There’s no mistaking that ready smile, those sparkling eyes, that easy gait.
The worst is over.
"It’s too good to be true," gushes Claudine at the presscon of Star Cinema’s Valentine offering, Milan. "I’m so happy I even asked the Lord what the catch is."
She attributes a big part of this walking-on-air feeling to Raymart Santiago.
It was Raymart who took her hand when she was wallowing in grief over Rico and made her see the proverbial silver lining behind the clouds. Today, a year after they have become sweethearts, Claudine wears the diamond engagement ring Raymart gave her during her last birthday on July 20 (it also happens to be Raymart’s birthday).
"I know it’s enough to buy a house with," Claudine looks lovingly at the sparkler that elicited oohs and aahs on her finger.
More than that, it’s a promise to get married early 2006 (Raymart wanted it much earlier), when Claudine is 26 and Raymart, 32.
"We haven‘t had any problem," Claudine describes her ideal relationship with Raymart. "That’s why I told him he is God’s blessing to me."
She’s dead serious about the relationship Claudine already sought her father’s blessings in marriage (she had talked to her mom beforehand).
"I know he’ll (Raymart) be a good husband because he’s close to his family. He treats his parents well. And it’ s said that the way a guy treats his mother indicates how he will act towards his wife," Claudine says, a twinkle in her eye.
Her dad’s outright consent caught her off guard. As the youngest in the family, Claudine expected dear old dad to rein her in and say something discouraging like, "What? But you’re much too young for marriage! Do you know what you’re getting into?"
But he didn’t. Claudine was so touched she shed tears of joy.
Earlier, Raymart had sought Claudine’s hand in marriage from her dad.
"I think I’m ready for marriage," Claudine explains. "I don’t want to get married very late because I want the baby to come (she wants two to three children) a year after the wedding. I want us to enjoy each other’s company first and adjust to each other."
Marriage, she assures everyone, will not mean the end of her showbiz career. It will just change her priorities.
Raymart wanted to follow her in Milan during the 17 days they were shooting in the city teeming with OFWs who showed up in droves to watch the shooting of the movie and lend a hand or two. But Raymart changed his plans after realizing Claudine needed to focus on her work more.
After all, her role as street-smart Jenny is not a walk in the park. As Jenny, Claudine had to be an acting chameleon–shifting from moments of strength as a driven, independent-minded OFW, and vulnerability, as a woman deeply in love.
This, assures director Olive Lamasan, Claudine did with characteristic intensity. The director has handled Claudine before and vouches for her star’s talent.
"Claudine can play someone who’s rich, poor, good or bad. She’s willing to reinvent herself. And she’ll give you her full trust," observes direk Olive.
Claudine and the rest of the cast, like Piolo Pascual (as Lino, the naïve guy searching for his wife in Milan) had to make do without a lot of conveniences stars like them take for granted in Manila while they were in Milan. But no one raised so much as a whimper.
"We had to carry our own things because we had no P.A. (personal assistants). I had to do my own hair and makeup since there were no makeup artists and hairdressers around," recalls Claudine.
The two stars also had to learn a smattering of Italian within 17 days to get by (Piolo and Claudine speaks Italian in some of the scenes). But as it turned out, a sparse knowledge of Italian proved to be dangerous when they were out on the streets, looking for a little adventure.
Claudine and Piolo got lost while touring Venice–but, judging from the way they talk about it – had "the time of their lives."
The two stars even got their fair share of fans in Italy. After an interview, one newspaper described Claudine as a Sharon Stone and Piolo was dubbed as another Richard Gere.
Now that the two are in Manila once more, it’s back to work again on their respective assignments. For Claudine, it’s taping for Marina, an ABS-CBN soap where she plays the title role – that of a mermaid with a colorful life (her leading men vary from one season to another). The role of a creature half-immersed in water is another challenge Claudine can’t wait to sink her teeth into.
Now, everything is in place for Claudine. Her career is on steady course.
Her love life is going great guns. After all the pain and hurt she went through, it’s about time.