Elisse Joson has been juggling a packed schedule as she balances work and family life. One moment, she’s filming on set or promoting a project, and the next, she’s at home, whipping up meals as a hands-on mom to three-year-old Felize. But despite the chaos, she knows how to separate Elisse the actress from Elisse the mother. At home, she keeps it simple, completely stripped of the glam.
She brought this up while talking about her latest role as Atty. Jessica Valdez, a character who moves with precision and carries an air of intimidating elegance, in "Saving Grace: The Untold Story." Originally, the plan was for Elisse to sport a short blonde bob for the role, but since she was filming the series alongside another movie where she needed a consistent look, that idea didn’t push through. Instead, director FM Reyes thought the 'big hair' would be enough to make Atty. Jessica exude power and sophistication.
On building her character, Elisse said she wanted Jessica to look confident, especially since she’s the daughter of an influential TV host portrayed by Sharon Cuneta. She wanted to make it look like Jessica got her strong personality from her mom.
When it comes to any role she takes on, particularly as the bad girl, Elisse always wants to bring something fresh and different from the previous villains she’s played. And she’s satisfied with how her portrayal of Jessica turned out, though she admits it’s far from perfect. This self-critique tendency is actually why she avoids watching herself on screen, as she knows she’ll end up dissecting every movement and pinpointing every little mistake.
"But other than that, appreciating it as a whole, I'm really happy with how it turned out, kasi mababasa mo 'yung mga comments ng mga tao," she shared, adding that she genuinely appreciates the feedback whether it’s from online comments or people who recognize her in real life and call her “Atty. Jessica” when they see her.
Elisse immediately said yes to the project the moment she heard the cast lineup, and that was even before knowing what role she’d be playing. She was thrilled to work with everyone, especially Julia Montes, who had been one of her dream co-stars since her early days in showbiz. "When I was just starting, 'pag nagkikita kami sa isang derma clinic noon, kahit starting pa lang ako, ang bait niya. So doon pa lang sa pagiging mabait niya, gusto ko na siyang makatrabaho. Bonus na lang 'yung napakagaling niyang aktres," she shared.
Of course, she was also beyond elated to share the screen with Sharon who, coincidentally enough, shares the same birthday as her. Sharing a project with the Megastar is already a huge gift, but actually playing her on-screen daughter takes the honor much, much higher. Add to that, her real-life mom is one of the biggest Sharonians she knows. "Kinilig siya," she revealed, recalling her mom’s reaction to her working with Sharon. "Ang sabi niya, 'Sana makakuha ka pa ng more shows and projects that you'll always remember for the rest of your life.'"
Indeed, she had an unforgettable filming experience with the cast. She already misses everyone and the bond they formed on set. Time flew by without them realizing it, since they were all so immersed in filming. Elisse shared that it was only during the last stretch of shooting that they felt how short their time together was. Now, with the series already done streaming on Prime Video, and soon to air on Kapamilya platforms, she can’t help but look back fondly on those moments.
She especially misses the deep conversations on set, where she learned so much from veteran actresses Sharon and Janice de Belen, both of whom were very motherly to everyone. And as a first-time mom, she truly enjoyed their discussions about motherhood, "'Yung mga wisdom na nakukuha ko sa kanila, gustong-gusto ko 'yun."
Elisse’s love interest in the series is played by Sam Milby, whom she worked with for the first time and described as a true gentleman. "Sa set, hindi mo mararamdaman sa kanya na matagal na siya sa industriya o may nabuo na siyang pangalan," she said. "It was a breeze. He would always make me feel comfortable on set, lalo na sa mga eksena namin. And he always tries to reach out, kahit off-cam, nakikipag-chikahan siya sa amin."
When asked about her favorite scenes from the series, her top pick was the heartbreaking moment where Grace, played by newcomer child star Zia Grace, watched the birds fly and wished they would take her with them because she feels unloved at home. She then asked if her mother sees her as garbage just like how she's often treated and confined inside a sack. This wasn’t just Elisse’s favorite scene; it was probably a standout for every viewer who watched and was left in tears.
Elisse also mentioned about her confrontation scene with Sharon, which they nailed in just one take despite the pressure she was feeling. Another favorite was her intense scene with Julia at the police station, which had minimal dialogue but was packed with emotion through their eyes and facial expressions.
The Kapamilya Chat segment wrapped up with Elisse giving a meaningful message to her character, Jessica: "No matter what people say or think about you, I think you're on the right track," she said. "Nagsimula siya nang may mga hinanakit, but she didn’t use that to keep grudges. Towards the end, meron siyang puso talaga."
Get to know Atty. Jessica even more in "Saving Grace: The Untold Story," featuring additional scenes not included in the original airing, starting March 3 on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, TV5, and A2Z.