Nadine enjoys being Shirley

MANILA, Philippines - Believe it or not, Nadine Samonte enjoys being Shirley, the GMA 7’s Endless Love character who finds delight in seeing Jenny (played by Marian Rivera) helpless and hurt.

“I don’t find it tiring. I’m enjoying it,” offers Nadine who tapes for the primetime soap Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from sun up to sun up. “Doing kontrabida is fine with me.”

What does she like about her character who eats and speaks anger?

“I like it whenever she turns into a grouch. Laging nagsusungit,” Nadine replies.

Don’t get Nadine wrong. Portraying Shirley is far different from the cutesy roles and projects (Gagambino, Bakekang, Ako si Kim Samsoon and Etheria) she has done. Endless Love is the next best thing for Nadine to become a serious actress after Darna.

“I think I’m slowly veering away from teeny-bopper, tweetum roles,” she shares. “I have been doing mature roles lately. Most of my projects are leaning to this type. What’s nice about it is I’m like one step forward.”

This is the perfect start for the public to see Nadine differently — in adult, meaty roles and not a StarStruck graduate starting to learn the ropes of the business.

“I want to be a Nadine Samonte who has done this and that,” she says. “But I will always be grateful for what StarStruck has done to my career, for paving the way.”

If her Shirley performance is any indication, Nadine is a gem in the acting department. She should be given projects that will sharpen her knack for drama, especially now that Endless Love will end soon. They only have 12 taping days to shoot. It will wrap up end of September.

Nadine has been doing Shirley well and feels for her.

“The problem with Shirley is she doesn’t want to share her loved ones with others. Gusto niya sa kanya lang,” she says. “But there’s a reason why she acts that way. She grew up poor. She didn’t get what she wanted. All of a sudden, she learned that she was exchanged for another baby (Jenny). She got insecure and envied (Jenny). She became rich. When they returned to Manila, her parents still look for Jenny.”

This is the movie in Nadine’s mind which she keeps on playing to portray Shirley realistically on cam. It has been helpful for her to surpass the demands of taping more than 30 sequences a day and the long, monologue-like dialogues to be delivered with passion and gusto.

“First and foremost, the lines are beautiful,” Nadine attributes her annoyingly effective portrayal. “The directors instruct me how to approach my character and the scenes. I enjoy being my character. Out of nowhere, I’m surprised that I add some words to my line and do adlib because I’m comfortable with it.”

How does she want to chart her own career?

“I just like playing any roles,” concludes Nadine. “It’s every actor’s dream to have a solo starrer on primetime.”