Sarah happy working again

MANILA, Philippines - “I’m happy because I’m working again. It feels nice,” Sarah Lahbati said about her showbiz comeback via the TV5 made-for-television movie More Than Words.

The actress was so happy, in fact, that she turned emotional during the press launch of her TV movie recently. Sarah became teary-eyed after co-stars Alice Dixson and Jackie Lou Blanco sang praises over her performance in More Than Words. This is perhaps proof that the star that was once hailed as one of GMA 7’s promising actresses is indeed ready to return to the spotlight.

“Hind naman madali yung ginagawa namin, kaya nakakataba ng puso kapag binibigyan ka ng compliments sa ginagawa mo,” she shared.

It can be recalled that Sarah took a hiatus from showbusiness January of last year. This coincided with her legal battles against Kapuso network executive Annette Gozon-Abrogar.

For a while, it seemed the 20-year-old actress already turned her back on the business for good. But one year after her sabbatical — and just a few weeks after settling her differences with the Kapuso network exec — Sarah said her passion for acting has been renewed, adding that showbiz will always be a part of her.

“It was always on the back of my mind that I’ll return to acting one day,” she said. Sarah clarified she remains a talent of GMA 7 despite her appearance in the Kapatid network. Her home network, the actress explained, merely lent her for the one TV-movie project of TV5. This is the same arrangement that allowed Bianca King, an actress affiliated with the Kapuso network, to do the 13-episode weekly series Obsession with TV5.

“’Pag naiisip ko na ang dami kong naging kaibigan dito, marami na akong kakilala na close sa puso ko, hindi na pumapasok sa isip ko yung mga negative thoughts,” Sarah said when asked by The STAR if she has any fear or hesitation about her first project in over a year. The young actress’ last TV project was the drama Makapiling Kang Muli in 2012. She also starred in the movie Seduction, which was released in 2013 and starred her boyfriend Richard Gutierrez.

With the legal trouble that plagued her 2013 now behind her, Sarah is looking forward to doing challenging and different roles. She hopes to do projects that won’t be rehashes of what she has done before.

“Ayoko na ng paulit-ulit na role, paulit-ulit na kwento. Gusto ko yung ibang story, creative. Gagawa ako ng project kapag maganda yung story, maganda yung character. Yun yung gusto kong masigurado this year and the next years,” she said.

Still, Sarah knows controversy won’t completely leave her side; her relationship with Richard, for instance, remained the stuff of tabloid headlines even while she was away from the showbiz limelight last year. But she has learned to dodge intrigues. During the press conference for More Than Words, for instance, Sarah expertly avoided questions about motherhood, perhaps to avoid further fanning rumors that she already has a child with her 30-year-old boyfriend.

“I don’t know,” she said with a smile when prodded by the press when she plans to have a child.

“I don’t care about the controversies or what they throw at me. I just don’t mind it,” Sarah said. “Basta kilala ako ng mga kaibigan, mga close sa buhay ko, okay lang yun kung ano man ang marinig ko dahil alam ko namang hindi totoo. Bakit pa ako magpapaapekto?”

More Than Words airs on May 11 at 9 p.m. on TV5.