Jodi Sta. Maria
Actress Jodi Sta. Maria admitted to feeling goosebumps all over her body the first time she set foot inside the GMA 7 compound in Quezon City to promote the romantic drama series “Unbreak My Heart.”
The series, which also stars Joshua Garcia, Richard Yap and Gabbi Garcia, is a groundbreaking collaboration between former rivals GMA 7 and ABS-CBN.
“I would always see GMA 7 from the outside. I would look just at its facade, and so I’ve always wondered what it’s like inside the building. Do they also have offices and studios like ours in ABS-CBN?” she told Inquirer Entertainment in a recent interview. “When I was told that we were going inside GMA 7 to promote, I felt giddy all over. The first time I stepped inside gave me a surreal feeling. It was only at that time did it sink in that, ‘Oh my God. This is really happening!’”
The series was shot on location in Switzerland and Italy.
Prior to playing Rose Jacinto-Zhang, a restaurateur in search of her estranged daughter, Jodi assumed the role of Jill Victorino-Illustre, a doctor fighting to keep her family intact, in the hit series “The Broken Marriage Vow.”
Emotionally drained
She said in a previous interview that she felt so emotionally drained working on her previous project that she already entertained thoughts of quitting show biz and pursuing another career.
“If you’re going to ask me how I am now and if Rose is also difficult to portray, then my answer would be ‘yes.’ This project is as difficult as the previous one, but then, you just have to find ways to deal with stress, handle emotions, and let go of the character or put her back on when you need to. That’s also one of the lessons I learned from my previous show,” she began.
“I needed to visualize. Today, I’m putting on the Rose hat. Once I’m done taping, I will say goodbye to her so that when I get home, I’m ‘me’ and not question myself at night about whether or not I still sleep as myself or as my character,” she pointed out. “My journey is continuous. My learning is nonstop, in terms of how I find ways of preserving my healthy well-being.” INQ