KLEA PINEDA is turning 24 on March 19.
A stunning morena beauty and statuesque at 5’9”, we don’t know what’s stopping her from joining a beauty pageant. We think she has a good chance of bagging a title as she’s also very articulate.
She was discovered when she won in Starstruck 6 in 2015 with Migo Adecer (who has since returned to his native Australia.)
She was given a lead role in “Magkaagaw” in 2020. Now, after three years, she is finally given a new series and is playing a contravida role in her new assignment, “AraBella”.
As Gwen, she is Camille Prats’ scheming stepmother who will oppress Shayne Sava as Ara.
She accepted the role after she got good feedback for her guest role in “Bolera” as Kylie Padilla’s competitor in billiards.
“It’s a big challenge for me to do a full length villain role,” she says.
“First time ko to do it and, surprisingly, I am now enjoying it.
"Pero noong una, nangangapa pa ako kung ano ang tamang timpla para magawa ko nang maayos ang role ko. I really took time to study it.
"I want to be effective, but I don’t want to be just stereotyped as a contravida, so gusto ko ibang klaseng villain ang ipakita ko.
"Sa kalagitnaan ng taping namin, I think nakuha ko naman and you be the judge how I did in my role as Gwen.”
She’s glad to be given the chance to work with Camille Prats.
“In ‘AraBella’, si Ricardo Cepeda ang daddy ni Ate Cams as Roselle. Ako ang naging second wife ng dad niya who’s much younger than him.
"When her dad died, na-insecure akong baka kay Ate Cams mapunta ang kayamanan at business na naiwan ng dad niya, so I scheme against her.
"Hindi ko nga ma-imagine na contravida ako kay Ate Cams. I used to watch her as Princess Sara, kaya sobrang saya kong nakatrabaho ko siya ngayon.”
So how is it working with Camille?
“Masaya lagi ang chikahan namin sa aming tent. Ang dami rin niyang insights na shinare sa akin about life, about decision-making.
"So I realized na may reason kung bakit siya patuloy na tinatangkilik ng tao hanggang ngayon.
"It’s not just she’s good in acting, but love niya talaga ang job nila. Nakaka-inspire.”
She also had a grand time working with veteran actors like Nova Villa and Ronnie Lazaro who played the lola and lola who raised Althea Ablan and who turned out to be con-artists who just want to use her to make money.
“Working with respected actors like Tita Nova and Tito Ronnie is a great leaning experience.
"They shared so much about their experiences, so ang dami ko talagang natututunan sa kanila kasi they’re so generous to a relative newcomer like me.
"Pati yung mga bata, sina Shayne and Althea, talagang inaalalayan nila sa mabibigat na eksena.”
So is she satisfied to just play supporting contravida roles?
“Well, hindi naman. I’m hoping sa next project ko, mabigyan ulit ako ng lead role, but I’m glad na-experience kong mag-villain role like here in ‘AraBella’.
"My dream role really is to do an action movie or a series, which I haven’t had the chance to do so far.
"I’m excited to show my skills sa motorbikes and sa fight scenes so sana, mabigyan ako ng chance to do action.”