Awakening to a new Dawn

Dawn Zulueta-Lagdameo arrives at the movie shoot in a residential house in a crowded neighborhood in Pasay City, walks past adoring fans and curious onlookers. It is nearly noon, but the scorching heat of the sun has abated. Rain would come several moments later.

Dawn, 34, sequesters herself inside one of the air-conditioned bedrooms, going over the script of Filipinas–her first movie in six years–while set hands hastily set up lighting equipment in the living room. The house is neither big nor elegant, but it is cozy, home for an average Filipino family. The acclaimed TV and film actress, despite being a bit under the weather, looks and feels very relaxed.

"I’m very happy and very excited about this because I missed working with the people I love working with, the director (Joel Lamangan) especially. It’ll be a very good movie–you’ll see," Dawn says encouragingly as she reaches for tissue proffered by her assistant.

She however is quick to add, "Although this doesn’t mean that I’ll start being active in movies again, it’s nice to know that I can still come back to showbiz when I feel like it. I’ve really changed a whole lot ever since I got married (to business tycoon Anton Lagdameo). Acting is no longer a priority."

It is certainly a far cry from ten years ago when a young Dawn Zulueta regularly did movies and television, almost instantly becoming one of the most recognized and adored faces in the industry. The actress had noteworthy performances in the films Iisa Pa Lamang, Buhay Ng Buhay Ko and Kung Mawawala Ka Pa.

But perhaps she is still–and will be for a long time–best remembered for the blockbuster hit Hihintayin Kita sa Langit, where she was paired with ex-boyfriend Richard Gomez in a take on Wuthering Heights shot in picture-perfect Batanes. A slender, upbeat, intelligent woman blessed with round, expressive eyes and a quick wit, Dawn was certainly one the more celebrated actresses of the late 80s and 90s.

It therefore caused quite a stir when, in 1996 at the age of 27, Dawn turned her back on show business and left it without a trace of regret. She says that a little nest egg, a car and an apartment would have been enough for her because she was ready to live the "simple life". Despite rumors that she was "fed up" with the industry, Dawn admits that she got out because she had reached a low point in her life: it was a tough time for the actress, and she had just gotten out of a failed romance. She said in an interview recently that she "wanted to find someone I could finally settle down with"–and she meant it. She found him in Anton, who says describes as "an old friend".

Dawn has never been a publicity hound, and was even described by entertainment reporters as aloof or suplada. Dawn had always been fussy about whom she talked to, and because she rarely remembered names, people dubbed her the "Amnesia Queen".

Yet for all her going against showbiz norms, Dawn was never dismissed as just another movie star. Critics were quick to notice her acting prowess, and showered her with praise and acting trophies. Tinseltown, in short, was kind to Dawn Zulueta.

Despite the years away from the kleig lights, Dawn’s return to the silver screen is highly anticipated. And she chose her project well.

"This is actually my first time to be in an all-star cast. It’s such a good project because it has Maricel Soriano and Aiko Melendez. I’m also keyed up to be working with Richard again, who plays my brother this time (they’ve always starred as a couple)," she says without looking up from the movie script. "And my husband gave me his blessing to work again. I just explained to him that this film was an opportunity which I felt would not come around again. I asked him to give me this chance. And he did."

Dawn is very grateful that Filipinas director Joel Lamangan "remembered" her even though she was no longer active in the movie world. She plays Gloria, a Filipino caregiver in Israel who comes home with the body of her friend who was killed in a terrorist attack in Tel Aviv. She seems very comfortable with the role, probably because Dawn–Rachel Marie Salman Taleon in real life–is part Palestinian. Her grandfather, George Anton Salman, was a Palestinian-Arab who came to the Philippines after the Second World War to escape the violent conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis.

"I have relatives in Bethlehem, and that’s why I’m so excited," Dawn says. "My mother is half Palestinian, and we keep in touch with our relatives in Bethlehem. This is my first time to go there, and I’m certainly bringing my mother with me. It’s going to be a hoot."

She now lives in Davao with Anton and she refuses to employ maids–insisting to her husband that she wants do the washing and cooking, just like an old-fashioned housewife. She has also begun to plumb her creative talents, making trinkets and jewelry with semi-precious stones. She sells her creations at a boutique she put up with friends at the Marco Polo Hotel in Davao.

The couple doesn’t have any kids yet, and Dawn is often accompanied by her devoted pets– a couple of Labrador Retrievers, Shitzus and a cockatiel named Paulie. She works out in the gym regularly to keep her figure and engages in sports like boxing, badminton and target shooting.

"I like spending time with my family, my in-laws and my dogs. Marriage has mellowed me out quite a lot, and slowed me down from the kind of work that I was used to. I have a different lifestyle now, unlike the way it used to be in show business wherein I was always sleep- and food deprived. Nowadays I’m not; I have a healthy lifestyle. It comes with having to take care of a husband, I guess," she smiles.

Dawn made a tentative return to the public eye when she hosted the game show Price is Right on ABC 5. Earlier this year, she took over Lucy Torres’ job on All About You, a Sunday morning show which showed how career women–much like herself–can slow down, mellow and, more importantly, discover a side to them that remained in the wings during their high-powered years.

Cast as one of the leads in Filipinas, Dawn takes her character to heart. She regularly confers with the director and writer ("because they’re the ones who know the character of the role I’m playing") but says that they trust her enough to come up with her own interpretation. And her loyal fans are looking forward to the film.

"I’m glad that they’re all still there. I hear many of them are really excited to see me back on the big screen, so I hope that they’ll watch the movie and get the real feel of it. Filipinas is a very good project–a very nice script and story," she says.

But don’t start talking about a comeback just yet. Dawn says that she is already hearing complaints from Anton because her shooting schedule "keeps her away from home" a lot of the time. So fans had better relish this film because it will probably be a long, long time before she does another one.

"Well, there are negotiations for me to do a TV series," she discloses, "but it’s all under negotiations pa. Besides it’s not really that important because I live in Davao City. And unless Tinseltown moves there, you probably won’t see me again for quite sometime. Like I said, acting is no longer a priority."