A sweet, final quarter for Candy

MANILA, Philippines - Candy Pangilinan opens the final quarter of 2011 with a series of exciting new projects as headlined by two television series with the Kapatid network.

Candy is currently part of the TV adaptation of the classic ’80s teen film Bagets under the direction of Mark Reyes. In Bagets, Candy plays a single mom who has three bi-racial children — a Filipino-Japanese, a Filipino-Korean and an Afro-Asian. “The role is quite challenging for me since I had to learn a bit of Japanese and Korean plus the verbal inflections and accent of an Afro-Asian as part of my preparation for the character I’m portraying on the series,” explains Candy.

Bagets, which airs on TV5 every Sunday at 3 p.m. after Paparazzi, is Candy’s first project with the Kapatid network. “I’m thrilled to work with several old friends whom I haven’t seen and worked with for quite some time and I’m also excited to make new friends with TV5. I’m sure that there are so many wonderful things that I could learn from them and I’m also very eager to share what I know especially with the young people whom I am working with on Bagets.”

Candy is also set to appear in the upcoming TV adaptation of another ’80s classic film, P.S. I Love You. “I feel very blessed and at the same time very grateful for the trust that TV5 gave me. In P.S. I Love You, I play the bestfriend of Dina Bonnevie and since a ‘bestfriend’ is a typical role that I have played for so many years, I am challenged to give my role in P.S. I Love You a fresh and different twist that sets it apart from the other ‘best friend’ roles that I have portrayed in the past both in film and on TV.”

Candy, whose career spans for over two decades, has appeared on numerous TV series and blockbuster films as part of the ensemble cast. With the many roles that she has played, Candy openly admits that she is still aspiring for roles that will further challenge her as an actress. “I guess I could say that a character who has a dual personality is a role that I am looking forward to portray in a future project. I am also very interested to explore roles that are both complex and inspiring at the same time. I also would like to play a gay character in the future. As in a gay man! That would be both a blast and a challenge for me.”

As a stand-up comedian who traces her artistic roots to student theater productions at the University of the Philippines in the late ’80s, Candy was last seen live on stage at the Music Museum two years ago via the hit show Candy’s Be Love. Currently, Candy is cooking up a major live comedy show, an endeavor she truly misses doing. “I love the adrenaline rush of doing live comedy. And I love interacting with my audience. The audiences’ reaction with the material and punchlines I deliver on stage fuels me to give my all on stage. And in my live shows, I feel so free and uninhibited.”

Candy also recently reunited with her musical roots, brushing up on her guitar-playing skills, which she considers a potential plus-factor in her live comedy shows. “I am working on new materials for the comedy show that I am planning with my team. I hope I can use my guitar lessons to good use in my live shows.”

Known for her sharp wit and comedic timing, Candy says she loves to do improvs but she makes sure that her adlibs are balanced out by her faithfulness to her script. “I love adlibbing on TV and in film only if the director approves it and if it helps in making a scene better and if it allows my co-actors to shine. In my live shows, I’m usually alone on stage and that makes me freer to be more spontaneous in my act and in my interaction with the audience.”

Candy can’t help but feel grateful for the continuous, sweet blessings that she’s enjoying both in her career and personal life. “I am more at peace with myself right now and I have never been closer with my family and my son. I’m just so happy for the new and challenging opportunity TV5 gave me and I intend to work even harder to give everyone a good, old-fashioned laugh. I can truly say that laughter is the best medicine and that’s what I want to share to everyone.”