Iza on what she considers her ‘best acting performance’

Iza Calzado knows acting is a born talent yet she also believes that anyone can train to be an actor.

“There are people who are naturally gifted with it. And for some actors, their eyes alone (can) express emotions, like Judy Ann (Santos) or Zaijian (Jaranilla). But there are also people who have harnessed their talent through the years. Maybe they weren’t as good when they started, you know it’s like clocking in your time. ‘Di ba, it takes 10,000 hours to be really, really good at something? I also believe in that,” said Iza, who took the time for a one-on-one interview on my podcast Who Are You When No One Is Watching? a few days ago. The 10,000-hour rule, by the way, was popularized by Malcolm Gladwell’s blockbuster book Outliers.

If there’s one thing that helps Iza’s acting performances become amazing instead of just being commonplace, it’s knowing her lines. She reads the script many times so as not to sound robotic.

“I memorize my lines and if I feel anxious, I just breathe and I shake and do ‘rrrr’ (sound). I do a lot of things. Actually, from the time I wake up pa lang, I’m already telling myself affirmations about being an actress. I’d say, ‘I am genuine, I am brilliant, I am talented.’

“That’s how I prepare for some moments so I can relax. Sometimes, iba pa yung, ‘I need to be in the moment.’ Being in the moment pulls you there. If I have to connect to an object or to my co-actor, I will do that.”

Iza, who entered showbiz in 2002, recalled the time when she had to do a scene with such great actors as Jaclyn Jose, Cherry Pie Picache and Tirso Cruz III. It was still vivid in her memory how she felt so intimidated while watching their stunning performances.

“That was in 2006 and I was just four years into this (business) so I was very intimidated. But Cherry Pie, she’s a very warm person; very generous, but still, ako yung oh my god, Take 1, binigay na yung lahat ni Cherry Pie. I wasn’t able to deliver because I was just looking at her and wondering how she’s doing it. Ang husay! And you know, that happened to me many times. I was absolutely floored like how’s this person doing that?

“Tirso Cruz III, I think in our scene in Etiquette for Mistresses, I was at some point kumawala ako ng konti kasi I was observing like how he was like so just there. That’s how I get intimidated, papanoorin na lang kita,” she added.

Here are more excerpts from my one-on-one interview with Iza:

When you do a scene in a movie, you have Take 1, Take 2, Take 3. Are you a Take 1 actress or when you do a number of takes, is every take different?

“You know, I believe in the magic of Take 1 when it flows and when you’re actually so ready because as actors, we have to be relaxed, actually. The mind has to be relaxed.”

How do you relax in an environment that is not conducive to relaxation?

“I know, and when everyone’s watching you, right? It’s hard and to this day, I don’t get to relax all the time. But you know, you breathe, you tell yourself you can do this.”

Let’s go with that particular scene that you did, for example, with Toni Gonzaga in Starting Over Again. Okay, so you’re ready for that particular scene lahat ng paghahanda ginawa mo and then something happens. Your co-actor throws you a different energy, do you go to your intuition or do you go to your preparation?

“Oh, I’ll go with it, kung halimbawa ganun. But, you know, just that scene alone, I came into that with a different approach, and it was really Inang (Olivia Lamasan, who directed Starting Over Again) who… at nakailang takes kami nun and I couldn’t get it. I felt defeated because we shot it two and a half days yata — that scene alone ha, kasi ang haba n’ya talaga. I was crying and then I finally understood what she wanted; her vision for that.”

Noong nag-u-umpisa ka Iza, did you, at one point, fake it until you made it?

“Yes, so many times, hahahaha. I didn’t know anything kasi kaya parang Take 2 ganyan until you kind of get it, and until i-good nila.”

When you play a role, do you ever think about, like, is this going to be validated by the audience? Is my producer going to like this?

“I can’t be so selfish that I’m doing it for myself. I am doing it for the audience, to a certain degree, this is for them but I have to feel it as well. And yes, it can be frustrating at times when you have a different vision of how things will go and then the director has a different take on it. Ideally, we meet half way but you have to trust also. They have a vision and you may not always see eye-to-eye but you have to give them that respect.”

What do you consider as your best acting performance?

“I’m gonna say Mary Grace in Milan but that’s under the guidance of Inang so wala akong sense of ownership dun. I know that’s my performance but I didn’t know what I was doing. The challenge was how you deliver this performance without them kasi di ba dapat kaya mo.”

‘Pag TV work, what comes to mind?

“Encantadia, A Love to Last and Ang Sa ‘Yo Ay Akin. My co-actors in Encantadia — Diana (Zubiri), Karylle, and Sunshine (Dizon) — we’re actually always in touch because we have a production company now. I just did my first rom-com, a series called B&B: The Story of the Battle of Brody and Brandy, created by director Mark Reyes. Ian (Veneracion) played Brody and I played Brandy. I really enjoyed playing the role because finally, I was given the opportunity to show I’m not always this pinakawawa (character) or a dark or ganyan haunting-like in most of my films. It’s for WeTV Philippines. Kami ni Sunshine, we’re together. It was her first co-directorial stint.”

How much do you value awards?

“It’s really icing on the cake but, of course, I would be a hypocrite if I told you I don’t dream of them.”

Who are you most like among your film or TV characters?

“Brandy, the closest.”

Who are you when Ben’s watching?

“I am his wife.”

What are you wearing when no one is watching?

“Nothing (laughs).”

Who are you when no one is watching?

“I am me. I’m myself.”