The Renaissance of Juday

MANILA, Philippines -  Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo, whether in films or in her many advertisements, has always evoked the image of The Ultimate Filipina. She’s the woman you put a ring on, the woman you bring home to mom, the woman you’d like to call mom, the kumare you run to when things are dicey and a compassionate shoulder is necessary. And to sit down with her is to know that what you see is what you get for the most part, with a little bit extra. 

For instance, when Ms. Santos-Agoncillo talks about dealing with criticism, she shares instances when she regularly had to come face to face with writers who would publish the most ridiculous and unnecessary insults and lies about her. At a press conference, she ran into one particular writer who didn’t think she knew who he was and, playing dumb, asked her what she thought about others saying she was suplada and fat. She quickly and without hesitation replied, “Ah, ’yung sinulat mo?” It’s worth noting that as she tells this story, it is without any air or trace of salacious excitement, no “Look at me, I’m so wicked.” “She’s not here to cause a scene; she’s just not here to take anyone else’s sh*t. She shrugs lightly and says, “Kung matapang ka sa papel, kailangan matapang ka sa personal.”

That has always been the draw when it comes to Ms. Santos-Agoncillo, lovingly referred to by many as Juday: that she is so real. She says that she thought she was ready for her current circuit doing promos for her new film, but finds herself coping by eating everything in sight. “Isang mall show namin, pag pasok ko ng backstage, may donut, may chicken, may cake, may dinuguan. Tinira ko silang lahat,” she says, positively tickled. “Sirang-sira ’yung diet ko, pero ang happy ko. Sabi ko, ‘Bibigay ko na nga to sayo Juday, okay lang yan. Pagkatapos ng lahat nito, tawagan mo na lahat ng coach mo.” She talks about her husband having to set her straight every so often because she can fetch every excuse in the book to avoid working out. But she says that she has designated 2018 as the year to face all her fears, and she’s started by buying a white bathing suit. She says that when she turns 40, she wants to take a photo in that bathing suit and be proud of the shape she’s in.

No More Fears

Facing her fears includes the work she’s done on her current film, Jun Robles Lana’s Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes, starring opposite Angelica Panganiban. It’s the story of two women who find out that their husbands are having an affair with one another, and how they plan to exact revenge. “Sa pelikula na ‘to, si Lianne, ang ganda ganda ng character niya at hindi ko siya mabitawan, pero kaya ko ba siyang gawin? Si Lianne, hindi mo siya pwedeng gawin ng half-hearted ka. Kasi ‘pag nagdalawang-isip ka, liligwakin ka ng pelikula. Ikaw ’yung rotten tomato sa basket ng magagandang hinanda ng pelikula. If you’re not fully involved in this project, sayang ’yung pagod ng lahat ng tao kung ikaw ’yung kaisa-isang taong hindi gumawa ng trabaho ng tama,” says Ms. Santos-Agoncillo. “’Yung mga pa-boobs, ’yung mga mura, hindi ko naman ginawa yan sa kahit anong pelikula nung bata pa ako! And it’s actually refreshing.”

Ms. Santos-Agoncillo says it took some convincing for her to take on the role, not only because it was unlike anything she’d done before, but because her having slowed down in making films to take care of her young family made her more open and vulnerable to criticism. “You can make one film after another na patse-patse lang trabaho mo, but sometimes when you take a break and just do one film at a time, mas mapapansin pa trabaho mo. So I had to really tell myself, what’s important is ginawa mo ’yung film kasi gusto mo.” She adds, “Most of my life has been dedicated to making films and teleseryes, and wala akong masyadong chance pumili ng gusto kong gawin. Pinipili ako ng trabaho at pinipilit ako ng manager ko na. ‘Gawin mo to.’ So ngayon, nasa sitwasyon ako na pipili ako ng trabaho hindi dahil pihikan ako, kundi dahil I gave so much of my life already to this business. I have three lives na binubuo, including my marriage, and kung gagawa ako ng pelikula, it should be something really worth it.”

Is It Worth It?

She seems to be incredibly happy with her decision, and lauds the film in its handling of LGBTQIA matters. “We really live in a modern world, and it’s nice to see that being bakla isn’t funny anymore. It isn’t a punchline, and it goes so much deeper than someone just being lesbian or being gay. There are so many classifications that, to me, it gets confusing.” She stops for a bit and asks questions from others in the room as to whether someone who is transgender can be a lesbian (yes), and whether there are more lesbian sub-groups apart from butch or femme (yes). “Can you imagine, for someone who’s transgender, na feeling mo tutubuan ka ng pechay kasi alam mong babae ka, pero yung katawan mo lalaki? Gaano kahirap at gaano kasakit nun para sa isang tao? And all these classifications and groups deserve a lot of understanding and respect. I’m glad to be part of a film that’s helping to explain at least some of these things.”

Audiences also seem to be happy with her decision, as praise for her work in the film has been nonstop. Praise that, she admits, never gets old. “I looked up to women like Maricel, Sharon, Vilma and Nora. I was blessed to grow up around actors na very professional, maayos trumato sa mga tao at kapwa artista. May sinabi si Angelica na you get bits and pieces of each person that you idolize; hindi mo iniidolo yung kabuuan niya. But I can say na sa buong oras ko sa industriyang to, wala akong nakasamang unprofessional na artista. It was such a privilege to witness stars at their finest. Kaya nahimay ko sila at pinasok ko sila sa tinahak ko sa industriyang to.”

“Now, I get comments from young actresses like Angelica saying I’m their idol and ‘#goals.’ Of course, may kilig yun, hindi naman pwedeng hindi kiligin, ano ba! And it makes me think, ang layo layo na siguro ng narating ko para ako yung maging example nila. Okay, I did something right.” She then smiles, pats herself on the shoulder, and with a laugh, says, “In fairness sayo, Juday.”