“Director Victor Villanueva and Enrico Santos have started this six years ago pa,” says Star Cinema exec Mico del Rosario. “We used to do a lot of comedies na panlalaki ang appeal, pero ang tagal nang wala so nahirapan kami sa casting, until now. Perfect sina Zanjoe Marudo, Empoy Marquez, plus Ryan Bang and the other comedians with them for this kind of male comedy. Puro lalaki sila, with Natalie as love interest ni Zanjoe and Maxine Medina as partner naman ni Empoy.”
How does it feel to be working with a largely male cast? "No problem kasi I have three brothers, so sanay na ako. At nakasundo ko naman agad rito sina Zanjoe and all the actors in the movie."What can she say that the film has sexual innuendos, like her telling Zanjoe na “matigas pala”, then she added that she’s referring to his muscles? “Okay lang naman yun,” says Natalie, who’s the only girl at the “Kusina Kings” presscon since Maxine failed to show up. “Kapag sobrang clean kasi ng joke, sobrang boring naman. Mas nakakatawa ang dating kapag may double meaning and it’s up na to the audience how they’ll interpret it.”
It seems she’s really now with ABS-CBN as she also has a TV project with them. “Yes, I’m part of the cast ng ‘Blood Sisters’. Then I’m doing two other movies, one with Diether Ocampo, and another one is yung latest remake ng ‘Patayin Mo sa Sindak si Barbara’ where I’ll be playing Barbara. Sa Viva naman, I’m doing another movie with sina Cristine Reyes, Meg Imperial and Kylie Versoza. Pero hindi pa sure kung ano ang title, ‘Abay Girls’ or ‘Beach Wedding’.”
So how is it doing comedy with Zanjoe and Empoy? “Magkaiba naman sila, e. Pati si Ryan Bang, iba rin ang comedy niya. Very physical ang comedy rito at lahat sila, nakakatawa. Kung minsan nga, nade-delay ang shooting, kasi natatawa kaming lahat sa eksena. Thanks to Direk Victor Villanueva who allowed us na mag-contribute kaming lahat sa kabaliwan ng pelikula.”
