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‘You are not Marissa, Thirdy is OK’: The moment Jodi couldn’t ‘switch off’ after director calls cut

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Miguel Dumaual, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/03/17/jodi.jpg"/><figcaption>Jodi Sta. Maria dissects her memorable ‘Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin’ scenes, including the death of Marissa’s son Jacob. <em>ABS-CBN</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — Unlike in the earlier part of her acting career, when she could easily “switch on and off” her characters’ emotions, Jodi Sta. Maria now considers as separate processes coming into a scene and then letting go once her director calls cut.</p><p>This was apparent in numerous instances throughout her filming of “Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin,” where she portrays the vengeful Marissa.</p><p>In particular, portraying Marissa during the tragic death of her infant son Jacob, took an emotional toll on Sta. Maria, she recalled in an interview with ABS-CBN News ahead of the series’ March 19 finale. (See the 14:00 mark in the video interview below.)</p><p>That scene, from the first season’s finale on November 10, — saw a bloodied Marissa escaping from a gunman while she carried Jacob, who, unknown to her, had been hit. By the time Marissa checked on her son, he was lifeless.</p><p>“Ano’ng mararamdaman mo?” Sta. Maria said after recalling the scene. “Kahit si Marissa is a character, tao pa rin siya. Kahit sabihin mong karakter lang siya na isinusuot ko tuwing mag-ti-taping ako, ‘yung puso namin iisa.”</p><p>“Bilang nanay din ako, na-imagine ko lang na kung sa akin nangyari ‘to, kung kay Thirdy nangyari ‘to, kung sa anak ko ‘to nangyari, parang hindi ko rin alam kung ano ang gagawin ko. Hindi ko lubos maisip.”</p><p>Thirdy, 15, is Sta. Maria’s only child with her former husband, Pampi Lacson.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oiI3vPehWm4?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>“We took the scene. And after that, hindi talaga ako nakabitaw doon sa emosyon,” she said.</p><p>Sharing a conversation she then had with her directors, FM Reyes and Avel Sunpongco, Sta. Maria said, “I remember when I was younger, as an actor, ang dali, e. Parang may switch lang ang emosyon: on, off. Iyak? Iyak. After noon, tawanan. Tawanan before mag-take? And then kailangan umiyak? Iiyak.”</p><p>Sta. Maria, 38, joined showbiz in 1998 as a teen star, transitioning later on as an acclaimed dramatic actress. Among her memorable TV roles are George in “Tabing Ilog,” Sophia in “100 Days to Heaven,” Maya in “Be Careful with My Heart,” Amor Powers in “Pangako Sa ‘Yo,” and currently, Marissa in “Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin.”</p><p>“Ngayon, as an actor, parang nag-iba ‘yung process ko. Hindi ko na kaya ‘yung before the scene, nakikipagkuwentuhan pa ako, tapos action, nandoon na ako agad. Now, mas maraming preparasyon ‘yung kailangan kong gawin. And that means I really have to go deep. Deep into my emotions, my memory bank,” she said.</p><p>“Kaya din, kapag nahugot ko siya, ang hirap din niyang i-let go. Kailangan kong i-remind ang sarili ko talaga, consciously: ‘Jodi, it’s just a scene. You are not Marissa. You do not have a son named Jacob. Thirdy is okay. You are okay. It’s just a scene. Let go, let go, let go.’ I have to consciously remind myself of it,” she explained.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hxlYdURpumc?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>In prior interviews, both directors of “Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin,” Reyes and Sunpongco, had similar recollections of Sta. Maria’s acting process. Reyes witnessed the same emotional toll when the actress filmed Marissa’s reunion with her mother Lucing, portrayed by Maricel Soriano; while Sunpongco brought up Jacob’s death.</p><p>“You prepare, be in that moment, and then after the director says ‘cut,’ it’s another process. You have to let go,” Sta. Maria said.</p><p>“Hindi ikaw ‘yun. Kasi, naniwala ka, e. When you’re there in that moment, you really feel, you really believe it’s happening. So, kailangan mo sabihin sa utak mo: ‘No, it’s not happening. This is not real. This is not true. It’s just a scene.’”</p><p>Now nearing its Friday conclusion, “Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin” saw Sta. Maria as Marissa for seven months on primetime, across different airing platforms of ABS-CBN.</p><p>Its final two weeks reached a nationwide, free-TV audience with its TV5 simulcast. Prior, the series has been available to access on free and digital TV in Mega Manila (A2Z Channel 11), cable (Kapamilya Channel), free livestreaming (Kapamilya Online Live), and on-demand streaming (iWant TFC).</p><div><strong>Related videos:</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X0SAijSH2Cg?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YFJmLyA0VZA?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cX3LFdM9Oso?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>“Jodi, it’s just a scene. You are not Marissa. You do not have a son named Jacob. Thirdy is okay. You are okay. It’s just a scene. Let go, let go, let go.”</p>

“Jodi, it’s just a scene. You are not Marissa. You do not have a son named Jacob. Thirdy is okay. You are okay. It’s just a scene. Let go, let go, let go.”

‘You are not Marissa, Thirdy is OK’: The moment Jodi couldn’t ‘switch off’ after director calls cut

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‘You are not Marissa, Thirdy is OK’: The moment Jodi couldn’t ‘switch off’ after director calls cut

Miguel Dumaual,

ABS-CBN News

Published March 17, 2021 06:59 AM PHT

Read More:

Jodi Sta. Maria

Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin

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