How has showbiz changed their lives? “Mas nakakatulong na ko sa family ko sa Gensan at si Jason, sa family niya sa Mindoro. Nakakain na namin ang gusto naming kainin. At siempre, marami na kong kaibigang artista.”
In “Adventures of Pureza” that opens on July 13, her name was inspired by Priscilla Mereilles. Jason is named Ruben Padilla. Pureza May Riles’s dream is to send her brother (Martin del Rosario) to school and be a top model, like her idol Daniella (Bianca Manalo), a famous Brazilian model. When Daniella visits the country and goes missing, Melai impersonates her and this starts a series of wacky misadventures. Also in the cast are Gina Pareno, Joem Bascon and Bekimon, directed by Soxie Topacio who megged the award-winning comedy “Dead Na si Lolo”. How would Soxie size up Melai’s career?
“She’s very funny without really trying,” he says. “She often surprises me kasi pag may pinagawa ako sa kanya sa eksena, she’d do something much more. She has no inhibitions to make people laugh. I can see she’d be a hit at malilinya siya kina Ai Ai de las Alas, Eugene Domingo and Pokwang.”
