Success hasn’t changed Alessandra

Alessandra de Rossi’s film “Kita Kita” with Empoy Marquez may have grossed more than P320 million, but the success didn’t change the actress one bit.

At the press conference of her forthcoming movie titled “12” where she is paired with newcomer Ivan Padilla, Alessandra says the strong box-office showing of her recent movie doesn’t mean she will undergo a 180-degree turn in terms of career moves.

“Wala namang nabago sa akin. ‘Yung mga bagay na hindi ko gusto noon when it comes to accepting film roles ay ganoon pa rin,” said the suddenly hot property who is better known as a character actress than a box-office star.

“People are telling me that I am the box-office queen, but I don’t feel it. Nasaan ba ang office na iyan at gusto kong pumasok,” joked Alessandra, remaining level-headed despite having starred in a blockbuster.

She admits to dreaming of one day being offered a project as a lead actress that would make money. As an actress, she hasn’t been wanting in quality projects. She has had her share of award-winning movies, but had yet to get one that will earn big bucks.

“I am happy with the projects coming my way. Kahit na lead or support ang role ko, masaya naman ako. Pero dito sa ‘12,’ alam kong mahirap ipangako that it will earn as much as ‘Kita Kita’ but Boss Vic said he believes in the project kaya he gambled in producing it,” she said.

She has a lot of film story ideas and is very thankful that Boss Vic del Rosario and director Dondon Santos liked the concept for “12” which is an unusual love story.

However, it took time before “12” began filming. Alex said she and Direk Dondon had a hard time looking for the right leading man. They even called for auditions via Facebook, hoping to find the perfect choice.

They settled for Ivan, a Fil-Am actor who has good acting background and is a member of the Padilla clan in showbiz.

“I felt Ivan and I had instant connection during the shoot so I think we found in him the right leading man. Click kami agad sa mga eksena,” said Alex.

“12” will hit theaters nationwide on November 8.

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Making her screen debut in “Spirit of the Glass 2: The Haunted” is newcomer Ashley Ortega who feels fortunate to have been given the chance to be part of the horror offering from OctoArts Films. This is her first horror movie and first acting assignment under master director Joey Reyes.

She is likewise very thankful to her co-stars Cristine Reyes, Maxine Medina, Benjamin Alves, Daniel Matsunaga and Enrico Cuenca who made each shooting day memorable. “We all had fun during the shoot. We were like one big happy family,” said Ashley.

During the filming of “Spirit of the Glass 2: The Haunted,” she and screen partner Enrico Cuenca became close friends. They were together in a Jollibee commercial that went viral. Aside from this movie, Enrico is also her partner in the GMA-7 series “Super Ma’am.” No wonder, they got even closer.

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Enrico was just vacationing in the country which he left for the United States when he was 12. It was in the US where he finished college. But the planned short vacation in his homeland turned out to be a blessing for Enrico. He was just trying his luck when he auditioned for the Jollibee commercial and was luckily chosen to play the lead opposite Ashley.

The commercial went viral and soon he was signed up by GMA-7 and cast in “Super Ma’am.”

He also considers it a blessing to be chosen to be one of the lead actors of “Spirit of the Glass 2: The Haunted.”

“It is a cool experience to be given the opportunity to work with a great director like Joey Reyes,” said Enrico.

In such a short time, he has learned quite a lot about acting. He was also able to brush up on his Tagalog although he didn’t really forget it. Besides, he has a good teacher in Ashley.

Enrico is looking forward to doing more movies and TV shows. “Spirit of the Glass 2: The Haunted” opens in cinemas nationwide on November 1.