The treasures of Nora Aunor

After a brief hiatus from TV, Nora “Guy” Aunor returns in Little Nanay, GMA’s newest heartwarming series which premiered last Nov. 16. In Little Nanay, Guy plays Lola Annie Batongbuhay, a groovy grandmother to Tinay (Kris Bernal), a 25-year-old mom with a mind of a nine-year-old. Tinay’s daughter Chiechie (Chlaui Malayao) is a precocious six-year-old who tries to compensate for Tinay’s intellectual disability by playing “little nanay” to her own mother.

The series also stars Eddie Garcia, Bembol Roco, Paolo Contis, Keempee de Leon, Gladys Reyes, Mark Herras, Hiro Peralta, Renz Fernandez, Juancho Trivino, Winwyn Marquez and Sunshine Dizon.

In a rare interview, Guy shares her most treasured personal moments throughout her 48-year-strong, decorated and unparalleled showbiz career.

•Most Treasured Person:

“Yung kapatid ko,” she says. “Hiniling ko sa Diyos yun eh. Kasi noon, yung pinaka-junior namin, namatay. Nalungkot ako, so sabi ko, Diyos ko, bigyan Mo po ako ng isa pang kapatid.”

She refers to her younger brother Eddie Boy Villamayor (nicknamed Buboy), also an actor in the ’70s. Eddie appeared alongside Guy in the film Minsa’y Isang Gamu-Gamo as Carlito, the brother whose character inspired the now iconic line, “My brother is not a pig.”

She recalls how she produced a movie for Eddie. “Ginawan ko siya ng pelikula na siya yung bida, yung Nino Valiente. Napakagaling na artista ng kapatid kong yun.”

Eddie is currently confined in the hospital after suffering from a stroke. “Kaya hindi ko siya pwedeng pabayaan,” says Guy. “Sa ngayon, kahit busy ako, lagi ko siyang kinakausap.”

•Most Treasured Memory:

She could have selected that time when her ’70s film Guy and Pip ran for six months at the cinema and hit an unprecedented box-office record (which, if adjusted to ticket price inflation, the film’s P8M gross in 1971 could translate to roughly P560M in present time).

She also could have chosen that time when she swept all the Best Actress awards from various local award-giving bodies and won the Best Actress Award at the Cairo International Film Festival for her performance in The Flor Contemplacion Story.

Instead, she chose a more personal memory. “Noong manganak ako at nag-asawa. Panibagong chapter yun, hindi ako makapaniwala na nanay na ‘ko.” In 1975, she married Christopher de Leon — now her ex-husband after their marriage ended in 1996. They have five children: Biological son Ian, adopted daughters Lotlot and Matet, and adopted sons Kiko and Kenneth.

“Marami akong pagkukulang sa mga anak ko. Alam nila yun, kasi noong araw na busy ako masyado sa shooting, hindi kami masyadong nagkikita. Sana magkaroon ng oras na mag-bonding kami. Iyon ang hinihintay ko.”

When asked to name her most treasured roles, she mentions the following films: Lino Brocka’s Bona, Ishmael Bernal’s Himala, Mario O’Hara’s Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos, Joel Lamangan’s Sidhi and The Flor Contemplacion Story, and Elwood Perez’s Ang Totoong Buhay ni Pacita M.

•Most Treasured Shows in GMA:

Guy names the Dingdong Dantes-starrer Pari ‘Koy and her current primetime teleserye Little Nanay as her most treasured shows in GMA. “Di ko makakalimutan yung Pari ‘Koy kasi unang beses namin yun magkasama ni Dingdong,” says Guy, whose cameo role in the recently-concluded primetime series was well-received by both fans and actors of the show.

She is very vocal about her admiration for DongYan, the iconic love team of Dingdong and his now wife Marian Rivera that began in the 2007 hit series Marimar. “Alam mo, idol ko si Dingdong. Si Marian naman, siya ang pinakamaganda para sa akin.” Guy dedicated her recent FAMAS recognition, the Iconic Movie Queen of Philippine Cinema Award, to Marian and to two other actresses: Sharon Cuneta and Bea Alonzo.

Her primetime series Little Nanay also holds a special place in her heart.

“Makikita nila rito yug kakaiba kong role bilang isang lolang groovy. Miyembro kasi ako rito ng banda noong araw, gitarista,” she says. Her role in the series hits close to home, as Guy loves to sing, plays the guitar and was a globetrotting recording artist in her heydays.

•What she treasures most as a Kapuso:

Guy never once second-guessed her decision to be a Kapuso. “Noong ginawa ko yung Pari ‘Koy, Magpakailanman, pati na yung Karelasyon, masaya ako kapag nagtatrabaho ako dito,” she reasons.

Since her return to TV, she has had guest roles in the network’s weekly anthologies: In Karelasyon alongside her real-life daughter Lotlot de Leon and granddaughter Janine Gutierrez; and in Magpakailanman with her Little Nanay director, Ricky Davao.

She appreciates the warmth of the production staff and the comforting air of happy familiarity on the set. “Ang staff, ang mga kasama ko, kaya nga hindi ako nagdalawang-isip na tanggapin itong Little Nanay. Walang halong biro yun, kahit di nila ako kunin, yun ang sasabihin ko.”