SHARON CUNETA is now back before the camera shooting a new movie in Subic, “Revirginized”, for Viva Films, directed by Darryl Yap, who made such controversial films as “Jowable”, “Gusto Ko Maging Pornstar” and “Tililing”.
Doesn’t she mind being directed by a new director?
“Not at all,” she says at the film's zoom presscon. “When I made ‘Crying Ladies’, the producer, Tony Gloria, surprised the director, Mark Meily, hindi niya sinabi na ako ang magiging artista niya.
"It’s Mark Meily’s first directorial job and he also wrote the script, just like Direk Darryl now. Ako naman, ever since my first movie, ‘Dear Heart’, which was written and directed by the late Danny Zialcita, I always consider the director as the captain of the show.
"He’s the boss, I don’t mind if he’s a new director. I’m very respectful to my directors.
"The important thing is he knows what he is doing. E, ako, I’ve never been a diva naman on the set. My co-workers in the 60 movies that I did can attest to that. Very respectfully, I make suggestions kung makakaganda.
"I’ve seen Direk Darryl’s movie, ‘Pornstar’, and I can see he knows what he’s doing. Sa zoom meeting pa lang namin, excited na akong gawin ito. I like to be on happy sets and the set we have now is a very happy one.”
Is she aware of the kind of coarse and offbeat humor that is the trademark of Direk Darryl?
“Yes, I’ve seen ‘Pornstar’ at sabi ko nga bakit hindi ako isinama roon, e pangarap kong maging pornstar, joke!” she says. “When he pitched it to me, maganda yung story.
"I’m excited to do it pero may konting kaba. But he’s one of the young bloods in showbiz today at maganda yung ideas niya. So okay sa’kin to try, kasi bago ito for me.
"I’ve done 60 movies and this one is very new to me. Siguro naman I’m now entitled to have the license to experiment in doing something different.”
She said Direk Darryl is willing to compromise.
“I don’t want naman to do something that will make my fans feel alienated . So with regards to dialogue, I can make suggestions naman how to go around it. Even the behavior of my character, hindi naman puedeng you’ll just jump into something without the proper preparation or explanation.”
What is exactly her role?
“I play Carmela. At 16 years old, nagkaroon na siya ng baby. So naging ina agad siya, hindi naranasang magdalaga. Now, manang na manang siya.
"But she meets a new friend who takes her to a beach party and makes her experience everything that she has not experienced before.
"I can relate with her kasi I also got married at 18 and ang world ko noon was just shooting and doing my TV show. I was robbed of my privacy and anonymity, but I don’t regret it.”
How did Direk Darryl feel working with the Megastar?
“Up to now, hindi ako makapaniwala na ka-text ko siya at katrabaho ko siya," says the young director. "Hanggang ngayon, fan na fan pa rin niya ako. Siempre kabado ako noong una, but when I met her, she’s very supportive.
"Her warmth is very empowering. She knows my work and she is willing to work with my formula. Iba naman itong gagawin niya from the usual. It’s out of the box, but straight from the heart.”
Ate Shawie is being complimented by fans for her new slimmer figure.
“I started dieting in January of 2016 yet, but now lang talaga napansin yung loss of weight ko. Kasi on and off ako sa dieting. Pag may nakita kong food na hindi ko kinain, I tell myself, what if I'd die tomorrow, at hindi ko natikman yun.
"But now, tikim-tikim na lang. Hindi na ko kumakain ng isang bandehado.”
She’s happy that people notice her weight loss.
“Now lang talaga nila napansin, e. They message me and tell me I inspire them. I’m already 55 and I’m happy that I can inspire other women to be healthy. I’m just glad to feel healthier now, so I can see my grandchildren and I can run with them.
"It’s also for health reasons and not just because you look good on screen. Gusto ko pang gumawa ng love stories like Meryl Streep when she did ‘It’s Complicated’.
"Love stories should not be exclusive to young women but even with those who are in their 50s or 60s.”
She’s very active in social media but we noticed she’s no longer not that easily annoyed by bashers.
“I realized na nung pumapatol ako noon, kasi it’s still brand new to me. E, lumaki ako na I’m used to having confrontations nang harapan.
"E, sa twitter, na-sho-shocked ako as they feel so empowered to be so bastos in bashing you. So I realized how why am I engaging these people when I don’t really know who they are?
"I don’t know what their motives are. But I have thicker skin now. I don’t want to be like them, I don’t like to confront monsters and end up being one.”
But she still gets annoyed when it’s her kids who are being insulted.
“Now, I react lang kapag ang anak ko ang inaatake as we raised them very well, they’re decent human beings. Ako’ng nasasaktan for them kasi nanay ako. Ayokong madamay sila.
"My daughter Frankie is very strong in her opinions and I won’t stop her for saying what she thinks. She doesn’t want to see injustice, she’s so pro-poor, she cares for the people around her. Now, pag hindi ko na gusto sinasabi nila sa anak, dine-delete ko na lang.”
How does Sen. Kiko Pangilinan feel that she’s doing a movie that pushes the envelope when it comes to doing absurd or gross comedy?
“I am so blessed to have a husband like Kiko na very understanding. Kagabi lang niya ako tinanong? Ano ba story niyan?
"He’s very supportive. Kahit mga ex na ka-love team ko, ok lang sa kanya to do love scenes with them. Sabi nga niya, trabaho mo na yan bago pa naging tayo. I’m very blessed that he knows acting is my passion and my craft.”
Aside from Sharon, also in the cast of “Revirginized” are Rosanna Roces, Albert Martinez, Cristina Gonzalez and Marco Gumabao who will be Sharon’s younger leading man.
