RHEN ESCANO went sexy in “Untrue”, “Adan” and “The Other Wife”.
She is now given her solo launching flick, “Paraluman”, where she plays a Mia, a young woman in a small town who falls in love with a man much older than her, Jao Mapa, who’s already living in with Gwen Garci.
This is one of her most daring films so far.
“I am aware that I will do sensitive scenes after I’ve read the script,” she says.
“So pinag-usapan muna namin ni Direk Yam Laranas ang requirements niya from me and I’m so happy kasi napakabilis niyang magtrabaho.
"One take lang lagi ang mga eksena with Jao. I have to trust both my director and co-actor. Hindi naman ako nahirapan.”
Jao is the oldest guy she has made love with on camera.
Didn’t she feel awkward at all? Does she know Jao as an actor from the 90s who has stopped acting for a while?
“First time ko makipag-love scene sa hindi ko ka-age bracket but hindi ko naman naramdaman yun. Hindi ako nailang at all,
"Yes, when they told me that he’ll be my leading man, kilala ko naman siya but I haven’t met him and I’m not familiar with his movies, so I watched muna his films available on youtube.
"Sobrang cute pala niya talaga before.”
So Jao is no longer cute now?
“In person, he’s still very cute up to now. Akala ko nung una, mahihirapan ako kasi nga first time namin to work with each other. But hindi naman.
"We had an acting workshop, at doon pa lang, I didn’t feel the age difference na.
"Nag-click kami agad and very cooperative siya all throughout the shoot na trabahuhin nang maayos lahat ng mga eksena namin.”
She says she enjoyed working Jao.
“Lock in shoot kami so I enjoy yung mga kuwentuhan namin. Kasi mas may experience siya sa’kin and he tells me stories about moviemaking then.
"He also gives me tips how to handle my career, how to deal with my co-actors, and I’m grateful for that. Very helpful siya as we study our scenes together, kung anong emotions at atake ang kailangan.
"I’m glad he’s back in doing movies and you should watch out for what he has to offer in our movie.
"Actually, na-excite ako sa ‘Paraluman’ kasi iba namang story ito that we offer sa viewers about forbidden love.”
In real life, will she fall for a much older man?
“I guess depende sa sitwasyon. Kasi galing ako sa broken family, naghiwalay ang parents ko so ayoko ng magulong relasyon.
"But if and when I’m put in that kind of situation, palagay ko, hindi ko pa rin basta masasabi na di ko magagawa. I have nothing against those pumapasok sa ganoong relasyon.
"Choice naman ng isang tao yun and I cannot judge them kasi malay natin, baka ma in love din ako with someone older. Lahat tayo may pagka-Mia, my character.
"Tayong lahat, kapag na in love tayo, kung minsan di natin alam kung tama o mali ang ginagawa natin kasi what matters most is that just we love someone.
"Nagkakamali tayo when it comes to love but at the end of the day, the important thing is matuto tayo sa mga maling desisyon na nagawa natin.
"Si Mia, may natutuhan siya sa naging journey at nag-grow siya in ‘Paraluman’.”
Rhen is in Singapore during the zoom presscon. She’s currently doing an international film entitled “Sunday”.
She plays a domestic helper working there and is paired with a Vietnamese actor Ho Thanh Trung and Singaporean actor Adrian Pang.
"I hope this will open new doors for me as I really want to try different kinds of roles and be recognized more as a good actress, not just someone who disrobes for the camera," she says.
