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‘Silent superstar’: With or without title, effort and passion for craft unchanged for Jodi Sta. Maria

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Miguel Dumaual, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/life/03/18/20210318-jodi-sta-maria-ig.jpg"/><figcaption>Jodi Sta. Maria attends the 2016 International Emmy Awards, where she was nominated as best actress for her role as Amor Powers in ABS-CBN’s ‘Pangako Sa ‘Yo.’ <em>FILE/Instagram: @johnnacionimaging</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — A public figure who is unapologetically private about her personal life, and with a track record of popular success and acclaim for her talent, Jodi Sta. Maria has been dubbed the “silent superstar” by both peers and fans.</p><p>But for the “Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin” star, whose acting career spans 23 years, the title is a mere bonus to being able to earn a living from a craft which she also considers her passion.</p><p>“Sa totoo lang, kahit without that title, same amount of effort and love and passion sa craft ko, iyon pa rin ‘yung ibibigay ko,” she told ABS-CBN News in a virtual interview, leading up to the March 19 finale of her primetime series.</p><p>“Kumbaga, thank you sa mga nagbigay nu’n. Pero kung wala ‘yun, okay pa rin, ito pa rin ang gagawin ko. Kumbaga, 100% pa rin, buong puso, ibibigay ko pa rin sa trabaho ko. Bonus na lang ‘yun.”</p><p>Since making her showbiz debut in 1998, as a member of ABS-CBN’s Star Magic, Sta. Maria has successfully transitioned from being a teen star to a romcom queen, and then to a dramatic actress.</p><p>Despite her wealth of experience onscreen spanning two decades, Sta. Maria admittedly still finds herself “nervous” whenever she films a scene. It’s beneficial, she said, to her acting process, as she always feels the need to prepare more than adequately — sometimes to the point of a performance taking an <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/03/17/21/you-are-not-marissa-thirdy-is-ok-the-moment-jodi-couldnt-switch-off-after-director-calls-cut">emotional toll</a> on her.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1642720" width="100%"></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>“I don’t think mawawala ever ‘yung kaba when you do scenes,” she said. “Oo, extra kaba pag malaki ‘yung eksena, pero kahit sabihin mong iyong mga pocket scenes, nakakakaba pa rin.”</p><p>In the case of “Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin,” Sta. Maria’s would feel most nervous coming into her numerous confrontation scenes with Iza Calzado, she recalled.</p><p>“For me, I like that. I like when I feel nervous. Kasi, somehow, ‘yung kaba napi-feel ko, natsi-channel ko siya to energy na kailangan doon sa eksena. Siguro, ‘yung kaba na ‘yun is a reminder na kahit paano, wala ka doon sa point na, ‘Okay na ‘yan, mani na ‘yang eksena na ‘yan.’ Iyong ganoon ba,” she said.</p><p>“I like it na kinakabahan ako. I like it na kinakabahan ako kasi nagiging mindful din ako sa mga ka-eksena ko. Ayoko magkamali, kasi alam ko na mahirap din ‘yung ginagawa nilang preparation for their character,” Sta. Maria explained.</p><p>Set to conclude on Friday after a seven-month run, “Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin” saw Sta. Maria and Calzado co-star with screen veterans Maricel Soriano and Rita Avila, as well as actors Sam Milby and Joseph Marco, and rising teen stars Grae Fernandez and Kira Balinger.</p><p>The finale of “Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin” can be seen TV5, A2Z Channel 11, Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, and 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>A public figure who is unapologetically private about her personal life, and with a track record of popular success and acclaim for her talent, Jodi Sta. Maria has been dubbed the “silent superstar” by both peers and fans.</p>

A public figure who is unapologetically private about her personal life, and with a track record of popular success and acclaim for her talent, Jodi Sta. Maria has been dubbed the “silent superstar” by both peers and fans.

‘Silent superstar’: With or without title, effort and passion for craft unchanged for Jodi Sta. Maria

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‘Silent superstar’: With or without title, effort and passion for craft unchanged for Jodi Sta. Maria

Miguel Dumaual,

ABS-CBN News

Published March 18, 2021 08:31 PM PHT

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Updated March 19, 2021 12:10 PM PHT

Read More:

Jodi Sta. Maria

Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin

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