'Prima Donnas' lead stars display off-screen camaraderie

CEBU, Philippines — All the pieces have been put in their places for GMA-7’s brand new family drama “Prima Donnas” and cast members Katrina Halili and Wendell Ramos are up for the challenge as they take on new roles portraying a loving mother and a member of the higher society, respectively.

The “Prima Donnas” teaser has just been releases, poised to capture viewers in the afternoon slot soon on GMA Afternoon Prime. So far, it’s established that the story revolves around the lives of triplets: the responsible and hard working Donna Marie, the ambitious Donna Belle, and the awkard and sickly Donna Lyn. Katrina portrays Lilian Dalisay, the trio’s surrogate mother, while Wendell, the father of the Donnas, is Jaime Claveria, overseer of the family business.

No one was as surprised as Katrina when she found out that she was going to be playing a kind and nurturing mother, a stark contrast to the villain she has since been known for. During an interview with Cebu press at Golden Cowrie Lahug prior to a mall show last Saturday, Katrina recalled how shocked she was to find out about her next assignment.

“Nagulat ako!” the “StarStruck”alum quipped, saying that she had already styled her hair to fit an upcoming kontra bida role at the time,

“Akala ko madlita. Nagpagupit na ako na ako ng buhok, so paano? Short hair na ako, nagpa-highlights, nagpa-kulay, blonde. Tapos biglang sinabi na mabait!”

In between laughs, Katrina expressed her gratitude to have been given the chance to show her acting breadth, since people have known her as an antagonist for the longest time.

“Happy ako. Nagbigay sila [GMA] ng tiwala sa akin na bigyan ako ng ibang role. Siyempre, kailangan ko pagbutihan. Kailangan ko i-prove sa kanila na kaya ko,” Katrina said.

When asked how she’s been preparing for her goodie-two-shoes role, Katrina said that she takes insights from her own experience as a mother. She added that she looks forward to working with Aiko Melendez, who will also be on the show after being a Kapamilya for the longest time.

“Mabuting tao naman po talaga ako,” Katrina jested. “Humuhugot ako sa own experience ko as a mother. Nararamdaman ko yung pain and saya so doon ko nahuhugot. First time ko, hindi ko pa nakakatrabaho si Miss Aiko, exicted ako. Kaya lang, napanood ko yung guesting niya sa ‘StarStruck’ parang natatakot ako.”

At the same time, the cast has had a grand time getting to know each other so far. As seen from Katrina and Wendell’s constant exchange of jokes, mainly at the expense of Wendell, who Katrina describes as a chatterbox, the two have been getting along well.

Wendell took the opportunity to give his co-star Katrina a boost in her new role, saying that he’s certain that she will be able to deliver well. As for his share of the load, Wendell is thankful for the help of directors and creatives who guide them as they weave the “Prima Donnas” story together.

“I always ask the directors, the creatives, even my co-actors kung ano pang pwede gawin. Very open naman din po ako, hindi naman po laging tama ang mga desisyon ko sa pag-portray,” Wendell said, adding that viewers can look forward to the provoking scenes between the trio of Donnas. He says that lessons of hope, love, and forgiveness can be had from the show.

“Siyempre, yung tatlong bata. Aabanagan nila lagi yung mga nakakainis na eksena. Ganun po siya, yung drama na aabangan, nakakainis,” Wendell teased.

Wendell further said that “Prima Donnas” is not fazed by the competition, which currently has a strong hold on viewership (read: “Kadenang Ginto”). Instead of being discouraged, Wendell said that the competition serves as motivation to do better.

“Good competition if ever matatapat kami sa magandang show sa kabilang networks. We’re so excited dahil po mas nabibigay namin yung kailangan. Good competition so kailangan, lahat effort,” Wendell said, crediting their confidence to the working relationship between cast and crew members, who are all supportive of each other.

“Nagkakaroon kami ng kumpyansa sa working relationship with my co-actors and production. Nakikita ko, kami lahat mahal namin yung ginagawa namin ngayon. Hindi kami naglo-look forward kung papaano yan [ratings], pero how we’re going to portray the characters, how to look good, look better, paano mas mapapaganda yung panonood nga mga tao especially sa mga nakatutok sa Kapuso,” Wendell quipped.

Directed by veteran actress Gina Alajar, “Prima Donnas” also stars Jillian Ward, Althea Ablan, Sofia Pablo, Chanda Romero, Benjie Paras, and Elijah Alejo.