GINA PARENO is a big hit on Tiktok where she acts and does millennial dance crazes as Lola Gets.
She has no less than 1.6 million subscribers and 8 million views. At the zoom presscon of her new movie with Viva, “Tililing”, she revealed that doing Tiktok helped in preserving her sanity in this time of the pandemic.
“Nang mag-lockdown, halos mabaliw ako kasi wala akong ginagawa, walang trabaho, bawal lumabas ang senior citizens,” she says.
“So nag-tiktok ako, at hindi na ako baliw ngayon. Sa tiktok kasi, andami kong ginagawa.
"Nakakasayaw ako, nakakaarte ako, nakakapagpalit-palit ako ng mga damit at, higit sa lahat, I can communicate directly with my followers at masarap sa pakiramdam yun.
"So nakaraos ako, kaya thank you talaga sa tiktok.”
Gina has been in the industry for 57 long years, but she now gets to play one of her most challenging roles ever in “Tililing”, which is about mental illness.
“I play Lola Soccoro,” she says “Isa akong dating comfort woman.
"Nabaliw ako ng dahil sa pag-ibig, sobrang magmahal, at na-confine ako sa mental hospital with Candy Pangilinan as the contravidang nurse na assigned sa akin.”
What is the craziest thing she has done in real life? She thought about it for a while before making a reply.
“Wala naman,” she says. “I don’t think may nagawa akong kabaliwan sa buhay ko. Never akong nabaliw ng dahil sa pagibig. Kasi pag ako umibig, honestly, mahal kita talaga at hindi kabaliwan yun.”
Gina is happy to have worked with young director Darryl Yap who hit it big with “Jowable”.
“Kakaiba siya, magaganda ang ideas niya and I’m so happy na nakatrabaho ko ang isang batang director na kagaya niya.”
Direk Darryl, in turn, says: “Pangarap ko talagang maidirek si Tita Gina kaya dream come true for me na makatrabaho siya ngayon dito sa ‘Tililing’.
"Isa siya sa pinakamahusay nating aktres sa industriya at dapat lang siyang bigyan ng nararapat na pagpapahalaga.”
Gina couldn’t help but cry because of Direk Darryl’s tribute to her. She says she hopes she is able to give justice to her role in “Tililing”.
“Panoorin nyo ang movie kasi hindi lang kayo mae-entertain kundi marami rin kayong makukuhang insights dito, lalo na tungkol sa how we should treat people with mental illness.”
“Tililing” will open in theaters and on VivaMax on March 5.
You can subscribe on vivamax.net or download VIVAMAX app on Google play for only P149 and you can watch all all the shows on Vivamax Atin ‘To.
