Ina Raymundo —PHOTOS COURTESY OF G CHANNEL PH
Some will surely find it hard to believe, but ’90s screen goddess Ina Raymundo, whose sexy magazine covers became the obsession of hundreds of Pinoy men back then, still feels nervous whenever she has to shoot “intimate scenes” with a male coactor.
Such was the case when Ina, now 48, partnered with Will Ashley, 21, to do a May-December love story titled “X & Y” under director Adolfo Alix Jr.
“I felt anxious. I guess because it’s been a while since I’ve done love scenes. It didn’t help that during the pandemic, we were prohibited to even shoot scenes that required us to hug and kiss each other. I just thought of preparing for the shoot by brushing my teeth. It turned out to be a pleasant experience with Will,” Ina told reporters on Saturday night, after the premiere night of the movie produced by G Channel PH.
Ina was last seen on the big screen in Mikhael Red’s zombie movie “Block Z” in 2020.
“Malalang kaba talaga,” added Will. “It’s also been a long time since my first kissing scene—and this latest one was with Ms Ina. I felt extremely shy around her. I don’t know how I managed to do it, but since we’re from this industry, it’s our job to capture real-life experiences and show it to our audience.”
Ina added: “I had to put up a brave front and tell Will, ‘Don’t feel nervous. It’s just work.’ This was because even while we were just doing our photo shoot—where we had shots that seemed like we were about to kiss—I could already sense that he was feeling uncomfortable and awkward. Later on, I told Will, ‘I’m sure after this, you’re already a pro.’ For Will’s next bed scene, he will just say, ‘Bring it on!’”
Adolf then shared how he motivated Will. “I first explained to him where the story would eventually go to. I said, ‘You will have to meet Ina at this point. In order for you to finish the scene quickly, you have to just give your all on the first take.’ I explained to him that the more he feels awkward, the longer it would take for us to shoot the scene,” he began.
Will Ashley
Took the challenge
“Luckily, we only needed two takes, not because the actors didn’t do well, but because we needed to take shots from different angles. Their performances were okay. I also told Will, ‘Let’s admit it. Every actor dreams of working with Ina and you even get to do a bed scene with her!’ Will obviously took the challenge and, for me, the outcome was great,” declared Adolf.
Although Ina claimed to be feeling nervous, her director didn’t seem to take notice of this. What caught Adolf’s attention was Ina’s struggle to drive a car while acting out a scene. “It’s a road movie. Her character and Will’s are on a trip to Baguio. The problem was that Ina hasn’t driven a car in over two years. She needed to practice first; and because cameras were also hoisted on the car, she felt even more afraid. What they did was, Will drove up to the spot where we had to shoot, and then switched seats with Ina so she could take the wheel. She managed to pull it off, too,” said Adolf.
‘Nobody is perfect’
In “X & Y,” Ina portrays Ysha, who is on a journey—both literally and figuratively—to seek forgiveness from people she has hurt in the past. Along the way, she picks up Xander (Will), a decision that changes both their outlooks in life.
“This may be a May-December love story, but there are valuable lessons that can be learned from what happens to Ysha and Xander. For one, don’t wait for you to get sick or unhealthy to change your life. You can always start improving your life today. Also, you can start being kind, more patient and understanding to others,” said Ina.
“Ysha and I have more differences than similarities. She’s a girlboss, a go-getter. I’m very maternal and a home buddy. I’m a mom, first and foremost. That’s why her decision not to prioritize her own mom and daughter doesn’t sit well with me. We’re exact opposites,” she pointed out. “At the end of the day, you just want to be a better person and, before you die, you want to be at peace. You want to sleep soundly at night knowing that you didn’t hurt anyone on purpose.”
For Will, whose character harbors ill-feelings toward his mom for abandoning him as a child, the film is all about forgiveness. “Everyone deserves a second chance. Of course, it takes time to forgive, but know that nobody is perfect, including yourself. We are all likely to commit mistakes and hurt others as we make our life journey,” he stressed.
“X & Y,” which started screening in cinemas nationwide on April 17, also features Elizabeth Oropesa, Bembol Roco, Divine Tetay, Bugoy Carino, Kirst Viray, Ron Angeles, Thor Gomez and Jake Rosales.