Judy Ann Santos Hailed By ABS-CBN As The Queen Of Pinoy Soap Opera

JUDY ANN SANTOS glows with a palpable positive aura when she was presented in a solo presscon for her comeback soap, “Huwag Ka Nang Mawawala”. “Nahihirapan nga ako umiyak ngayon sa dramatic scenes ko,” she says. “Nanibago ako kasi two years din akong di nag-soap. At nahirapan akong magdrama kasi masaya ang buhay ko ngayon. Di gaya ng dati, isang pitik lang, tumutulo na luha ko. Iniisip ko nga, ano bang ibig sabihin nito? Malungkot ba akong noong araw at mas masaya talaga ko ngayon? Kaya yung mga nagsasabing nagpapa-annul kami ni Ryan (Agoncillo), ewan ko kunsaan nila kinukuha ang mga balitang yan na malayo sa katotohanan.”

ABS-CBN gave her a tribute at the Queen of Pinoy Soap Opera by showing footage of her past soaps with them, from “Mara Clara” and “Esperanza” to “Krystala”, “Sa Piling Mo”, “Isabella”, “Habang May Buhay”, etc. What did she realize after watching herself in the video clips? “Na mukha pala talaga akong siopao at hindi dapat sumama ang loob ko sa mga nagsusulat ng ganun dahil mukha talaga kong siopao na bagong gising.”

Don’t you just love Juday’s self-deprecating kind of humor? Only someone who’s so secure of herself can do that: not take herself seriously. No wonder press people just love her as she really has an endearing personality. We’re sure her fans can’t wait to see her in her new soap where she plays Anessa, a poor girl who’s victimized by an illegal recruiter. She then falls in love with Eros (Sam Milby), the son of a rich military man (Tirso Cruz III), without knowing he’s only out to get their land, the salt farm she and her mom (Susan Africa) own. Later on, Sam dumps her for KC Concepcion, who plays villain to Juday here. Sam even steals their baby away from Juday, who becomes a battered wife. NBI agent John Estrada then teaches her martial arts (ala-J Lo in “Enough”) so she can fight back. Mylene Dizon, John’s wife, then gets jealous and confronts Juday.

“I have slapping scenes galore with KC and Mylene,” says Juday. “Later, hindi lang sampalan kundi bugbugan talaga. Lahat ng mga misis, matututo rito kung paano ipagtatanggol ang sarili nila’t mga karapatan nila.”

She’s working with Sam and KC for the first time. How’s it? “Dahil sa kanila, nahasa nang bonggang-bongga ang English ko rito. Pero bilib ako kay Sam kasi talagang pinaninindigan niya ang pagta-Tagalog. Kahit sinasabihan namin na Ingglisin mo na lang kung nahihirapan ka, talagang pinipilit niya’t nagpupursigi siya to deliver his lines in Tagalog. Si KC naman, perfect siya for the role. Ako nagsabi sa kanya, kontrabida ka sa’kin dito. And she said, kaya ko ba? Sabi ko, it’s the time for her to show na aktres siya, versatile siya. Ipapakita naman ditong may pinanggagalingan yung role niya. Nakatulong yung pagiging best friend namin ng nanay niya (Sharon Cuneta) dahil she opens up to me sa hesitations niya about the role. But I assured her it’s really time na ipakita naman ang different side ng pagiging aktres niya.”

“Huwag Ka Lang Mawawala”, helmed by Jerry Sineneng, Malu Sevilla and Tots Mariscal, starts airing on June 17 to replace “Ina Kapatid Anak”.