MANILA — Actress Kira Balinger faced one of the most challenging roles of her career as she portrayed a domestic violence victim in the series “The Loyalty Game.”
In an interview with Ganiel Krishnan on “Oh My Gan!,” Balinger shared that she plays Angel Lucto, the youngest and newest member of a group of loyalty testers.
Angel is a regular college student who takes on the unusual job to earn her own allowance. Being new to the profession, she receives guidance from the more experienced loyalty testers, who warn her about the risks involved in their work.
“She’s actually the youngest one, 'yung pinaka-newest recruit nila. Medyo naive, hindi niya pa gamay yung pagiging loyalty tester,” Balinger explained.
The actress admitted that she initially thought loyalty testing was merely created for the series. She later learned that it became a real source of income for some people during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Times were tough in the pandemic, so they had to find a way to generate income,” she said, adding that the separation experienced by couples during lockdowns may have also intensified trust issues.
Beyond Angel’s work as a loyalty tester, the character also experiences domestic violence, a storyline Balinger found difficult to portray because it was far from her personal experiences.
“Thank you, Lord, I’ve never experienced that. But it was very, very challenging for me. Kasi how do I even put myself in the shoes of somebody who is a victim of domestic violence?” she said.
Determined to treat the sensitive subject with care, Balinger researched the experiences of real-life survivors by watching their stories online.
“I wanted that portrayal to be done properly,” she stressed.
Balinger said her preparation depends on the demands of a character. For some roles, she avoids overanalyzing the script so her performance will feel spontaneous. However, she makes it a point to conduct extensive research when a character represents an important social issue or an experience she cannot personally relate to.
The actress said viewers, particularly women, can learn an important lesson from Angel’s journey.
“To choose yourself and to be strong enough to walk away,” Balinger said of her character’s message.
She added that staying in a situation where one is no longer receiving what they deserve may eventually cause a person to lose themselves.
“Kahit na sobrang mahal mo 'yung tao, it comes to a point talaga na you have to choose yourself. Otherwise, maubos ka,” she said.
“The Loyalty Game,” which also stars Yen Santos, Elisse Joson, Maika Rivera, Janine Gutierrez and Jericho Rosales, became available on Prime Video on July 3.