Jodi Santamaria's New Movie, 'Dear Other Self', Deals With The What If's And The Choices We Make In Life

 

 AFTER ‘ACHY BREAKY HEARTS’ where she was paired with two senior actors, Richard Yap and Ian Veneracion, Jodi Santamaria is now in “Dear Other Self” where she figures in a love triangle with two actors more junior than her, Xian Lim and Joseph Marco. So how does she feel about it?

“Nakakatuwa. Ang lakas makabata. Nakakabagets, di ba? But I’m just happy that I get to work with them at maganda yung kuwento ng movie namin, very relatable. Supposed to be, magkaka-age kami rito. Okay silang katrabaho, very professional, they come to the set prepared. Thankful din ako sa mga proyektong dumarating sa’kin kasi laging kakaiba naman. Wala na akong mahihiling pa for all the blessings that continue to come my way.”

And for her next teleserye, we heard she’ll figure in another love triangle, with Robin Padilla and Richard Yap this time. “Well, sana nga, matuloy. I really don’t know why puro love triangle ang nabibigay sa akin. But who wouldn’t want to work with a Robin Padilla, di ba?”

How is it working with a female director like Veronica Velasco in “Dear Other Self”? “It’s great. We’ve worked before in ‘Maling Akala’, Cinema One entry ten years ago. It’s nice to work with her again. Maganda yung role ko as Becky in ‘Dear Other Self’.”

She praises the film’s unique kind of concept. “Sa story, bread winner ako sa family namin, with Carla Martinez as my mom and Paul Salas as my brother. Pero may dream ako, which is to travel while I’m still young. Kaya lang, hindi ako makapag-resign sa work kasi nga, my family depends on me. So, it’s like I’m playing two roles in one. Kasi in life, kung minsan, meron tayong malaking what if. When you watch the movie, you’d think, dalawang tao ba ito? But no, it’s the same person, si Becky, making two different decisions and we’ll see two different stories because of her choices. Kung minsan kasi, iba yung gustong mong gawin sa aktuwal na ginagawa mo. So si Becky rito, magkaiba ang tinahak niyang life dahil sa decisions niya. In real life, may what if’s din ako.”

Has she encountered “what if” experience in real life? “Yes, lahat naman tayo, may ganyang moments. Kung minsan, naiisip ko, what if kung tinuloy ko yung gusto kong course noon, which is medicine. Siguro, ibang-iba rin yung buhay ko kung naging doctor ako. Up to now, I’m still holding on to that dream. I graduated from high school in 2010 and now I’m determined to pursue a medical course as I really want to put a premium on education because of my son. I want to set a good example for him.”