The role Angelu plays best

MANILA, Philippines - No questions or complaints will be heard from Angelu de Leon if she keeps on getting mother roles for TV or movie projects in the future.

“It’s definitely fine with me — even if I get deglamourized all the time,” says Angelu on the role she is more than willing to portray. “It doesn’t even matter if the character won’t require elegance; ayoko din ng masyadong nag-aayos, nakakasira ng buhok at masakit sa legs ang laging naka-heels.”

After all, Angelu knows what motherhood is all about. Her being a mom of three — Louise, Nicole and Rafa — is a badge of honor she wears with much gusto. No wonder, it makes it so easy for her to translate on screen the kind of affection only a mother can give in her portrayal as Nanay Leny to Miguel Tanfelix’s Niño (a teenager with mental incapacities) in the GMA 7 primetime top-rater Niño.

What seems totally new to Angelu is dealing with an adolescent son in a soap. “It’s my first time to have a son in a show. Perhaps, the Lord is making me feel what it’s like to have a teenaged son because Rafa is only two and a half years old so it’s sort of preparing me how to handle my son when he becomes a teener.”

Even off cam, Angelu feels that her being a mom comes out naturally while mingling with her younger co-stars, particularly Miguel who is closest to her. But she never thought that the 16-year-old actor would one day ask her about the perfume that fits him. “Nakakatuwa, so I said I will look one for him. I didn’t really expect how much he trusts me already. And I can give criticisms that he won’t mind taking in; na makikinig s’ya.”

Asked if there is a part of her role she still finds challenging, Angelu pointed out the latter part of the show where her character has to face the reality of returning Niño, whom she has treated as a real son, to his biological mom (played by Katrina Halili).

That heart-wrenching scene, she adds, had her crying buckets. “We shot it already, and you don’t need to dig deep into your emotions or listen to music or ask for an actor’s cue because even with just the dialogue in that scene, your emotions will come out naturally, especially for me since I’m a mom in real life; ramdam ko talaga yung sakit na mapapalayo ka sa minahal at inalagaan mo.”

Niño’s consistently high ratings have proven that many a televiewer can very well relate to the story that does not solely revolve around the family of Nanay Leny, Tatay David (Neil Ryan Sese) and Niño but it also touches on the subject about faith with David Remo portraying as the Sto. Niño. But even if televiewers look forward to watching Niño night after night, the four-month old soap will come to an end with a final airing night on Sept. 12.

“I’ll definitely miss our bonding on the set,” says Angelu as she begins to enumerate the things that she will definitely miss most. “We often eat on the set together na lahat masaya lang. My and Kat’s exchange of ideas on losing weight is another thing that I will surely miss at ’yung mga kwento ni Tita Glo (Gloria Romero) of how they were before.”

What makes her proud of the show is the lesson Niño imparts to its audience. “It teaches everyone to have faith — faith in God, faith in your family. I’m a Born-Again Christian but the impact (of the show) on me is the same — that there is always God who will provide you with everything. If you pray about something, He will give you the answer.”   

Angelu will be taking a break with her family while waiting for a new project. “I look forward to spending time with my family and have some rest and leisure with them abroad.”