LJ Reyes Talks About The Real Score Between Her And Renz Fernandez

LJ REYES looks so lovely at the premiere night of “Bigkis (Intertwined)”, an entry in the current Quezon City Filmfest being shown at Trinoma. We saw QC Mayor Herbert Bautista personally seeing how the festival was going at the Ayala Mall. LJ gives a touching performance as Mariel, a teenage band vocalist impregnated and abandoned by Pancho Magno. It’s a good acting vehicle and one thing nice about LJ is she knows how to underplay her dramatic scenes. The confrontation scenes with Pancho are handled with restraint and in the post partum depression she suffers after giving birth, she wisely doesn’t go into hysterics and is just shown crying quietly until she decides to get back at the abusive Pancho who even stole her money.

Written and helmed by Neal Buboy Tan, “Bigkis” is a timely drama and a harsh look on population explosion, congestion in overcrowded government hospitals and an advocacy film about the benefits of breast feeding. Aside from LJ and Pancho, the film also features fine performances from Mike Tan as the doctor who helps LJ, Lauren Young as a dedicated nursing aide, Rosanna Roces as Lauren’s termagant aunt, Rich Asuncion as a young mom whose babies all die after being delivered, Enzo Pineda as a male nurse who dreams of going abroad, Perla Bautista as LJ’s supportive grandma and Rico Barrera as Rich’s caring husband. But it’s LJ who’s really the film’s lead and she shines once more like she did in the recent “The Janitor”.

She’s pitiful in “Bigkis” but in GMA-7’s “Yagit”, LJ is so repulsive as Flora, the abusive stepmother of the yagit kids. Doesn’t she have any reluctance hurting the kids physically in the show? “Naku, nakokonsensiya nga ako sa ginagawa ko sa kanila. Nag-request na nga akong lagyan ng padding yung damit nila para hindi sila totoong masaktan kapag pinapalo ko sila. Sorry ako ng sorry after each take. Once nga, napanood ng son kong si Aki na pinagmamalupitan ko sila and he asked, Mommy, why are you so mean to them? So sabi ko na lang, kasi they really did something bad. And I told the yaya na huwag na siyang papanoorin ng show.”

Is it true she and Renz Fernandez who plays the cop Roman are now playing beautiful music on the set? “Naku, hindi, binibiro lang kami ng mga kasama namin. Mabait kasi si Renz. Madalas, aawitan nila, Renz, magpabili ka naman ng pizza, gusto ni LJ. Tapos mag-o-order naman siya. Lokohan lang, pero hindi naman siya talaga nanliligaw.”

Isn’t she envious now that her ex, Paulo Avelino, and KC Concepcion are said to be really cozy with each other? “Hindi. Kung sila na talaga, I’m happy for them, especially for Pau. Hindi naman siya nagkukulang sa anak namin. He’s a good provider. Okay lang kung sila ni KC, that means mararagdagan ang magmamahal kay Aki.”

Has she condoled with KC for the passing of Mommy Elaine? “Yes, pareho kaming part ng viber group doon sa shower for Marian Rivera. Nag-send na ko ng message of condolences to her.”