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Ashley Diaz gets first starring role in horror flick

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Leah C. Salterio

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C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div><div style="padding-top:8px"><div style="color:#3897f0;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:550;line-height:18px"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CcCTakjPcRX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="background:#FFFFFF;line-height:0;padding:0 0;text-align:center;text-decoration:none;width:100%" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div></div><div style="padding:12.5% 0"> </div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;margin-bottom:14px;align-items:center"><div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(0px) translateY(7px)"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;height:12.5px;transform:rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px);width:12.5px;flex-grow:0;margin-right:14px;margin-left:2px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(9px) translateY(-18px)"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:8px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:20px;width:20px"> </div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:2px solid transparent;border-left:6px solid #f4f4f4;border-bottom:2px solid transparent;transform:translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"> </div></div><div style="margin-left:auto"><div style="width:0px;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(16px)"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;flex-grow:0;height:12px;width:16px;transform:translateY(-4px)"> </div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(-4px) translateX(8px)"> </div></div></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center;margin-bottom:24px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:224px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:144px"> </div></div><div style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CcCTakjPcRX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">A post shared by Ashley Diaz (@_ashleydiaz)</a></div></div></blockquote><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script><p>MANILA -- After debuting in director Jason Paul Laxamana’s “Expensive Candy,” where she played younger sister to Carlo Aquino, Ashley Diaz is grateful that she is finally given her first lead role in the horror thriller, “Mary Cherry Chua.&quot;</p><p>“This means a lot to me,” Diaz told ABS-CBN News. “I thought initially, they were just joking that I would do a horror film. They were asking me if I’m ready to become an aswang.</p><p>“Papaliparin daw ako at itatapon-tapon daw ako. So kinakabahan ako. When I finally met the cast and I learned about the story, I immediately got excited. Nawala na ang kaba.”</p><p>Diaz is thrilled that finally, she will get to work with her dad, Joko Diaz. </p><p>“At the same time, kinakabahan ako kasi I want to impress the people,” she said. “So, instead na ma-pressure ako, I am just thinking that Papa is around the set.</p><p>“I can readily ask for his help if I need it. Now that I’m getting into the movies, I am grateful for the opportunities that Viva is giving me. I don’t want to mess this up. Let’s not mess this up. Not everybody in given this chance.”</p><p>Her dad always reminds her to be professional in her showbiz career. “He always wants me to understand other people,” she said. “Sinasabi niya sa akin ‘yun. Hindi lahat ng tao mai-intindihan ako lagi.</p><p>&quot;‘Pag pumasok ka sa showbiz, of course may nerbiyos pa especially kung ka-eksena ko senior stars. He wants me to feel that everything is okay. I’m at home, especially kung siya ang ka-eksena ko.</p><p>“He always tells me to be smart and enjoy my work. It’s already hard. So, enjoy lang para hindi na mabigat when I return home.”</p><p>Given a chance to converse to a dear departed one, Diaz wants to talk to her grandfather, Paquito Diaz. “I want to ask him if I’m doing okay in my acting career and if he is proud of me,” Diaz allowed.</p><p>When Diaz was younger, she was fond of horror films. However, by the time she caught “The Conjuring” (2013), she stopped watching suspense-horror titles.</p><p>“The Conjuring ang favorite ko na nakakatakot talaga,” Diaz shared. “Hindi na ko umulit after that. Hindi ko kasi makalimutan.”</p><p>The story centers around Karen (Diaz), who is fond of reading campus horror tales and urban legends. So, when she is about to submit a term paper, the story of Mary Cherry Chua is what she wants to investigate.</p><p>With the help of her friends and classmates, Karen discovers new information about the case. As she digs deeper, she is not aware that she is digging her own grave. She has new revelations to unearth that can endanger her life.</p><p>Kokoy de Santos plays Paco, the bully classmate of Karen. In truth, he is very frightened and scared. He will help Karen in her research and he becomes her partner. He will help her unveil the mysteries of the death of Mary Cherry Chua.</p><p>Lyca Gairanod is Faith, the very supportive best friend of Karen who wants to be with her in any horror adventure.</p><p>Michelle Viaje is a nurse in a hospital and the elder sister of Karen who is very protective, since both their parents are working abroad.</p><p>Abby Bautista is the ghost of Mary Cherry Chua.</p><p>Joko Diaz is Mr. Manzano, the kind and understanding teacher of Karen. He supports her in the term paper that she is working on even if he knows Mary Cherry Chua is a taboo topic to tackle.</p><p>Alma Moreno is the teacher of Mary Cherry Chua who knows the truth and the actual events that happened in the past.</p><p>Roni Benaid, director, writer, editor, and producer for Viva Communications, culled the story of “Mary Cherry Chua” from an urban legend.</p><p>“The story was told to me and I applied it to this movie,” Benaid said. “This is a collection of not just my story, but my friend’s story, my other friend’s story that I read.</p><p>“Very universal ang story and it has many layers. Very rich. Pwedeng naranasan mo or ng kaibigan mo. We tackled the many campus horror stories. The end will jump into action and suspense.”</p><p>In 2018, Benaid’s horror entry, “Poon,” joined the Cine Filipino Film Festival. That was his directorial debut. “Mary Cherry Chua” is only Benaid’s sophomore outing.</p><p>“Mary Cherry Chua is an intelligent, young student in a Catholic school,” Benaid said. “She was raped and killed by a school janitor. Her tale was published in the ‘True Philippine Ghost Stories’ in 2003.”</p><div><strong>Related video:</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Sbu-flhz918?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

Ashley Diaz is also thrilled that finally, she will get to work with her dad, Joko Diaz. 