Kapamilya actress Gladys Reyes recalled earning ₱5,000 per episode while taping the hit series, Mara Clara, back in the '90s. In an interview with veteran showbiz columnist Ogie Diaz, the Star Magic talent shared how the series opened the doors for her and Judy Ann Santos to star in a film which would help them afford to buy a car.
Mara Clara was the longest-running drama series of ABS-CBN as it ran for five years, from 1992 to 1997, and would later be overtaken by FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano which ran from 2015 to 2022.
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Gladys shared that she and Judy Ann would have the same talent fee during the run of the hit drama series. Despite having the titular roles back then, ₱5,000 was the amount they were paid per episode.
While ₱5,000 may have been a big amount back then, the Kapamilya star maintained that it wasn’t enough for her to save up for a car.
“Kami ni Juday, naalala ko around ₱5,000 [per episode] I think. Imagine mo, kami yung title role doon pero yun yung [sweldo]. Pero, nung time na yun nung '90s, hindi naman sobrang laki pero medyo okay okay na din. Kaya alam mo, hindi kami nakaipon ng pang bili ng sasakyan sa Mara Clara sa totoo lang,” she recalled.
She added that it was the late Regal Entertainment head Lily Monteverde that made it possible for them to save up for a car. She remembered that it was Mother Lily that saw potential in them and produced the film, Sana Naman, which was a commercial success.
“Hindi kami nakabili ng sasakyan dahil sa Mara Clara… [Si Mother Lily] ang unang-una nagbigay sa amin ng pagkakataon para mag bida sa pelikula through the movie Sana Naman directed by Boots Plata. Akala ng mga tao ito yung Mara Clara the movie kasi ito yung nagbugbugan kami sa labahan,” she explained.
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Gladys shared how happy the late Mother Lily was with the film’s success that they were given a bonus for their work which she then used to buy a car.
“Grabe sumabog yung movie kasi nung nag premiere night kami, ito talaga yung sobrang siksikan ng tao… Sa tuwa ni Mother Lily, binigyan kami ng bonus ganyan at doon kami nakabili ng sasakyan. Hindi talaga sa series kasi siyempre maliit liit lang yung ₱5,000,” she said.
Recently, Gladys signed a contract with ABS-CBN’s artist management, Star Magic, after being in the care of the late Lolit Solis in the past three decades. She will be joining her son, Christof, who is under the same management as well.