No rivalry between Solenn & Sam

MANILA, Philippines - Solenn Heussaff is the first to admit that she’s not a good actress. “I don’t want to sound presumptuous and say I am when I was even reluctant when I first joined showbiz,” she says. “I was more inclined to be a singer as I know I’m not fluent with Tagalog, but then, acting offers soon came along without me asking for them.”

She considers herself very lucky for winning the Star Awards’ Best New Movie Actress and the Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Awards Most Promising Female Star of 2011 for her performance in last year’s Temptation Island. She’s now also nominated as Best Supporting Actress in the Urian for Yesterday Today Tomorrow.

“They’re all unexpected,” she says. “The awards and the nomination seem to be a confirmation that I’m doing something right, so nakakatuwa talaga.”

Solenn now plays Ogie Alcasid’s love interest in the GMA Films-Regal co-production Boy Pick Up.

“I’m Angel and I own a bakeshop na nalulugi. Then I got Ogie as Boy Pick Up to help me out and he makes a pastry called fishcake that quickly became a best seller. Biglang nag-boom ang bakeshop ko and he saved my business.”

How’s it working with Ogie? “We have the same manager, Leo Dominguez, so we’re like brother and sister. I’ve also guested in Bubble Gang so we’ve worked already before. It’s super fun to work with him kasi parang laro-laro lang. Masaya lagi. They asked me to do scenes na kadiri, pero wala akong pakialam. I won’t make kuwento kung ano so people would get surprised when they watch the movie. If before, people thought unreachable ako, with this off beat scene, they’ll discover, ay si Solenn, luka-luka rin pala. It’s really fun.”

Ogie said Solenn really surprised all of them. “Her being sexy, you don’t question that anymore. She’s just so naturally sexy. But she shows here she’s also a good singer. She sang some songs with me and it’s included in the movie’s original sound track album. She’s good. Also, big revelation yung pagiging baliw rin pala niya. Her kabaliwan will surprise you. Wala siyang kaarte-arte and everything Direk Dominic Zapata ordered her to do on cam, dinagdagan pa niya kaya over the top talaga ang pagko-comedy niya rito.”

Solenn Heussaff also plays Ogie’s love interest named Angel in Boy Pick Up — Photos by VER PAULINO

She will start to co-host Eat Bulaga this coming Monday and she’s both nervous and excited about it. “I pray every day that I won’t make mistakes in my Tagalog. I always practice nga para masanay ang tongue ko in delivering Tagalog words.”

This early, some folks predict that she’d catch the fancy of Vic Sotto and this might cause friction between her and Vic’s current squeeze, Pauleen Luna.

“Naku, walang ganyan,” she laughs. “Bakit nauuna pa sila sa amin? I’ll just go there to work. No intrigues, please. Pauleen is nice to me. No need to be jealous kasi may boyfriend ako (an Argentinian athlete.)”

What about the rumored rift between her and Boy Pick Up co-star Sam Pinto? “Naku, wala yun. Part siguro ng promo, para may intriga, but we’re really okay.”

Sam Pinto herself confirms this. “We were both surprised when we heard about it. Solenn asked me, ‘Are we fighting?’ And I said, ‘Of course not.’ There’s no need to fight kasi we have different roles naman in the movie. She’s Angel and I’m Neneng B, a role that I also play in Bubble Gang on TV. Neneng B is the girl who asks ‘Bakit?’ when a pick up line is delivered. The story is set in the world of Boy Pick Up where there’s an ongoing battle among the Pikapistas who try to outdo each other in delivering the wittiest, the best pick-up lines. Ogie as Boy Pick Up is the undefeated champion.”

Sam and Solenn are also rivals in the annual FHM search for this year’s sexiest Pinay. Sam was the winner last year and she is elated that as of last Friday, she’s back to being No. 1 in the list of nominees. After her comes Angel Locsin, third is Solenn, then Marian Rivera comes as No. 4, and Ellen Adarna (who’s also in Boy Pick Up as Bombshell 2) is No. 5.

“I really want to thank those who support me and vote for me,” says Sam. “Inaaway na nga ako ng fans ng ibang stars sa Internet who are protesting why I am back to being No. 1. Hindi pa naman tapos ang voting, so can they still try to dislodge me. They can still vote for their bets up to June 5.”

Has her role as Neneng B. in the Boy Pick Up segment of Bubble Gang helped her career?

“Definitely, everywhere I go, people address me as Neneng B. They know ako yung tagatanong ng ‘Bakit?’ sa pick-up lines. Once, I went to a coffee shop, sabi sa’kin ng barista, Payong ka ba? So sabi ko, bakit? He answered: Kasi biglang umuulan dito ng kagandahan. It really made me laugh.”

Boy Pick Up opens in theaters on June 6, with premiere night at SM Megamall on Sunday, June 3.