‘FranSeth’ tandem relieved to have proven naysayers wrong in ‘Dirty Linen’

FranSeth in “Dirty Linen”

“We needed to level up,” said actor Seth Fedelin as a way to explain the extreme pressure he and onscreen partner Francine Diaz felt while working on the revenge-drama series “Dirty Linen.”

“Chin (Francine’s nickname) and I did our best because we needed to match or exceed the performances of our coactors like Kuya Z (Zanjoe Marudo) and Ate Janine (Gutierrez), as well as give what was required from us by other cast members—the right emotion and reaction to every line thrown at us,” explained Seth in an interview with Inquirer Entertainment.

Add to this the reaction of fans who faithfully watched the show since it premiered on the Kapamilya Channel in January. “Their reactions would make us trend on Twitter each night. We knew we had to be consistent. When we started receiving one compliment after another from the audience, not just us as FranSeth, but the entire show, that’s when I was able to breathe a sigh of relief,” he added.

Francine agreed with Seth by saying: “I really felt the pressure on my shoulders, especially at the start, when we were just promoting the series. I knew the expectations were high in terms of my portrayal of Chiara and of our teamup, FranSeth, onscreen. I felt happy when we started receiving positive comments—they were pleased with our performance—because we knew then we were doing a good job.”

‘Part of the job’

Francine Diaz

Francine said that while there were positive reactions from viewers, there were negative ones, too. “That’s part of the job. At the start, they were all saying that I wasn’t giving myself enough to Chiara … they felt I was lacking. The criticism eventually became compliments. While this was happening, we were still busy with taping. So while I was playing Chiara, I would recall them. They made me want to prove, not only to myself, but most especially to the viewers, that I could be Chiara, that choosing me to play her was worth it.”

In “Dirty Linen,” four houseworkers of the wealthy and influential Fiero clan mysteriously vanish. Years later, four of their loved ones set out to exact revenge against the prominent family. These are Alexa (Janine Gutierrez), Olan (Joel Torre), Max (Christian Bables) and Lala (Jennica Garcia). Seth plays Nico, Olan’s son, while Chiara is the youngest child of the Fieros.

At this point in the series, which aired its final episode on Friday, Chiara and Nico have already discovered the worst about their respective families and loved ones.

Similarities

Seth Fedelin

Seth has this to say about Nico: “In the beginning, he would just stay quiet because he didn’t have a clear understanding of the plan of his Tatay Olan and the others. When he learned about it, in his own way, he would tell them how he felt about it. He would say, ‘Walang pupuntahan ‘yan,’ or ‘Sa huli ba, panalo talaga tayo?’ Nico loves his family so much. We’re the same in that aspect. If I discover that my loved ones are doing something wrong, I will make sure they hear what I have to say. I will do this for love, because I love them.”

Francine, meanwhile, thinks Chiara is in a “difficult spot.” She explained: “Chiara and her Kuya Aidan (played by Zanjoe Marudo) are in the same situation. Chiara loves her mom and dad so much. When she learned about her past and why her mom treats her that way, it was so painful for her. At the same time, she was also trying to look for the family she never had—that’s her Ate Alexa.”

She continued: “For me, whatever decision Chiara would make in the end is justified because she did it for the good of everyone she cares about.”

“Dirty Linen,” codirected by Onat Diaz, Andoy Ranay and Raymund Ocampo, is a production of Dreamscape Entertainment. Seth and Francine will be joined by costars Janine, Zanjoe, John Arcilla, Tessie Tomas and singer Jed Madela in a fancon/thanksgiving show in Sacramento, California today.