Claudine Barretto

The weather has been scorching hot for the past weeks but at the first taping day of Claudine Barretto for “Claudine: Drama Anthology” last Friday it was cool and breezy. There was a light drizzle too – perhaps a good sign for future blessings to come for her TV series.

The first episode with the working title “Alzheimer” is actually blessed with the talented Laurice Guillen who’s helming the debut of Claudine in a Kapuso Network TV series. Another is working with husband Raymart Santiago.

“I’m very happy that I get to work with Raymart (Santiago, her husband) in this episode because he actually didn’t want to do drama. I’m glad he was convinced,” expressed Claudine. “He is a very good actor. I remember how conscious we both were when we first worked together in a drama show years ago. But now we’re comfortable with each other already.”

So what convinced Raymart?

“When he bought a Porshe,” laughed Claudine. “Days after he told me that he saw a car he liked, he asked me if he was still needed in the first episode of my show. He just said yes. So I felt it was because of the Porshe.”

With regards to her drama anthology, she is positive with its future. As an actress she is excited with the thought that she will be given an opportunity to work with a variety of directors like Laurice Guillen, Mac Alejandre, Joyce Bernal and Joel Lamangan among others.

“I will get to tackle more roles in different genres like comedy, thriller and action. I will also be working with actresses and actors that I never thought I’d be working with in my career. What’s good also is that more actors and actresses will be given jobs through this new show,” said Claudine whose drama anthology would run for 26 weeks.

Her role in “Alzheimer” is something she hasn’t done yet. The first episode of her drama anthology is about a young couple’s plight when they both discovered that the husband has Alzheimer’s disease.

Also starring Matet de Leon, the story takes a look at how a happy couple would tackle and survive such marital dilemma.

So how did it feel to be working again after more than a year?

“Nakakainip talaga kapag hindi ka nagta-trabaho. You feel na ‘nabobobo’ ka. Suddenly, I stopped growing as an actress. It even came to a point that I didn’t want to be an actress anymore... So I’m more than happy to be acting again,” smiled Claudine.

She added that working in GMA-7 also has a different feel. She is aware that she is working with a different cast and crew. But because of her husband Raymart, she had been introduced to the big bosses of GMA-7 which helped in making her transition as a Kapuso star smooth and comfortable.

She was also grateful that the first episode of “Claudine” is being directed by Laurice Guillen.

“When I heard I was working with her, I said thank God. We worked in ‘Iisa Pa Lamang’ and I know that mabilis and mabusisi siyang director. My role here is demanding and she is exact in what she wants me to do. If she doesn’t like what she sees in your acting, you have to repeat again. But if she likes it then you’ll know that you’re a good student,” remarked Claudine.

What the actress liked about her once a week series is the opportunity for her to do movies again. Her last film was “Sukob” which was made in 2005. She is scheduled to do a movie with Anne Curtis and Richard Gutierrez starting this April. It’s a film co-produced by Viva Films and GMA Films. And the three actors would also be flying to the United States to film a big percentage of the said film entitled “In Your Eyes.”

As to her feelings when she was “stripped” of the title “Teleserye Queen” in ABS-CBN, the actress stressed that she never dwelled on it. Last October 2009, she already knew that she and Judy Ann Santos were both going to be called “Teleserye Queen.” But because she signed up with GMA-7, she understood if Juday was christened with such title by herself.

“It’s a sensitive issue and I guess ABS-CBN was surprised with my decision to transfer… wala akong masamang masasabi sa isang company na binuhay ako for 17 years, pinakain ako at mga anak ko. And I really felt that Juday deserves the title,” Claudine said.

Even if she didn’t get the title “teleserye queen” in the other network, Claudine’s acting resumé is more than enough to make her such. And if she wasn’t recognized by her former mother studio, she’s bound to reign as a “teleserye queen” in the Kapuso kingdom in the near future!