Judy Ann Santos on Choosing Roles: ‘Hindi na ito pera-pera lang’
JUDY ANN SANTOS – Veteran actress Judy Ann Santos opens up about her selective approach to acting roles.
Judy Ann Santos shared that she wants to take on projects that her children can watch. After a five-year hiatus, she returns to the big screen with the horror film Espantaho, one of the official entries in the 50th Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF). Her last film was Mindanao, directed by Brillante Mendoza, also an MMFF entry in 2019.
At the media launch on December 9, Judy Ann admitted that she has become more selective with acting roles, especially after starting her family. “Challenging alone yung schedule kasi. Nagiging mapili lang sa projects for the simple reason na ibinigay ko na rin naman pati ang kaluluwa ko noong bata ako sa industriyang ‘to. So, may mga pagkakataon talaga na sisinsinin mo ‘yan minsan,” she said, acknowledging that there are moments when she reflects on this decision.
She continued, “I think it’s about time na makagawa ulit ng pelikula kasi it’s been five years already. Nandu’n din siguro kasi yung point na sakto lahat, timing lahat. Nagkataon kasi noong inalok sa akin itong movie, patapos na ako sa Bagman. Ngayon kasi, ang inaano ko na lang, one project at a time para lang makapag-focus na ako doon sa paisa-isang proyekto, just to be fair sa producer, sa director.”
The award-winning actress emphasized that carefully selecting her roles allows her to perform better. “Para rin sa character ko, gusto kong mapagtuunan siya ng pansin. Noong bagets ako, alam n’yo ‘yan, lumalagari ako ng limang projects, sabay-sabay. Hanggang sa hindi ko na alam kung sino na ba ako sa pinapasok ko ngayong araw na ‘to. Kailangan kong tanungin kung sino ang kasama ko, sino ang leading man ko, sino ang direktor ko; ano ba ‘to, action o drama.”
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Judy Ann also noted that she has to make choices with her children in mind—Yohan, Lucho, and Luna. “Na-realize ko na hindi siya healthy sa craft na tatanggap ka lang ng tatanggap ng hindi mo pinupulido kung ano yung trinatrabaho mo. Unfair, hindi na ito pera-pera lang.”
When Espantaho came up, she explained that she made sure to finish Lucho’s football commitments before diving into the film, ensuring she could focus fully on the project.
According to the report, Espantaho will be the second film her children can watch, following Mindanao. Judy Ann is excited for them to see it, as they enjoy horror films.