Anjanette Abayari recalls fighting real snakes for 'Darna' movie
MANILA, Philippines — Beauty queen-actress Anjanette Abayari looked back at her brief stint as the iconic comic book character Darna where she had to wrestle with several live snakes.
Anjanette appeared on the July 15 episode of "Fast Talk with Boy Abunda" where the host asked for her top five personal moments in Philippine entertainment.
Her first was being crowned Binibining Pilipinas-Universe 1999 — a title she resigned from because of residency issues — and the second was being tapped to play the titular character on "Darna! Ang Pagbabalik" in 1994.
Boy even joined Anjanette in replicating the latter's iconic "Darna!" yell. Coincidentally, that film was the last "Darna" movie to date, as the character only headlined television shows since then (not counting Regine Velasquez's appearance in 2003's "Captain Barbell").
Anjanette's third memory was all the snakes she dealt with, joking not just people but the actual animals, including wrestling an 18-foot python, which needed nine men to carry into set.
"I will never forget that, not many people can say they've wrestled an 18-foot python and lived," Anjanette said.
The beauty queen-actress also recalled when one of two cobras began hissing at her and slithered into her dress.
Going back to the python story, because the snake wouldn't budge on camera, Anjanette explained the "wrestling" was just her fidgeting around for the action shot.
Her fourth memory was working with the late National Artist Fernando Poe Jr., and the last was being managed by Boy, praising the host for his kindness and friendship. — Video from GMA Network's YouTube channel
