“After I directed ‘The Half Sisters’, I thought I’d be given another directorial job,” she says. “But nagulat ako nang ipatawag ako ng GMA management. Akala ko, sasabihin may bagong show akong ididirek. Yun pala, pababalikin ako sa pag-aartista. Sabi ko, bakit ako? Kasi raw, they want me to give a new look sa kanilang afternoon dramas. So kaya heto, ginawang blonde ang buhok ko for my role. They said my role is parang yung kay Meryl Streep in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’. And they’re right, maganda ang role ko as Noreen, she’s more evil than Meryl Streep, actually. I've learned to love it. Pinatay ko ang sarili kong kapatid, si Gabby Eigenmann, na hinayaan kong masunog, para makuha ko ang properties niya. Then pinabilanggo ko ang misis niyang si Assunta de Rossi then ginawa kong katulong sa bahay namin ng husband kong si Rez Cortez and our two daughters ang anak nila, who’ll grow up to be Louise de los Reyes. Very challenging ang role ko at tiyak na maraming masusuklam sa akin as Noreen.”
So she’ll now join the ranks of GMA-7’s resident villains where Jaclyn Jose currently reigns supreme. So who’s the better contravida, she or Jaclyn? “Anong gusto nyong sagot ko, seryoso o yung may intriga?” Siempre, yung may intriga. “Well, just watch ‘Magkaibang Mundo’ para makita nyo kung sino ang mas magaling sa aming dalawa.” Everyone laughs and she adds: “Hoy, Jane (Jaclyn’s real name) is a good friend at wala talagang issue sa aming dalawa.”
Being given a break in “Magkaibang Mundo” is Juancho Trivino as Louise’s leading man who is a dwarf called Elfino. Is he deserving? “I’ve seen him grow as an actor. Sa ‘Villa Quintana’ noon, pinagtatawanan siya ng mga kasama niya kasi nga bano-bano pa umarte. But look at him now, magaling na. Nagbunga yung acting workshops na kinuha niya.”
Does she belief that dwarves really exist? “I haven’t seen one, but my granddaughter, Catalina, anak ng eldest son kong si Ryan, nakakakita raw roon sa bahay nila. She’d say, ‘I see a little man sitting on the headboard of our bed’. Noong araw, lagi yung nagkakasakit, then dinala sa manggagamot who said influence ng duwende raw. After that, gumaling na.”
Is her second son Geoff Eigenmann going back to ABS-CBN? “Wala pang ganung plano. He just appeared in an episode of ‘Ipaglaban Mo’ kasi wala namang binibigay na bagong show sa kanya ang GMA.”
