The new bitches of primetime

MANILA, Philippines - It’s always interesting when girls like Kim Chiu or Maja Salvador, who have both reveled in the pa-tweetums fun factory, take on roles that require them to be head-bitches-in-charge. Kim and Maja have dabbled in kontrabida roles from time to time (Kim in I Love You, Goodbye; Maja in My Binondo Girl) but in the upcoming teleserye Ina, Kapatid, Anak, these girls finally get their chance to destroy each other’s (fictional) lives, faces and weaves.

Kim and Maja have gone a long way since working together in the deodorant vehicle, First Day High. Kim has turned into a bankable star, headlining several soaps and films, while Maja hit a high point of her career as the titular athlete in Thelma, even winning an Urian Best Actress Award for her performance. In Ina, Kapatid Anak, talk of steamy scenes the girls. Maja is no stranger to this buzz — having played a teacher who falls in love with a student in a previous television outing — which is why she’s more excited for Kim to shed her cutesy image in favor of a no-no-nonsense bida-kontrabida.

Supreme sat down with these two sassy ladies and talked about getting wasted, how they’ll one-up each other, and what audiences should really expect from them in this bold new adventure.

SUPREME: Introduce us to the characters that will soon grace our TV sets.

KIM CHIU: Ako si Celine and I live sa squatters area. I’m loud. Kanto girl. Walang ka-poise-poise sa katawan. Ambitious siya — sobra. Parang go-getter kasi gusto niya yumaman like Maja.

MAJA SALVADOR: Ako si Margaux. Siya yung sapatos na mamahalin; makintab, makinang. Pero hindi siya nagagamit, nasa loob lang siya ng kahon. Anong mangyayari kung yung sapatos nakawala sa kahon?

Ina, Kapatid, Anak focuses on the clash of the lower and upper classes, are televiewers in for a healthy dose of sampalan and bangayan?

KC: Yeah, of course. Magkakaron ng clash. Sabi nga nung writer, “Isipin niyo na yung gusto niyong isipin kasi mangyayari talaga.”

MS: Si Kim kakawawain ko? Abangan niyo si Kim! Ibang Kim eh.

Outside of your teleserye characters, is there friction between you two?

KC: Hindi pa ako artista, idol ko na (si Maja). Hindi naman sa hinahabol ko siya, pero dapat mas marami siyang achievements talaga since ang tagal na niya dito sa showbiz. I’ve learned a lot of things from her as an actress.

MS: Walang rivalry. No competition. I respect her kung anong ginagawa niya, yung personality niya. Siya din ganon. Supportahan lang talaga, pero walang competition.

From working together in the teenybopper feature First Day High what were the changes now that you’re working in a new primetime teleserye?

KC: Sa part ko, yung confidence. It grew a lot siguro from a small circle to a super-duper big circle. Kasi dati wala talaga akong confidence. Ang isip ko less galaw, less mistakes. So hindi talaga ako nag-eexperiment sa mga bagay.

MS: Ay, sobrang bagets ko ‘don sa First Day High. Yung ang tingin ko parang ang saya-saya lang. May trabaho ako, makikita ko yung mga friends ko. Ganun lang. Ngayon, yung mga project na ginagawa ko, kailangan kong i-push nang todo. Kailangan kong ibigay lahat.

How about your relationship with your co-star?

KC: Nung First Day High, “Hi!” “Hello!” lang. Walang usap-usap. Now, naging super friends na kami. Nao-overwhelm ako kasi friends kami and we work as a team. Andun yung teamwork. Andun yung pagkakaibigan.

MS: Dati chika lang kami sa ASAP, hanggang may Teleserye Tour, no choice, dun kami nag-bonding. Choosy din ako sa mga tine-treasure ko na mga kaibigan. May standards. Maswerte din ako kasi si Kim din hindi niya binibigay ang tiwala niya sa tao nang basta.

What were your inspirations in bringing these new characters to life?

KC: I search sa YouTube, watching Tagalog films. Tina-type ko lang: Maricel Soriano. Vilma Santos. Kung ano yung mga roles nila na meron na. Gusto kasi ni direk yung madaldal kasi ganoon sila.

MS: Si Margaux ang layo sa personality ko. Inoobserbahan ko yung mga mayayaman. Bawa’t tao na kilala mo, pine-peg mo yung personality niya sa sa character na gagawin mo. Dapat iba-iba yung nakikita nila.

Have you ever lived excessively or gone wild?

KC: Siguro nung farewell party nung isang show namin. Lahat kami naglalasingan na. Lahat kami nagsasayaw na. Until the next day, yung wallet ko wala nang laman kasi namigay pala ako ng pera sa crew. Buti na lang konti lang laman ng wallet ko.

MS: Wild sa shopping pero para sa trabaho. Pag umiinom ako, alam kong kaya ko. Never pa talaga yung lasing na lasing. Kaya nga diba yung ine-endorse ko yung magaan ang bawat shot?

What can the viewers expect from your new roles?

KC: Ngayon, I want to give the audience a different side of me. Basta iba siya. Usually hindi ako nagkakaroon ng super-mahirap na role. Lagi akong inaapi. Now from the start, hindi na pwede ‘yon.

MS: Palaban. Yun na. Ako lagi kong sinasabi, etong project na ‘to sobrang na-excite ako for Kim. Ibang Kim, hindi pa-sweet or pa-cute. Pa-cool na Kim ang makikita niyo. Parang first time, ‘to.

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Tweet the authors @geeksturrrr and @junellhernando.