Susan is in a good place

Everyone knows I’m a Noranian at heart, but there are other stars and icons who I’ve always admired not just for their great talents, but also their class, grace and character.

One of them is Susan Roces, who two months ago, celebrated her birthday surrounded by some of her closest friends in the biz.

Working with younger co-stars has never been a problem for Tita Susan. She worked with 18-year-old Julia Montes in Walang Hanggan, and the two of them are reunited in her current show Muling Buksan ang Puso where Tita Susan works alongside other young actors like Enchong Dee and Enrique Gil. Aside from being impressed by their professionalism, Tita Susan is also overwhelmed by what these young actors have been able to achieve at their age, like Julia, who has already bought her family a house. “I worked with Julia in Walang Hanggan and it was so memorable, masarap si Julia katrabaho, gaya ng ibang kasama niya,” says the veteran actress. “Very professional sila, maayos ang trabaho namin, at seryoso sila sa kanilang trabaho. Nakaka-insipire at malaking bagay sa kapwa artista na seryoso ang mga eksena kaya napapagandang mabuti ang mga scenes. At saka hangang-hanga ako kay Julia, kasi napakabata pa niya pero nag-celebrate na siya ng birthday sa bahay na sariling sikap niyang ipinagawa. Nakakatuwa na ako naman ang nabigyan ng pagkakataon na gumabay sa kanila ngayong gino-groom sila for bigger roles na, for greater things ahead and for stardom. I feel very honored that I’m part of that.”

Tita Susan herself was a young star once; she was 15 years old, just three years younger than Julia, when she started as an actress, introduced in Boksingera Daw (1956). “Kapag nakakasama ko sila (Julia), naalala ko ‘yung mga nasimulan ko noon sa Sampaguita (Pictures) as a teenager. It was fun while I was doing it, and while I was growing up, but later in my career I tackled dramatic and more mature roles in films like Gumising Ka, Maruja and I had the chance to work with directors like Lino Brocka and Celso Ad. Castillo, so my career progressed as I aged.”

She enjoys the roles she is getting now, like in Muling Buksan ang Puso, where she plays a character very different from the ones she used to do. In Muling Buksan ang Puso, she plays the rich Adelina, a character she describes as “mapusok, prangka, walang patumpik-tumpik, matigas, straight to the point, matapang, very independent.” “I enjoy tremendously the roles I’m able to portray now because these were the roles I wasn’t convincing in when I was young,” she says.

Tita Susan is now in a good place. Her career is doing well, and daughter Grace’s own political career is off to a good start. Both of them are so busy that they rarely see each other, even if they live in the same house. “Masaya ang buhay naming mag-ina dahil masaya ang aming mga careers, may kanya-kanya kaming career na kailangan naming tutukan.”

Being busy, Tita Susan hasn’t even had time to think of remarrying. She is just focusing on her career although that doesn’t mean she isn’t open to the possibility of loving again. “Mahirap magsalita ng patapos,” she says. “Pero sa ngayon, wala pang dahilan para muling buksan ang aking puso. Kung sabagay, di ko naman isinasara, may konti pang puwang.”

Bravo to the one and only Susan Roces.