ELLA CRUZ won as Cinemalaya best supporting actress for her role as the ill-fated teenager in “Edward”. She’s now nominated again in the coming Star Awards and we hope she’d win as she’s really good in that movie.
Ella now also stars in Viva’s horror film, “Biernes Santo”, to be shown on Viva Max starting March 26, the start of Holy Week. What are her childhood memories of Good Friday?
“Bata pa ako, we do Stations of the Cross kung Holy Week,” she says. “It serves din as a family reunion with my cousins and other relatives sa Bulacan, kasi lahat kami, walang work, so nagkakasama-sama kami para mag-bonding.”
How is it shooting a horror flick like “Biernes Santo”? “Naku, matatakutin ako. e. I don’t really watch horror films.
"Sa shoot namin nito, nakakatakot yung house where we shot ito, mukhang haunted house talaga. So nagkukulong lang ako sa kuwarto ko sa third floor with my P.A. and I come out lang kapag take na ng eksena ko.”
She got scared when “Biyernes Santo” co-star Gardo Verzosa said they heard someone playing the piano in the house where they shot the film. Someone investigated and saw that the piano player was headless.
“Ngeeee!” Ella cringes. “Buti na lang, hindi ko narinig yung tunog ng piano. May rocking chair nga doon sa room namin,e parang iba ang vibes niya sa buhay ko, ang feeling ko magro-rock siyang mag-isa, kaya pinaalis ko.”
She honestly believes “Biernes Santo” will give viewers a very good scare. “Itong movie namin, trailer pa lang natatakot na ako, lalo roon sa scene with Mama Mary na puro dugo.
"Tuwing makikita ko, nagugulat pa rin ako. Yung bahay where we shot the movie kasi, puno ng life-sized na mga santo and paintings na nakakatakot.”
Her role as an espiritista proved to be a very challenging one. “Kasi, ako yung kalaban ng evil spirits, ng mga demonyo, para hindi nila makuha si Via Ortega na anak ni Kuya Gardo.
"Panay ang dasal ko na sana naman, in real life, wala akong makitang evil spirits. Thank God, through my prayers, naprotektahan ako, kasi ayokong may maramdaman akong anything bad.
"So I don’t know kung I can watch the whole movie kasi I’m sure matatakot lang ako.”
Watch “Biernes Santo” on VIVAMAX online at web.vivamax.net or download the app on Google Play Store. Watch all you can on VIVAMAX for only P149/month, and get your VIVAMAX vouchers on Shopee and Lazada.
