Boyet, her costar in iconic films like “Relasyon,” “Tag-ulan sa Tag-araw,” “Broken Marriage” and 22 other titles. True enough, she requested Boyet to stand as an associate director.
Article continues after this advertisement“I know I need that extra push to be my actress self again. I know that he can motivate me. I’m used to working with Boyet; I’m comfortable with him. I believe he will be able to help me,” said Vilma. “With Boyet, I already know what to do once I hear him start his lines. And he knows how to react to my reaction.”
Simply put, it’s “pure chemistry,” added Boyet, whose last movie with Vilma was “Mano Po III: My Love” in 2004.
“She’s right. Magsasalita pa lang ako, alam niya na ang sasabihin ko. We have that pure chemistry when we do scenes. And we hope that it’s still there,” the actor said. “We know each other’s nuances. She’s my best friend when it comes to work. Vi wanting me to become an associate director means that she trusts me in stuff like this.”
As the associate director, Christopher will also be in charge of the “artistic” side of the movie and oversee all his scenes with Vilma.
“We’re going to talk about every scene and figure out how we can go about them. We came from the tutelage of Ishmael Bernal, Lino Brocka, Marilou Diaz-Abaya, Eddie Garcia and Laurice Guillen. So I think we know how to do a scene together. And we will present our ideas to our directors,” he said.
Currently being shot in Japan, “When I Met You in Tokyo” is directed by Rado Peru and Rommel Penesa with a script by Suzette Doctolero. The story follows two aging overseas Filipino workers who find love and happiness in each other, despite the weight of their respective pasts.
Azon (Vilma) is a bubbly, but feisty, woman who’s generous with her time and affection. Joey (Boyet) is a divorced man embittered by his ex-wife’s infidelity.
Vilma Santos
“When I received the script, I thought the character of Azon would be perfect for Vi — an actress I have been wanting to work with again. The role is going to be good for her, I thought,” Boyet related. “And when I was told that Vi accepted the project, I was like, ‘Wow!’ So here we are. We have a beautiful story. Thank God.”
The film was described as a “light and romantic” drama that is “appropriate for our age.” “Aside from working with Boyet, another factor that made me say yes was the shooting location. I was more than willing to fly and work in Japan because we’re also after the visuals… the cherry blossoms in spring,” Vilma said.
At 69 and 66, respectively, Vilma and Boyet quipped that the days of teenybopper romance are long behind them. What they have to offer is a more mature kind of love.
“Hindi bata-bataan. The story is quite simple, but has depth… it’s something that will hopefully make people fall in love. And that’s not easy because we’re not 21 anymore!” Vilma said, laughing.
Still Vilma is grateful that there are producers these days who believe that actors her age shouldn’t just be relegated to “mother, grandmother or auntie roles. In other countries, you see older actresses like Jane Fonda and Meryl Streep who continue to get opportunities to play good roles,” Vilma said.
And just because an actor is older doesn’t necessarily mean that they lose their ability to convey romance or the occasional kilig. “Love has no boundaries. You can still fall in love when you’re older. And it’s good because then you know better, you’re mature, and you know how to handle stuff. But the love and joy are still there,” Boyet said.
“We also want to show our generation that we can still fall in love; that you can still love and be loved. Walang age-age. You feel it, you show it and you give it,” Vilma said.
