Bea Alonzo recently posed as Audrey Hepburn for The Best of Hollywood Tribute Photo Exhibit sponsored by the Velvet Channel. This event, which is already on its third year, is geared to promote the exclusive airing of the 83rd Academy Awards on Velvet and ABS-CBN. In an interview with Push.com.ph before her photo shoot, Bea shared that she is betting for Natalie Portman to win the Best Actress trophy for her performance in the movie Black Swan.After seeing Black Swan, Bea was very impressed with Natalie’s performance and that she salutes the Hollywood actress for the long and bloody preparation she went through for the role. Bea expressed her wish that maybe in one project she can be given months or a whole year to prepare for a single role. However, she knew that it’s impossible given the set up of showbiz in the Philippines.
“Sa Hollywood you are given like an entire year to prepare for one role. Dito sa atin you only have a month or two weeks to prepare before you shoot. So hindi talaga mag a apply sa atin ‘yung method acting. If mabigyan lang ako ng chance na mag prepare nang matagal I would love to. Mahirap lang ‘yun kapag two projects at the same time ang ginagawa mo, isang movie at isang teleserye usually.”
The 23-year-old actress, who is currently doing a teleserye with Robin Padilla and is about to begin shooting a movie with Vic Sotto, talked about the one time she was prepped for a role. When she was shooting the movie And I Love You So in 2009, director Lauren Dyogi gave her a surprise. “When I came to the set on the first day of shoot I was having a pretty and colorful day, I was holding a cup of coffee, sobrang energetic at 1PM. Direk Lauren told me, ‘Give me your cellphone. Isolate yourself. From now on you are not allowed to talk to anybody kasi today we’re going to shoot all your emotional scenes.’ Ang kukunan daw namin that day was the first anniversary of my husband’s death. Sabi ko pa ‘Are you serious?!’”
She was then made to stay in a room all alone and according to her, the isolation almost drove her crazy. “Wala akong makausap. Walang TV at cellphone. They were playing emotional songs. Timing pa na umuulan. Sabi sa akin I can cry whenever I feel like crying. Pakiramdam ko talaga para akong namatayan. Tipong makakatulog ka na sa sobrang pagod, pero paggising mo malungkot ka pa rin. Nasabi ko tuloy sa sarili ko, ‘Buti pa ‘yung ibon, malayang nakakalipad.’ I was so depressed!”
After many hours, she was called out of the room and was asked to shot a scene. Bea said she was carrying the melancholy emotion when she did the scene, even when the shoot was packed up and when she went home. “Kung ano na ‘yung hitsura ko, ‘yun na ang kinunan sa eksena. Wala akong make-up, ni hindi man lang na blower ‘yung buhok ko. Ang eksena was pinahiga ako sa bato and iiyak lang ako nang iiyak. After ng scene, siyempre cut. Pero ayoko nang bumitaw sa bato. Gusto ko na lang umiyak nang umiyak. Sabi ko kay Direk, ‘Wag mo nang gagawin sa akin ‘to kahit kailan!’ Paguwi ko sa bahay nakatingin lang ako sa ceiling, umiiyak lang ako kasi hindi ko na makalimutan ‘yung lungkot.”
