'Liza Soberano worked hard to look ugly' — Direk Cathy

MANILA, Philippines  —  “If Liza Soberano feels she’s ugly, then what more us, mere mortals?”

Such was how the caption in some social media posts read as a reaction to Liza’s trending line from the movie, “My Ex and Whys.” In the flick, Liza asks the character of her real-and-real-life partner, Enrique Gil, if being ugly was the reason he cheated on her

“Liza Soberano worked hard to look funny and ugly,” the movie’s director, Cathy Molina, assured the press during the recent press conference of “My Ex and Whys," which premiered last night.

Though Liza tried hard to appear appalling, in the end, she did not prevail.

“Ganyan talaga 'pag maganda, kahit anong gawin mo, ‘di ka talaga papangit,” the director explained.

What the director learned about Liza, however, is that the actress could be funny as well.

“Pwede pala s’yang magpatawa at pwede pala s’yang nakakatawa kahit ‘di s’ya nagpapatawa,” Molina expounded, assuring that Liza has “more lightness and energy” in the movie than ever before.

In their previous projects together, she had to put Liza on a drill, like make her run, so Liza can have more energy on the set.

To differentiate Liza’s character in the movie from her character in her last soap opera, “Dolce Amore,” Molina had to make Liza act lighter.

To get through dramatic scenes, Liza admitted: “Sometimes, I go through the pain I went through in real life, that certain experience I went through as a child, but if not, I go to Direk Cathy! For example, (yung line na) ‘Pangit ba ‘ko?,’ I can’t really relate to the scene at all!”

She was quick to clarify that by saying she cannot relate, she does not mean she's claiming to be confidently beautiful.

“Hindi ko ibig sabihin na dahil sa hindi ako pangit. Kailangan n’yo kasi mapanood yung buong eksena! Di po ako makarelate sa pinagdadaanan ni Cali kasi wala po akong ex! ‘Di pa ako naloko ng kahit sinong tao, so I had to feel the pain from someone else who felt it like Direk Cathy. I have to ask other people like my PA (personal assistant), Ate Jen. Naloko na s’ya ng jowa n’ya…’Yung makeup artist kong si Tanya. Sometimes, for example, for regret, I have to be emotional in the movie, I have to go back to a time when I felt I had a regret something in my life. So, it’s a mixture of personal experience and the scene itself, and the experience of other people.”

Watch: Liza Soberano explains why she can’t relate to her 'Pangit ba ‘ko?’ scene

Philstar.com/Efigenio Christopher Toledo IV