Prior to being handpicked by director Brillante Mendoza as one of the lead stars of his latest film, actress Charo Santos shared that the project had become a kind of manifestation for her and longtime friend Boots Anson Roa-Rodrigo, who had been toying with an idea of working together onscreen in the previous years.
“Naku, wish fulfillment! Kasi a year or two before this happened, nag-mi-meeting kami ni tita Boots tapos sabi niya, ‘Charo, sana bago tayo mag-retire, makagawa tayo ng pelikula together. At sana hindi tayo mag-ate. Sana lovers.’ And actually I was kind of shocked. Nagulat ako that the suggestion came from her. Pero, I don’t know. Parang na-manifest siguro. Kasi nag-align. Binigay ng universe. Dumating yung offer ni direk Brillante and of course, another check off the bucket list namin. And then they offered us to work with Barbie (Forteza),” she said.
Now both in their senior citizen years, Charo shared how she and Boots jumped at the chance to play lesbian lovers who finally get to reunite in their later years in the LGBT-themed film. “It’s something different. Alam niyo, sa edad namin, naghahanap kamin ng mga roles o mga characters that will stretch our limits. Para iba naman. And we’ve been through life so may baon kaming lalim, may baon na kaming experience. Sana madala namin yun sa mga magagndang ginagawa namin,” she added.
Even though she and her veteran co-star have been colleagues in the industry for the past five decades, Charo said that she is happy to finally work alongside her idol in showbiz.
“We’ve known each other for more than 50 years. I met her when I was only 17 years old. Pero ngayon lang kami nagkasama sa isang pelikula. Marami kaming pinagsasamahan na mga ibang activities sa industriya. Pero as co-actors, talagang ngayon lang. And malaking pasasalamat kasi she’s always been my idol, my role model, and now masasabi kong kasama ko na siya sa filmography,” she proudly shared.
READ: Barbie Forteza on working with Charo Santos for the first time: ‘Walang ka-ere ere!’
As for her younger co-star Barbie Forteza, who plays her granddaughter in the film, Charo shared how she had already been watching the in-demand artist’s teleseryes even before they started shooting Until She Remembers.
“Sinubaybayan ko talaga yung serye niya. I was so engaged with her character and her performance. Magaling na artista si Barbie. Talagang engaged na engaged ako sa character niya. Pagkatapos nun, pinanuod ko pa yung mga iba niyang ginawa. And then when I met her on the set, magkasama kami sa dressing room. Eh alam niyo naman ako, I’m the type to break the ice and say hi, how are you, kamusta. Pero hindi naman tungkol sa love life (laughs). Mga tanong tungkol lang sa pamilya. I really wanted to get to know Barbie as a person outside of being an artista. Gusto kong makilala siya. Kasi kilala ko siya bilang artista. Magaling siya. Importante sa akin na makilala ko yung bata. Importante talaga sa akin. And I found a very simple, down-to-earth, 16-year-old (laughs). So sana naman hindi siya na-nerbiyos. Hindi ko naman naramdaman. Kasi ganun ang sinasabi di ba? Hindi naman,” she said.
Until She Remembers was produced by Solar Studios Inc. and Center Stage Productions, with Wilson Tieng as executive producer. The film also stars Charo Santos, Barbie Forteza, and Boots Anson Roa-Rodrigo. Written and directed by Brillante Mendoza. Until She Remembers opens on Wednesday, February 25 in cinemas nationwide.