Laurice Guillen Directs 'Second Chances' And Is Herself Open To Second Chances After Hubby Johnny Delgado Passed

LAURICE GUILLEN’s last directorial job for GMA-7 was “Akin Pa Rin ang Bukas” in 2013. 2015 now opens for her with the new soap she’s helming for them, “Second Chances”, that starts airing on Monday to replace “Hiram na Alaala”. How come it took more than a year before she had her follow up show?

“Actually, November pa dapat ito nag-start but na-delay kami, which was good kasi nakapag-tape na kami for five weeks,” she says. “Marami na kaming nakaimbak na episodes. Habang wala pa akong dinidirek, nag-artista muna ako. I did ‘Carmela’ with Marian Rivera and I also directed a movie (‘Once a Princess’) sa Star Cinema.”

She’s happy to direct “Second Chances” because she believes everyone deserves a second chance. “Story idea ito ni RJ Nuevas tungkol sa magkinakapatid, sina Jennylyn Mercado at Camille Prats, na parehong dumanas ng tragedy in life. Una, sabi nila, they want something na parang Koreanovela. Sabi ko, what do you mean? Yung konti lang daw ang characters. Pero in the course of our meetings and discussions, mas kumapal ang story. Hindi rin nasunod ang gusto nila kasi sa ating mga Pilipino, maraming family members ang involved, so dumami rin ang characters.”

How is it working with the cast? “Si Jennylyn, I’ve worked with her in an episode of ‘Magpakailanman’. Si Raymart Santiago, I directed him in an episode of Claudine Barretto’s drama show then. All the rest, ngayon ko lang nakatrabaho. Si Roi Vinzon, who plays the ninong of Jen and father of Camille Prats, nakatrabaho ko pala sa ‘Carmela’, but artista kami. He was my husband. Lahat sila, natatakot sa akin. Ewan ko kung bakit, pati si Roi, who told me relaxed siya sa ‘Carmela’ but now na director na niya ko, he was scared daw. But in the course of our discussions and taping, na-realize naman nila there’s nothing to be scared of sa akin as long as you do your job well. And in all fairness to the cast, wala akong naging problema sa kanila at all. They’re aware na mabusisi ako pati sa make up nila, sa damit nila, but lahat sila, konting paliwanag lang, nakukuha na nila what they need to do and they now say they enjoy working with me.”

Since the show is about “Second Chances”, has she herself found a second chance after her husband, the late Johnny Delgado, passed? “You know, I’m really willing to embark on a second chance, but the problem is, there is no one in sight,” she laughs. “Open naman ako, but not yung I’ll get married again like Boots Anson Roa, kasi yung two daughters ko nga (Ana and Ina), single pa, mamaya maunahan ko pa sila. You know what I really miss right now is having great conversations with friends like Lino Brocka, Mario O’Hara, Badong Bernal.”

We tell her because she’s the survivor in her batch since her other colleagues like the late Ishmael Bernal, Celso Ad. Castillo and Marilou Abaya have all also gone to the great beyond. This clearly means she still has a mission to make more good films and TV shows in the years to come.