Como estas, Natalia?

Last Friday night, while typhoon Feria was raging, another storm came to town. Her name is Natalia Oreiro, star of the Argentinian telenovela, Monica Brava. Her flight was supposed to arrive at 5 p.m. but it finally came only at 11 p.m. due to the inclement weather condition.

Natalia speaks very little English, so she required an interpreter during our interview with her. But she is nonetheless very talkative and answers all questions enthusiastically. Born in Montevideo, Uruguay on May 19, 1977, she is the younger of two daughters. Her sister Adriana, 28, now lives in Mexico. Her father, Carlos, works in a bed factory while her mother, Mabel, is also a singer.

She began taking acting lessons at the age of 8 and started appearing in TV commercials when she was 12. She later sang in a theater and, at 14, became the member of a band that toured Brazil.

At 17, she decided to leave Uruguay. "It’s a beautiful country but a small one," she explains. "There are much better opportunities in Argentina."

Her first telenovela was Unconquerable Heart, where she played a supporting role. She also had a stint as a videojock for MTV America Latina.

She did three other telenovelas before she played her first role in The Rich and Famous. This was followed by more lead roles in High Comedy and Dulce Anna.

Monica Brava is her fourth tele-novela. It started in 1998 and has 360 episodes. It became the top-rated soap in Argentina and was a hit not only in the entire South America but also in Israel, Romania, the Hispanic communities in the US and 20 other countries. This is the first time it will be shown in Asia, dubbed in Pilipino, Monday to Friday at 8 p.m. on GMA-7.

It was also in 1998 that she recorded her first album, Natalia, which contains the theme song of Monica Brava entitled Cambio Dolor. It was a blockbuster and achieved triple platinum status. It was released in other countries, like Greece and Turkey, where it also achieved either gold or platinum status. She has now finished recording in Los Angeles her second album, Tu Venemo (Your Poison), which will be released worldwide in September.

On the big screen, she played the lead role in Un Argentino en Nueva York. This opened in Buenos Aires simultaneously with Titanic and it matched the box office take of the worldwide Hollywood hit in Argentina. For the year 2000, she was named Celebrity of the Year by E! Entertainment Television Latino. Some quarters compared her to Mexican telenovela queen Thalia.

"But there’s no need to compare," she says. "We each have our own identity. And there’s a big, big market for us not only in Central and South America but in all Hispanic communities around the world. I’d like to meet Thalia because I heard she’s very friendly."

She has been receiving more offers to star in films, but she wants to concentrate in promoting her new album. She will be devoting the rest of 2001 to a Latin American and European tour, including the Middle East. Would she like to try it in Hollywood, too, like Jennifer Lopez and Salma Hayek?

"I love them both but I’m not too keen on going to Hollywood," she says. "There are already so many other Latina actresses trying to make it there. I’m just very thankful of what I’m enjoying in my career now. When I was in Uruguay, I never thought I’d be able to go to Europe. When I was told I’ll promote Monica Brava in the Philippines, I was amazed because never in my dreams did I think of going to Asia. The first thing I did is look at a map to find out where the Philippines is and I said, Oh, it’s too far! I researched on it and I found out we more or less have the same culture because the Philippines also became a Spanish colony. The first thing I asked about is what is the food here. When I learned you have plenty of arroz (rice,) I said I’ll enjoy it here because I like eating a lot of rice. I just love to eat, you see."

She does not believe in dieting.

"It’s not healthy. And besides, I don’t believe that men really want very thin women."

Surprisingly, she remains very sexy. She’s dressed in a revealing outfit as we interview her and her plunging neckline reveals her ample bosom. Has she ever tried joining a beauty pageant?

"No. I don’t think I’d be good in one. I don’t even know my vital statistics. I don’t care for measurements as long as I know I look good."

She was very nervous as she left the plane when it landed in Manila. "But once I saw the people meeting me at the airport, I felt more comfortable because I realized Filipinos are very warm and friendly. Very fond of beso-beso. And I also am happy with the fact that your president is a woman, because I believe that woman is really the stronger sex."

Was she not afraid of the reported kidnappings here?

"No. I heard of the Abu Sayyaf, but anywhere you go, there are bandidos, see. I promoted Monica Brava in Israel at the time that there was much conflict going on there, but it didn’t scare me."

What does she do during her spare time?

"I go out with my friends. I take care of my dogs since I have many dogs. I read. I design the dresses I wear for my own shows. I cook good lasagna. And I write stories. I was the one who wrote the story of Monica Brava."

What is Monica Brava all about?

"It’s the story of an orphan raised in a convent by nuns. She is kind of tomboyish and like to play football with boys. She later works as a maid in the wealth DiCarlos manor. She has two suitors, Ivo, the son of the DiCarlos family, and Pablo, a painter. The story is about Monica’s search for true love and her real parents."

How about her? Has she found true love in real life?

"I thought I did. I had a boyfriend for six years, also an actor. But we broke up last year due to some personal differences. Now, I’m waiting for my one true love to come along."