No faking fight scenes for Gladys Reyes

Gladys Reyes

If the script calls for Gladys Reyes to slap you, you can bet she will give you the real deal.

Known for playing some of the most loathed contravidas on television, Gladys isn’t comfortable faking confrontations or fights onscreen because, more often than not, she noted, the scenes end up looking too contrived and staged.

“The viewers have to feel the exchange. It’s obvious to them when you’re just pretending. If you fake your slap, the reaction of your coactor won’t be genuine, too,” the 41-year-old actress pointed out at a recent press conference for the second season of the GMA 7 series “Inday Will Always Love You,” which saw her returning to doing villain roles.

This, she stressed, is part of the job. “Now, if you’re thin-skinned, or if you get mad at me and take it seriously, then maybe you’re not ready for this line of work,” said Gladys, who also recalled her “Mara Clara” days with Judy Ann Santos.

“Back then, our fight scenes weren’t choreographed—kung sakitan, sakitan talaga. And she (Juday) was always game. Afterward, we would have scratches on our arms,” she related. “I think that’s the reason our scenes were effective. The audience knew that our actions and reactions were all real.”

But, Gladys won’t impose her way on her coactors. “I will only do it if they’re up for it,” she said. “Otherwise, I would rather not do the scene altogether.” —ALLAN POLICARPIO