Pinoy talents on a roll abroad
One thing we would never get tired of as an entertainment journalist is having our stories talk about Pinoy talents being on a roll here and abroad.
A decade ago, if a local talent would have a break even for an audition, it would already make the headlines. Now, the stakes are much higher because opportunities are a lot more for our people. It is more challenging and yet it is a great thing.
Just middle of the week, we saw our very own Dolly de Leon in her AZ Factory, all-leather ensemble, rock the red carpet for the Golden Globes. It was a first for our industry to have our local talent nominated on a global scale in a major category. Dolly was among the Best Supporting Actress nominees.
Following that, Celeste Cortesi, who is chasing for the country’s fifth crown at the 71st Miss Universe and showing Pinay beauty to the world — the universe rather — rocked and introduced the Pinoy superheroine Darna to the global audience during the national costume segment.
Just this week, too, we had our Bisdak with a purpose. It is our latest Pinoy pride Chai Fonacier, who is set to show her talent in the Philippine shores on Jan. 18 via the critically-acclaimed Nocebo. The Filipino-Irish suspense thriller stars Eva Green (300: Rise of an Empire) and Mark Strong (Shazam!).
At first, Chai did not know that she would have a huge part in the film. “Akala ko audition lang. Pero noong nakita ko iyong script, sabi ko wait lang! Bakit parang ang dami kong lines! Na anxiety ako! 5 a.m. na ako natapos sa audition! Haha!”
Chai played with humor as she remembered how badly she wanted the job, “I was unemployed! Height ng pandemya! Wala akong trabaho, kailangan natin kumain. Ayoko na ng siomai, pagod na ako sa siomai. Gusto ko na ng totoong food.”
It all paid off as she filmed in Ireland for a month and a half. What was beautiful about it for her was that her preparations were reciprocated by the international crew. The foreign production studied, and went back and forth to the Philippines for almost three years to learn about the folk healer role of Diana, which Chai plays in the film.
“I appreciate the respect that they have for our culture. They also followed our rituals even on set, like ako nagbukas ng isang gamit, ako rin magsasara or bawal dumaan sa sementeryo if dala ang certain healing ingredient. They really had someone to be cautious about it and whatever they learned, it was a real thing that they applied to the fictional story,” she said.
Like Dolly, Chai had this to say about the Filipina showcasing their stories to the global audience. “I am just glad I am able to contribute to this growing roster of stories of the Filipino, told by Filipinos or starred by Filipinos. It’s important to tell more stories of different angles about ourselves. It is a good way. These are our many stories, we are not just lumpia,” she concluded.
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