ASHLEY ORTEGA is so ecstatic that her primetime series, “Hearts On Ice”, is rating very well and getting very positive feedback from its regular viewers.
She admits she was worried before it started airing as this is the first local show that focuses on figure skating.
“But now, I’m just very grateful for all the support that the audience is giving our show,” she says.
“Ang dami kong hirap in my role as Ponggay in ‘Hearts on Ice’, but now, I can say that all the falls, the cuts, the bruises, all the battle scars at lahat ng hirap ko in doing the show, it all paid off well and it’s all worth it.”
In a video she shared in social media, she showed the mishaps that happened while doing some scenes where accidents occur while she is figure skating.
In one video, she slipped and fell, then she slid on the ice and her arms and knees got wounded.
“Pati ang likod ko masakit dahil sa pagbagsak ko. The production staff and crew always tell me to be extra careful but such accidents really happen and cannot be totally avoided in our sport, no matter how careful you are.”
She still considers “Hearts On Ice” an answered prayer, a dream come true for her.
“Kasi I get to figure skate and also act in a beautiful story, at the same time.
"When I did this, kakaiba rin ang pressure kasi first big solo project ko ito and I know mataas ang expectations ng mga tao sa akin.
"At first, nagwo-worry ako, what if I’d do something wrong? But naisip kong useless lang mag-worry. So I just gave every scene my best shot and enjoyed the whole process.”
She’s extra thankful to her parents who, early on, enrolled her in figure skating lessons that sent her to compete abroad.
“My younger sister is also a professional figure skater while my brother naman is ice hockey player. So we’re all into ice.
"Being in a show like ‘Hearts on Ice’ is my tribute to them dahil malaki rin ang naging gastos nila sa akin since the time they first enrolled my in ice skating.
"Ngayon, nagbunga naman ng maganda ang efforts nila para matuto ako sa sport na ito.”
It’s good that when she became so busy in doing “Hearts On Ice”, her lovelife is zero as she has already broken with her politician boyfriend, Mayor Mark Alcala of Lucena City.
“It was a mutual decision naman,” she says. “Okay naman kami. But as for me, it’s my choice na ang concentration ko talaga right now is my acting career.
"I want it to have my undivided attention. Dito ko talaga ibinubuhos ang lahat ng efforts and oras ko sa ngayon. Wala talagang time para magka-love life.”
She's now a certified ICE QUEEN and she wants to thank all her co-stars in “Hearts On Ice”.
“I am so grateful to Amy Austria who plays my mom, also Tonton Gutierrez, Lito Pimentel, Ina Feleo, Skye Chua and of course, my leading man, Xian Lim, na todo rin ang suporta and effort para mapaganda namin ang show.
"And yes, our director, Dominic Zapata. Hindi mabubuo ito without his artistic guidance.”
