Playing afternoon TV’s most-hated character a ‘physical, emotional’ challenge for Pinky Amador
Pinky Amador
As Moira, the domineering main villain in the hit afternoon series “Abot-Kamay na Pangarap,” Pinky Amador spends most of her taping days sowing terror and wreaking havoc on the lives of characters around her.
And after hours of screaming, being angry and acting out catfights, Moira often ends up lingering in Pinky’s psyche long after the cameras have stopped rolling. “It’s physically and emotionally challenging. You’re only human, so it’s hard not to get affected by it all,” she said at a recent press conference arranged by ALV Talent Circuit.
That’s why the seasoned actress sees to it that she doesn’t go to bed without shaking off the remnants of her character.
“You know how we practice pagpag after attending a wake? I have to come up with a way to wash away [Moira]. So I watch Netflix, I listen to spa music or take a hot bath,” she related. “I have to do a detox. Because imagine, you’re screaming, slapping and pulling someone’s hair for an entire day.”
But if it’s any consolation, Pinky’s performance has been so effective, Moira is one of television’s most hated characters at the moment: Her antics get repurposed on social media as memes, and clips of her confrontation scenes rake in views from fans and viewers who can’t stand her character.
Article continues after this advertisementHowever, there are still viewers who can’t quite separate the character from the actress. So, it’s not unusual for Pinky’s social media inboxes or comment sections to get flooded with hate comments.
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“I deal with them in different ways. Those that are really rude and include slurs and cuss words, I screenshot and post them. So we can have some accountability, right? But those who are just carried away by the story, those are fine. After all, good storytelling can really move people,” she said.
Besides, the situation, Pinky said, is also an opportunity to educate viewers. “There was this netizen who pointed out that you can hate the character, but love the actress. We’re adopting that thinking. With platforms such as Facebook and TikTok, there’s always an opportunity to turn something not so nice into something nice,” she pointed out.
At the end of the day, Pinky added, engagement is engagement “if you look at it that way.”
Consistently good ratings
The medical drama series, which premiered in September 2022, has been extended indefinitely because of consistently good ratings. More than the show’s engaging twists and turns, Pinky believes it’s the chemistry and camaraderie among actors, creatives and crew that make things work.
“We’re lucky. The relationship we have is so good and rare. We were all like, ‘Have you ever been on a set as fun as this one?’” she said.
“Anything goes. Walang arte. There would be 20 of us in the standby area or room, and we would be in each other’s personal spaces—no problem! We just chat and have a laugh. We’re just grateful to be there,” Pinky said of her coactors led by Jillian Ward, Richard Yap, Carmina Villaroel and Dina Bonnevie.
“I have known Dina for about 36 years, because I was her contravida in the film, ‘Magdusa Ka.’ So of course, chika kami. Carmina, on the other hand, always has good recommendations for everyone. She knows all the good places,” said Pinky, who couldn’t be more impressed by the professionalism of Jillian, who plays the lead character Dr. Analyn.
Simple tips
“There was one morning when she looked tired and hadn’t had much sleep. She was supposed to say her lines as I slapped her, but she couldn’t. It was just a disguised slap. So she asked Direk if I could slap her for real. True enough, she nailed the scene—tears fell and everything was smooth sailing after,” she said.
Pinky, who’s also an experienced theater actor and acting coach, do give some tips to her younger costars once in a while—but just the little things, she stressed. “When I see that they’re having trouble breathing or losing volume in their voice, I whisper to them, ‘Breathe from your belly.’ If you can give them tips that would help the scene, then why not?” she said.
“But for the actual acting and approach to the scenes, there are acting coaches for that, like Anne Villegas. And I still benefit from working with coaches or directors. I love collaborating creatively … I appreciate when the director changes things up, so your acting isn’t same-old, same-old,” she said.
Is she willing to play Moira for a couple more months? “It’s all up to them. If Jillian and the rest of the cast are willing to, why not? The ratings are good. Why kill a good thing? It’s not every day that a show like this comes along,” Pinky said. INQ
