The 2 Faces of Angelica

Remember the seven-year-old chubby girl in Carlo J. Caparas’ 1993 massacre flick Antipolo Massacre, mercilessly killed along with her mother (played by Liezl Martinez) and other members of the family?

Chances are that you don’t, even if you might have watched her every day in the just-concluded ABS-CBN soap Mangarap Ka (with Piolo Pascual) where she played a character which was, in her own words, "the opposite of what I am."

That girl is Angelica Panganiban, certified "sweet girl," who jumped out of her wholesome cocoon and essayed that off-beat Mangarap Ka character – with impressive success.

In her first-starring movie role, Unitel Pictures’ Santa-Santita, Angelica makes her bid for stardom in a role that’s bida on one side and kontrabida on the other side, a sinner-or-saint kind of role that will put to the acid test her versatility as an actress.

Santa-Santita is the first project of director Laurice Guillen after the commercially-successful, critically-acclaimed and multi-awarded Star Cinema family drama Tanging Yaman (shown at the 2000 Metro Filmfest), based on a winning script by Michiko Yamamoto (the writer of another winner, Maryo J. delos Reyes’ Magnifico).

Santa-Santita highlights Angelica’s career that started with that gruesome murder in the Caparas movie. She did a few more movies after that and some TV dramas, but people hardly remember them – do they? – and started taking a second, serious look at Angelica only when she blossomed in Mangarap Ka. And now, watch for her full flowering in Santa-Santita.

Between showbiz commitments, Angelica religiously attends her classes at Thames (Eastwood City) where she’s taking up Masscom.

"I won’t ever give up school," said Angelica who finished grade school at St. Vincent’s (Sikatuna, Quezon City) and high school also at St. Vincent’s (West Avenue, Quezon City). "I want to have a college diploma as much as I want to win an acting award."

The following Conversation was done during a break between taping (for the last episode of Mangarap Ka) and her Thames classes while Angelica was yawning away a nagging hangover.

Santa-Santita is not a bold film, is it?

"It’s not – definitely!"

Is it a religious film?

"Sort of."

Describe your character, Malen.

"She’s a santa-santita, maldita na may pagka-luka-luka. She believes in God, all right, but she doesn’t know how to pray. She’s tough."

But you do have bold, er, sexy scenes in the movie, don’t you?

"May bed scene, may kissing scene (with Jericho Rosales who works in an escort-service company and moonlights as a call boy). The movie is bold in theme but not so much in the physical exposure (of the actors). Malen is wild. That’s what direk Laurice wants – mukhang mabait pero hindi naman talaga. Angelic but devilish inside. But she changes in the end, when she’s given the power of healing."

How did you land this plum role?

"I auditioned, along with several actresses from the (ABS-CBN) Talent Center. There were two of us left; the other was Jodi Santamaria. After one week, I was told that I was ‘it.’ And then, I had a workshop with direk Laurice."

What happened in that workshop?

"Direk Laurice helped me confront the pains in my life."

The pains in your life? Aren’t you too young (turning 18 on Nov. 4; her debut will be held on Nov. 6) to have "pains" in life?

"She wanted to see an ‘edge’ in my life. I could identify with Malen because, like me, she grew up without a father and she was brought up by a single parent."

How old were you when you last saw your father?

"I was only two years old when he and my mom (Annabelle David) broke up. I hardly have any memories of him. All I know about him is what I see in his pictures. I heard that he’s in Guam."

You’re an only child, aren’t you? How was it growing up an only child? Were you pampered, spoiled rotten by your mom?

"Not really. My mom was strict and I understand that because there are only the two of us. At girl pa ako!"

And how are you different from Malen?

"Her being wild. She’s my exact opposite."

How did a wholesome girl like you do justice to the role?

"Honestly, I don’t know how I was able to portray Malen’s wild side, especially the bed scenes and the kissing scenes. I should thank direk Laurice for bringing out the best in me. Talagang tinutukan niya ako. She rehearsed with me before a take and she coached me on how to deliver every line. When we watched the rushes, I was surprised how I managed to do those scenes."

No physical exposure?

"None. In the beginning, my mom was worried how the bed scenes would be shot. She almost didn’t let me do the movie. We had a meeting with direk Laurice; we wanted to find out how the bed scenes and the kissing scenes would be executed. At that time, she said, ‘I still don’t know yet.’ But she assured us that there wouldn’t be any nudity at all, na walang ipapakitang malaswa. Besides, Laurice Guillen ‘yan, ‘no, and she wouldn’t do anything na malaswa. The most that I showed was my bare back."

Your change of image – from sweet to sexy-seductive – was done very smoothly. It started in the ABS-CBN soap Mangarap Ka (with Piolo Pascual as her leading man), didn’t it?

"Actually, when I auditioned for Santa-Santita last February, there wasn’t Mangarap Ka yet. The soap started airing a month after."

You also play a wild-girl role in Mangarap Ka...

"...Yes, a rebel, a girl who also grew up without a father. Marami siyang angst at hang-ups sa buhay. She craves for attention and affection and yet she doesn’t want people meddling in her life."

Do you have any bitterness towards your father which you draw from when you’re playing these kinds of characters?

"None whatsoever. In Santa-Santita, originally I was supposed to have a father. The two characters from the movie and from the soap are very much alike and they’re very much different from me. I got used to growing up without a father so I don’t know how it is to have one. I grew up with friends who also grew up only with their mothers and without their fathers. So it was kind of normal for us not to have fathers."

Acting is really a passion with you, isn’t it?

"Yes, it is. I get a kick out of playing different characters. What I can’t do in real life I easily can in role-playing, like being a rebel or being wild or being luka-luka. Acting is my outlet. I realized that ang dami ko palang puedeng gawin sa buhay ko, na hindi ako puedeng ilagay sa kahon. In real life, yes, I am sweet and wholesome but in the movies I can be otherwise."

What sort of upbringing have you had?

"My mom is like my barkada. My Lola is religious; she’s particular with what I wear or what time I should be home. My mom has a bagets attitude; she can be strict but also liberal if needed. Like when Carlo (Aquino) and I broke up, my mom was very supportive of me."

How long did you go steady with Carlo?

"Four years, starting when I was 13. It was puppy love. When Carlo and I started first as friends, pinagtatawanan lang ako ni Mama. She told me, ‘Bahala ka. You’re old enough to know what’s right and what’s wrong.’ Carlo and I didn’t expect our relationship to last for four years. We grew up together. It was puppy love, all right, but when we broke up, masakit din."

Who came after Carlo?

"None – yet."

How many movies have you done as a child actress?

"Almost all the 15. I can say that Santa-Santita is my first movie as an adult actress."

You also want to be a journalist, don’t you?

"Oh, yes, I do. I love writing scripts and feature stories. I also want to go into broadcast journalism. Sobrang idol ko sina Korina Sanchez and Karen Davila."

Who’s your favorite author?

"Nicholas Sparks. I’ve read all his novels (The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, Nights in Rodanthe, A Bend in the Road, etc.). I cry everytime I read his novels. I’m looking for a copy of his book, Three Weeks With My Brother. Sabi nila, maganda daw ‘yon at nakakaiyak."

How are you able to combine showbiz and your studies?

"Honestly? I don’t know. Like this morning, I finished taping for Mangarap Ka at 6 o’clock. I told my yaya, ‘Ate, wake me up at 7,’ because I have classes at 9. She did wake me up at 7 but I was still sleepy so I woke up at 10 and caught up with the rest of my classes. But I’m determined to finish college and I also enjoy acting. I’d never give up either of them. I don’t want to grow old without achieving something in my studies and in my career."

How are you in school?

"Just like everybody else. No star complex at all. Just like I was at St. Vincent’s School (in Sikatuna Village, Quezon City, for grade school and St. Vincent’s School West Avenue, Quezon City, for high school)."

Outside of school and work, how do you spend your time?

"I’m not fond of gimik; I don’t drink, although I enjoy having dinner with friends and making kuwento with them – you know, updating on each other’s activities. I’m not a party girl."

Any hobbies?

"I play badminton; I go to the gym. I have to sweat to lose weight. As a kid, I was kind of chubby, di ba?"

Besides, I’m sure, winning a Best Actress award, what else do you aspire for?

"Na mabuo ang pamilya namin. I’m working hard for my family; I love my family so much. I grew up with my aunts and uncles, and my cousins. Nagugulat nga ang mga tito at tita ko. They tell me, ‘We can manage by ourselves; we are not your responsibility. Why do you have to do this for us?’ Wala lang, I’d tell them. My big dream is to have a complete family picture, with all of us in it."

Including your father?

"Honestly? Even without him."

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