Assunta ready to be a mom

“Yes, I am ready!”

That was Assunta de Rossi’s fast answer when asked if she is ready to be a mom, after all she and her husband, former Congressman Jules Ledesma, have been working hard at having a baby for 15 years now.

“I’ve been under medication due to (my) infertility,” Assunta told Funfare, “and hopefully next year, we can have a baby already.”

That means movie and TV projects have to be put on hold to avoid stress.

“Besides,” added Assunta, “we are also transferring to a bigger house and we are so busy kasi ang dami-daming gamit na ililipat. Our current place is small at unfair naman sa baby kung wala siyang magandang matutulugan. So, hayan, we are very busy. After we move to the new house, then we can have all the time na,” adding with a laugh, “baka naman magtampo ang asawa ko if every time he asks I will have no time, baka sabihin niya, ‘Ano, hindi ka na naman available?’ Hahaha!!!”

Since last year when she starred with Jay Manalo in Higante, Assunta has done only one movie, Imus Productions’ Tres which opens nationwide tomorrow, starring the Revilla brothers in a trilogy —  (Cavite Vice Gov.) Jolo in 27 Hours, directed by Dondon Santos; Bryan in Virgo, by Richard Somes, and Luigi in Amats, also by Dondon.

“I don’t really choose projects,” clarified Assunta (who is managed by Jun Lalin), “hindi naman ako mapili. It just so happens that I get more exposure on television. The offer for Tres came at the right time…nung hindi pa kami busy sa paglilipat ng bahay.”

Assunta with Luigi Revilla, her leading man in the Amats episode of the trilogy Tres, also starring Luigi’s brothers Jolo and Bryan. Produced by the Revilla-owned Imus Productions, the movie opens nationwide tomorrow.

In the story, Assunta plays a drug dealer who provides more than just drugs and shelter to Luigi’s character, a once-rich boy whose downward spiral was broken when he meets Assunta’s character, only to find himself in a quagmire.

Perhaps to calm the nerves of Luigi, a relatively newcomer who found himself face-to-face with an actress that he admired, direk Dondon decided to first shoot the two’s love scene.

“I acted like a big sister to Luigi,” related Assunta who, at 35, is only nine years older than Luigi. “I told him, ‘Don’t worry, para mo lang ako ate.’ But let me clarify that the focal point of the movie is the story and not the love scene. Our love scene is, well, wala lang compared to what I used to do. Hindi naman ‘yon parang Fifty Shades of Grey. Charot!!!”   

Yes, it’s "too tame, too mild" vis-à-vis Assunta's daring scenes in such movies as Hubog, Sisid and Red Diaries which were shot years ago when she was younger and unmarried.

At the presscon, Assunta jokingly made fun of herself (that is, “Bago ako lait-laitin ng ibang tao, uunahan ko na sila”), saying, “My body is not in the right places anymore. I’m just being honest. I’m super old na.”

To which many people (this one included) surely disagree, considering that Assunta looks as desirably beautiful and curvaceous as she was in her heyday, with not part of her body touched by science.

“I’m just thankful that they got me for this (Amats) role,” she added. “That means I still got it. And it’s a good thing that my family takes me for what I am. I’m not pressured na parating nagpapa-derma every day. I don’t have time to look like a bisugo…you know, puro botox, puro fillers.”

The public will know what Assunta means when they watch Tres, especially in her love scene with Luigi.

Assunta with husband Jules; they’ve been married for 15 years.

“Direk Dondon did a good job,” assured Assunta. “Before the shoot, he told me not to worry. He told me, ‘Hindi kita pababayaan, hindi kita bababuyin.’ The (love) scene came out clean which is good kasi we are avoiding na baka ma-R-18.”

In the next breath, Assunta cracked another joke.

“Before, I did a love scene with the father (Bong Revilla) in Kilabot at Kembot. Now, with the son in Tres. Baka next time, with the lolo naman. Charot!!!”

Assunta was so happy with the movie that she made sure to grace the premiere, but not with Jules.

“Good luck,” she laughed.

With Tres done, now stress-free Assunta will now devote her time to her and Jules’ joint venture.

Incidentally, 2019 is Year of the Pig (in the Chinese Calendar) when the couple hopes to have a baby. Assunta (born in 1983) is a Water Pig and Jules is a Metal Rat.

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)