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| snooky serna, barbie forteza, kate valdez, dina bonnevie |
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| barbie forteza for photo op |
BARBIE FORTEZA is now tagged as GMA-7’s Primetime Princess because most of her shows are topraters. Even her recent guesting in “Daig Kayo ng Lola Ko” with Dennis Trillo rated very high. She’s now back on primetime starting this Monday in “Anak ni Waray vs. Anak ni Biday”, where she plays the role of Snooky Serna.
While she is in Leyte, she saves a girl, Kate Valdez, from falling off the San Juanico Bridge. They quickly become good friends, without knowing that her mom Snooky and Kate’s mom, Dina Bonnevie, are mortal enemies. It will also later turn out that they are half sisters, as both Snooky as Amy and Dina as Susie both fell in love with the same man, Jay Manalo as Joaquin.
This is the first time she and Kate get to work with each other. How is it? “We bonded well right away,” she says. “Before taping started, we had a familiarity workshop for us to get to know each other better, kasi nga first project namin ito at lagi kaming magkaeksena.
"Doon pa lang, nag-open na agad siya sa akin at ang dami ko nang nalaman tungkol sa kanya. After that, nag-shoot kami on location sa Tacloban nga in Leyte and later, sa Paoay and other towns in Ilocos so lalong gumanda ang bonding namin. We’re close friends now.”
She plays Ginalyn, a Waray, while Kate as Caitlyn is an Ilocana.
“Nag-aral ako ng Warat dialect dito at si Kate naman, ng Ilocano. We also learned more about their culture and their family life. Nakakatuwa kasi parehong matapang ang mga taga-Leyte and Ilocos. My role is very empowering kasi palaban si Ginalyn at hindi siya basta magpapatalo.”
In the story, they will later on compete for the attention of one guy, Migo Adecer as Cocoy.
Also in the cast are Teresa Loyzaga as Dorcas, Jay’s scheming cousin who would like to steal his family’s riches from him; Faith da Silva as Agatha, Teresa’s bratty daughter who’d be contravida to both Barbie and Kate; Jean Saburit as Vanessa, Migo’s mother; Tanya Montenegro as Glenda, Snooky’s cousin and confidante; and Celia Rodriguez as Zenaida’s, Dina’s controlling and meddlesome mother who makes Snooky’s life a living hell.
“Anak ni Waray vs. Anak ni Biday” is directed by Mark Sicat de la Cruz, who says he intentionally didn’t watch the original 1984 Regal movie of the same title, directed by the late Maryo J. de los Reyes.
“Magkaiba naman kasi ang treatment ng movie at ng teleserye,” he says. “The movie is more of a comedy and itong version namin, maraming dramatic scenes na nag-ugat sa conflict nina Snooky at Dina noong mga bata pa sila, as played by Max Collins and Lovi Poe.
"May comic scenes din involving Barbie and Kate, but as you can see, mas matindi ang dramatic conflict sa TV series dahil it will turn out nga na magkapatid pala sila and later on, there is an even bigger twist in the story na ikagugulantang ng lahat so, abangan nyo.”
Barbie is happy to be back on a primetime series and she’s really on a roll as both her career and her love life are doing well. Everyone knows she’s been on with Jak Roberto for two years and the latest scuttlebutt is they are now officially engaged. How true?
“Naku, hindi. Ang babata pa namin to seriously think of that. As of now, we’re just enjoying being together. Hindi kami nagmamadali,” says Barbie.
