Sarah in acting mode

MANILA, Philippines - Sarah Geronimo temporarily takes a breather from singing as she sets her sights anew on the acting department via the drama anthology project that ABS-CBN assigned to her. It is a follow-up to her Sunday night musical show Sarah G Live which wrapped up last month.

Titled Sarah G Presents, televiewers will see Sarah portraying various characters week after week for one season. In fact, tapings have already started for the pilot episode Sapi-litan with Paulo Avelino as guest, set to air this month.

“I’m blessed and thankful to ABS-CBN for seeing the need for me to go back to acting after Sarah G Live,” says Sarah in an interview with The STAR and other members of the entertainment press during a set location visit in Heroes Hill, Quezon City. “I feel the need of offering something new and different to the people.”

It was a mutual decision, Sarah continues, between her and the management for the musical show to bid adieu on TV-landia. It saddened her, of course, “because I love the show and I have found another family with the production team but as a concert performer, na-feel ko na nauubos (vocal power) kaya rest muna.”

It will be recalled that Judy Ann Santos and Maricel Soriano were among the big-name stars who had been given such drama anthologies. That’s why Sarah can’t help but feel butterflies in her stomach thinking about the acting task on her plate. “Yun nga di ko maiwasan na ma-pressure parang, ‘Shocks, kaya ko ba ito?’ Yet, everything can be done with prayers and I know the production team is behind me to make this easy. Mag-tutulungan kami para maging maganda.”

She promises to reveal a kind of acting far from the roles she portrayed in the past. “I’ll try to shy away from bubbly roles kagaya ni Laida (her character in the movie with John Lloyd Cruz), iwan na natin si Laida although I’m not saying that it would be super heavy as it may look too serious for the viewers.”

What she deems important is for televiewers to pick a lesson or two in each episode. Stories will certainly be heartwarming; the type that would appeal to all ages, and at the same time, fit Sarah’s persona. “Since I’m not consistently doing drama, there will be adjustments for sure like I need to learn to separate my true personality from the character I’m about to portray.”

Does she set some limitations when it comes to portraying roles? “It really depends. For sure, I can’t do topless hahaha. I want something daring but not sexy ha baka magunaw ang mundo hahaha.”

How about kissing scenes? “That cannot be avoided. As an actor, you have to oblige if the story calls for it but still, we need to sit down first and talk about it. Dapat may approval ng bawat isa — ako, manager ko at pamilya ko.”

Sarah admits having mentioned in recent reports that she will decide more for herself this year especially now that she’ll be hitting 25 in July. “I feel that quarter life crisis is creeping in because there are times when I always ask myself, ‘Can I really finally decide for myself?’ I wish the time will come that I can wholly decide on my own.”

Perhaps, her worries about committing mistakes and feeling some pain hinder her from making decisions. Or is she just too careful with her moves so as not to get hurt?

“Getting hurt is part of life e kaya lang pinalaki ako ng medyo sheltered life so there’s this process of learning to accept pain. My being too trusting (of the people around her), work in progress pa,” she answers.

So far, Sarah is sailing smoothly through life without dwelling too much on her past, especially in love. “I can say that I am happy now.”