Jean Garcia plays her mom in the show. Does she think Kim is ripe for stardom? “Oo naman,” she says. “She’s very telegenic, magaling umarte. We all think malaki talaga ang potential niyang sumikat.”
The show’s director, Dick Lindayag, concurs. “Lahat ng heavy emotional scenes na pinagawa sa kanya, naiarte niya nang tama. Mahirap yung role niya kasi umaarte siyang kasama ang ahas. So sa acting workshop pa lang, sinama na namin yung ahas para masanay siya at ganun din yung ahas, para they’ll be comfortable with each other.”
In the story, Jean is the daughter of a rich couple, Leo Martinez and Eva Darren, who are against her love affair with the poor Jomari Yllana. Jom gets her pregnant but her parents take her away while Jom is seduced by the villain Sherilyn Reyes, who he marries. Sherilyn pushes Jean into a snake pit and gets bitten by a snake. When she gives birth, her baby has a snake on its back so her parents make her believe that her baby is dead then hides the baby in their “bodega” where she grows up to be Kim Rodriguez. Obviously inspired by the urban legend about a mall allegedly inhabited by a snake who’s supposedly the twin of the owner’s child, “Kakambal ni Eliana” will start airing this Monday replacing “Forever” of Heart Evangelista that ends today.
As Eliana, Kim is paired with Enzo Pineda and Kristoffer Martin. She vehemently denies that she’s the reason why Enzo broke up with Louise de los Reyes. “Wala po talaga akong kinalaman doon.”
So who’s closer to her: Enzo or Kris? “Pantay lang po sila kasi pareho silang sweet, mabait, thoughtful and real gentlemen.”
