According to Director Sigrid Andrea Bernardo, she really had Angel in mind for the role of Pilar but she considered it “suntok sa buwan” as they have a limited budget and Angel might be expensive. “Sabi ko, mahal tiyak yang si Angel,” says Direk Sigrid.
But her line producer sent the script to Angel and upon reading it, Angel quickly agreed to do it. Didn’t she have any hesitation, considering there were rumors then linking her in sapphic relationships? “No, naisip ko agad, kaya ko ‘to,” she says. “I’ve always been a very open-minded person.”
Has she received lesbianic proposals before? “Hindi naman, pero after the movie, naging honorary member na yata ako ng lesbian world. Ang dami talagang nagpaparamdam.”Does she approve of same sex relationships? “I believe that love should be freely expressed by anyone, regardless of gender, and you can give it to anyone you want to give it to.”
That doesn’t mean she’s now into same sex affairs. Her boyfriend is an Iranian named Farzad. In “Huling Cha Cha ni Anita”, she is a masseuse who returns to her hometown after spending many years abroad. The chismosas in their place quickly pounced on her as the reason why she left their home before is scandalous and veiled with mystery. It becomes obvious she has had an affair with Marcus Madrigal, who’s now about to marry another girl.
“When we were shooting this movie, I was doing ‘Apoy sa Dagat’ on TV, which is a very intense show,” says Angel. “So I always look forward to going to our set in Cavite for ‘Anita’ kasi lahat ng mga kasama ko rito, we became a family. Mga bata ang kasama ko rito and I enjoyed working with the kids who are pure and talented kaya ang sarap katrabaho. This movie will be very memorable for me kasi it gave me an Urian award, na pinapangarap ko talagang mapanalunan.”She and Direk Sigrid became such good friends that the director got her again for her next movie, “Lorna”, where she also excelled in her scenes with Shamaine Buencamino and Jim Paredes.
Currently, Angel is seen in “Ang Probinsyano” where she plays the role of a female general named Diana Olegario. Don’t miss Angel’s award-winning performance in “Ang Huling Cha Cha ni Anita” when it opens in SM Cinemas this Friday. Ticket price is only P120.00.