Bea Alonzo and Carla Abellana —PHOTOS COURTESY OF GMA ENTERTAINMENT
If there’s anything Bea Alonzo has learned so far from working on “Widows’ War,” it’s “to always trust your instincts and fight for what’s right.”
“If you smell something fishy or have a gut feel that there’s something wrong, go with it—it’s there for a reason,” she said at a press conference for the new GMA 7 primetime murder-mystery drama, which starts airing today.
Carla Abellana, on the other hand, realized that as much as people value the concept of loyalty, it also has its limits.
“Loyalty is good whether it’s to your husband, family or loved ones. But there are times when it’s not necessarily a good thing, especially if those people have bad intentions. Unfortunately, because of blood ties or relationships, you’re compelled to stay loyal to them,” Carla told the Inquirer.
The moral compass can go astray. “Yes, you’re willing to do everything for your loved ones but there’s a limit. You still have to draw the line between what’s right and wrong,” she stressed.
Directed by Zig Dulay, “Widows’ War” is a story of friendship and betrayal. Sam (Bea) and George (Carla) were once inseparable—best friends who had each other’s back. After a series of unfortunate events, the two blame each other for the tragedies that befall their families.
They cross paths anew in a palatial home, this time as married women whose respective husbands mysteriously die. As they mourn, Sam and George unwittingly invite suspicion. Are they behind their husbands’ deaths? The two women seek to clear their names. Along the way, they wonder if they need to set aside their bitter past to uncover the web of lies and deceit around them.
“She’s a fighter. She’s a gray character who has a bit of crazy in her,” Bea said of her role. “But like most Filipinos, she’s also family-oriented. That’s what I like about her. She won’t stop until she finds the truth.”
“George is so different from who I am in real life, so I have a hard time relating to her,” Carla said. “She’s ambitious and is willing to do anything and everything just to get what she wants. She will do everything for her family—even if she has to resort to doing something wrong.”
The scenes shown in the soap opera’s cinematic primer were shot in various picturesque and luxurious locations in Bataan, La Union and Batangas.
“The team made sure that the show is visually enticing … that it comes out beautifully as it was envisioned in the script,” Bea said. “The work is intense, draining but seeing the product makes us happy.”
Wishful thinking
This is the first time the two are working together and they couldn’t have asked for a better acting vehicle, which is expected to bring out their dramatic prowess.
“I’m glad I finally got to work with Carla because she’s very professional and generous as an actress. She’s really gracious. I tell this to her always. She’s a gentle soul and I’m glad that I now know her better,” Bea said.
Carla admitted that sharing scenes with Bea still leaves her feeling starstruck. “That’s the truth. I truly didn’t expect that there would come a time when I’d be able to work with her. It was all wishful thinking. I got so excited, but also a bit nervous. My goodness, she’s everything I imagined and more,” she said.
“She’s so passionate about her craft, down to the smallest of details. She’s kind and easy to work with. She doesn’t complain and is very patient. And of course, she’s a very good actress,” Carla added.
Alonzo (left) and Abellana
While the emotionally charged scenes and confrontations were physically demanding, shooting Sam and George’s happier days was just as difficult. Bea and Carla had to be convincing as best friends in order for their impending rivalry to make sense.
“We made sure to build rapport at the beginning. Longtime friends laugh together with just simple looks or even without words. That was something we intentionally did because it’s our first project together. It also helped that she appeared on my vlog last year,” Bea said.
“The audience has to latch onto the characters’ friendship so that they understand later on where the two women are coming from or why their hate for each other intensifies,” she added.
“Direk Zig added a lot of scenes to help establish the friendship,” said Carla, who quickly adapted to Bea’s process as an actress. “Walang kapaan. We had stunt directors for the fight scenes but a lot of the things we did were impromptu, no blocking or anything. Bigayan lang and I’m grateful for that.”
Blessings
For a show so emotionally heavy, do Bea and Carla feel the need to draw from personal experiences for motivation? Actors are also storytellers and their portrayals wouldn’t be affecting and effective, Bea pointed out, if they weren’t coming from a “place of truth.”
“The emotions have to come from within yourself. We’re not perfect. All of us have kindness in us, something bad, something that ticks us off, konting kabaliwan. We take these things and magnify them,” Bea said. “Those emotions won’t be realistic if they don’t come from a place of truth—from your sorrows, pains and old memories. Experiences, good or bad, are blessings in our work,” she added.
Carla doesn’t quite have the same thirst for vengeance as her character. There’s always something to be gleaned from the past. “I think there’s not one actor who doesn’t use personal experience—real emotions and pain,” she said.
Does that include their real-life heartbreaks? The topic wasn’t directly addressed. But asked by a veteran writer why they were looking more beautiful these days, they surmised that it’s because they have been focusing on their well-being.
“It’s hard to answer but if you focus on yourself, that’s the effect. If you focus on your healing. I guess that’s what happens,” Bea said.
“Take care of yourself and surround yourself with the right people, people who will lift you up. Avoid toxicity, things that will bring you down,” Carla said. INQ