Isabelle gives kontrabida a new face

Isabelle Daza admitted that she enjoys playing a kontrabida in the Kapamilya afternoon soap Tubig at Langis in which she stars with Cristine Reyes and Zanjoe Marudo.

“My character, the mistress Clara Samaniego, is not a run-of-the-mill antagonist,” said Isabelle. There’s so much more to her than a fiendish delight in making life miserable for Irene and Natoy, played by Cristine and Zanjoe, respectively.

“I think what I enjoy about playing kontrabida in Tubig at Langis is that the directors and I would talk, and we decided to show the human side of my character. We wanted to show the perspective of Clara, that she’s only human, nag-mahal lang siya, kaya siya naging ganun. I wanted to challenge myself by trying to bring the audience on my side because of that. So I’ve kind of been fighting for them, too,” she said.

?According to Isabelle, her mother Gloria is one of her staunchest supporters. As far as that fight — not to mention the fight to make it in showbiz — is concerned, Gloria is behind her daughter all the way.

“Mom is the kontrabida in my life,” Isabelle joked at the Tubig at Langis thanksgiving presscon. “I’m kidding! She’s my No. 1 critic and supporter, so she’s a kontrabida and fan.”

?Having a kontrabida-slash-fan like Gloria in her life, as well as the Tubig at Langis family, helped Isabelle get through the passing of her father, former Makati City councilor Bong Daza last July 14. Isabelle is grateful to her co-stars, as well as the people behind the show, for the support they gave her during that difficult time. They have also been a source of relief for her when planning her upcoming wedding to French businessman Adrien Semblat became kind of overwhelming.

“In fairness to my Tubig at Langis family, they’ve been supportive. They’ve been helping out. When my Dad passed away, they adjusted to my schedule so I want to say thank you to them for doing that for me. I felt their love and support. I’m happy to have been part of their family,” she said.

Isabelle is proud to say that she’s on good terms with everyone in the cast, including Cristine, even if they’re playing people who are at odds with each other.

“Well, nagkakasakitan kami ni AA — Cristine’s nickname — sa eksena pero after that we’re friends naman. We can’t avoid getting hurt because we don’t want to fake the scenes. We wanted the slapping scene to look real. With AA and I, we would talk before every take. She tells me to slap her as hard as I want to. We would also talk off-cam. Like when I left for France, I texted her to say sorry kasi kailangan niya mag-adjust. Cristine said she understands because when she was shooting No Other Woman, she got sick and people had also to adjust to her. AA also said, ‘Don’t think of us. Put your family first.’ I appreciated that.”

?Isabelle treasures the bonds she has while working on the show. But even more special to her is the validation she has received as an actress, from co-workers and strangers alike. She’s even open to the possibility of more kontrabida roles and isn’t afraid of being typecast because she found herself as an actress.

“It’s my first time to get this much feedback on a role,” she marveled. “I don’t know if I could be nominated for an acting award. I hope so. But I think my success is also down to our directors because I believe you’re only as good as your directors. It’s OK with me to be typecast as a kontrabida because work is work. I’m happy to have work.” — With reports from Almed Garcia and Julian Mauricio