Controversial Krista Miller Says Her Conscience Is Clear & She Never Had An Affair With Cesar Montano

KRISTA MILLER, who looks so much better in person than on screen, became notorious as the starlet who caused the breakup of the marriage of Cesar Montano and Sunshine Cruz. She got talked about but she’s the first to admit it didn’t help her career.

“It’s not true that negative publicity can help you,” she says at the presscon of her movie, “Hukluban”. “Hindi naman nakatulong sa’kin yon as people thought homewrecker ako. But my conscience is clear. I never had an affair with Cesar Montano.”

How about the report she visited a drug lord in a hospital? “I’ve always been independent and I’m a real estate agent. Nagpunta ako roon to offer condo units. Who would have thought na aabot pala sa controversy ang lahat.”

She was so frustrated she wanted to quit showbiz. “Bata pa ko, dream ko talaga maging artista. Nag-start ako sa showbiz kay Direk Bobot Mortiz when I was a teenager. I was doing comedy in his shows ‘Aalog-Alog’ and ‘Pare Koy’. Nakagawa rin ako ng indie film, ‘Altar’, for Cinema One, directed by Rico Ilarde, starring Zanjoe Marudo. But I quit dahil nagtapos ako ng college, majoring in media production sa Assumption Makati. ‘Yung ‘Alfredo Lim’ with Cesar Montano, bale comeback ko yun. May friend akong nagdala sa’kin sa set at kinuha naman ako.”

Her real name is Kristalyn Engle. “Screen name lang yung Miller. Kung puede lang mag-start all over again, ayoko na ng negative issues. I’m hoping ‘Hukluban’ will help people notice my acting naman. Maganda ang role ko as Mira, a woman cursed by a witch. Bata ako sa gabi pero matandang hukluban during the day. Hinahanap ko yung lalaking iibig sa’kin ng tapat to lift the curse. The film shows my involvement with three men: Pepito in 1947, Kandro in 1974 and Homer in the present, all played by Kiko Matos. But I’m always disappointed. Mahirap gawin ang movie. I have to put on prosthetic make up sa face and arms ko to be an old woman. In one scene na naliligo ako sa ilog. Tinangay ako ng undercurrent na sobrang lakas at muntik akong malunod. It’s good I was saved by a crew member. In a cave where we shot several scenes, I felt someone caressing my hair and someone with a third eye saw na may lalaki following me. It’s an elemental. I befriended him na lang and called him Albert.”

She has several hot love scenes with Kiko in the film with them both in their birthday suits. Didn’t she have any reluctance doing it? “When I took the auditions, Direk Gil Portes explained to me what the role requires, so I just trusted him. Tasteful at hindi naman bastos lumabas ang nude scenes ko.”

“Hukluban” is part of FDCP’s Horror Plus Filmfest opening at SM Theatres on October 29.