After taking a break from acting to focus more on directing, Laurice Guillen shareD that she is happy to finally make her acting comeback this year in the new series Unbreak My Heart which is also the first collaboration project of ABS-CBN Entertainment, GMA Network, and Viu Philippines.

The veteran actress said she was excited as soon as she was invited to be part of the cast by Dreamscape Entertainment head Deo Endrinal.

READ: Laurice Guillen may plano ulit magdirek ng pelikula; balik-acting na rin

“I looked forward to it. Actually, one night before we started, we were having dinner with Deo and he just told me quietly, ‘You know we’re going to have a collaboration with GMA-7 and Viu at kasali ka dito.’ Sabi ko, ‘Talaga?’ So I waited to be told.

“I was really looking forward to it because gustong kasali ako diyan. Nung panahon ko, yung exclusive ka sa ABS-CBN or exclusive ka sa GMA. So now you get to work from all the networks na at that time hindi nagawa yun. But this time, one of the advantages of this collaboration is that for the production, they can cast anybody they want to cast.

“Noong araw kasi, if you belong to one network, you’re just confined kung sinong naka-kontrata doon. So this time, may freedom to cast,” Laurice shared during the Unbreak My Heart grand press conference.

READ: Dante Rivero at Laurice Guillen, gagawaran ng Lifetime Achievement Awards ng PMPC

At 76 years old, Laurice is considered one of the most senior Unbreak My Heart cast members. She said she enjoyed her shooting experience with the cast while in Switzerland where part of the series was shot.

“As an actress, nag-enjoy ako dun. Especially because I got to work with people i know and some of the younger ones na ang climate ng taping is that everyone was really behaving professionally. They come to the set prepared and especially when we were abroad, we got the chance to exchange ideas and be together and so on,” she recalled.

Considered one of the most famous directors in the country, Laurice received an award in 2019 from the Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC). The Ulirang Alagad ng Pelikula sa Likod ng Kamera Lifetime Achievement Award is given to outstanding and iconic people behind the camera.

In her latest project, she traded her work behind the camera for a  chance to flex her acting chops again.

“It was fun and challenging. Personally, challenging din kasi matagal ng hindi ako umaarte. Pag ikaw yung direktor, utak ang gumagana. Dito, yung buong katawan ang gumagana. So I had to really tap into my own resources. So that was exciting and challenging but I’ve been having fun and I have been having some frustrations,” she admitted.

Laurice admitted her biggest challenge when taping Unbreak My Heart in the country was the summer weather.

“It was so hot and everything I memorized (is challenging). I had this scene with Joshua (Garcia), our only scene together, so that was really hard because ang hirap tandaan ang linya in the middle of all the things that I had to go through.

“It’s like when we were in Europe and shooting in Europe in the winter and may eksena kami na nangangatog kami sa lamig na gagamitin talaga mind over matter. It was fun because I don’t get to do that as a director ‘di ba?”

Unbreak My Heart stars Joshua Garcia, Jodi Sta. Maria, Richard Yap, Laurice Guillen, Gabbi Garcia, Eula Valdes, Sunshine Cruz, Romnick Sarmenta, Victor Neri, Nikki Valdez,  Jeremiah Lisbo, Bianca de Vera, Will Ashley, Dionne Monsanto, Maey Bautista, and PJ Endrinal.

The series was shot in scenic locations in Switzerland, Italy, and the Philippines and is directed by Manny Palo and Dolly Dulu and produced by Dreamscape Entertainment. Catch it on GMA Pinoy TV, TFC, and Viu.