Rica grows up

Scene one: All-sugar-and-spice Rica Peralejo, clad in teenybopper neon colors and trendy pedal pushers, is crooning love songs in noontime and variety shows.

Fast forward to scene two: It’s the same girl-turned-woman in a torrid kissing scene with leading man Victor Neri in Star Cinema’s Ex-Con.

Huh? That fast?

Yes, Rica is already 19, one year short of kissing her teenage years good-bye, and she feels it’s about time she grows up. For an actress, it means tackling adult roles that call for more baring of the flesh.

Rica realizes she could shock others, especially fans who have grown up with her. But she is ready to explain.

"I need to grow in my craft. It’s a nice feeling, and I hope my fans will understand," she relates.

Still, fans who long for the chocolate-and-ice-cream Rica need not lose heart. She promises to do sweet roles again, if needed. For now, the offer is there, and she can’t resist the challenge that goes with it.

Rica admits she felt awkward kissing Victor, who used to see her playing jackstones at 12. It took all of four takes for the director to finally okay their torrid kissing scene. This, despite a previous acting workshop she and Victor underwent under Beverly Vergel to put them at ease with each other. Inhibitions still had to be shed, especially on Rica’s side.

Unlike other leading ladies of action stars, Rica says she didn’t feel like she was playing a mere decorative role in the movie. After all, she was also doing some chasing, running and other action stuff Victor was required to do, albeit in much milder measure.

Rica enjoyed the challenge, taking it as a gauge of her ability to be versatile and shift from the cutesy-pie roles she has been doing to something more adult.

The notion that she has finally grown up dawned on her one day when she slept alone in her room, for the first time. Suddenly, Rica realized she’s no longer a child, but a woman who can decide on her own.

Good old Mom is still there, but not that much anymore. Mrs. Peralejo’s presence is not as deeply felt, say in presscons, the way it used to be. And Rica prefers it that way.

And look ma, those healthy breasts are real - no augmentation procedures to give it that manufactured look.

So here's a to Rica's coming of age, her first step to career maturity. Let's hope she'll emerge better and wiser for it.