MANILA — Had it not been for a personal problem that prevented her from pushing through with a 2000 series, Snooky Serna would be known today as the actress of the iconic Madam Claudia Buenavista in “Pangako Sa ‘Yo.”

The screen veteran candidly recalled the role that could have been in a recent vlog, where she played “Never Have I Ever.” Her withdrawal from “Pangako Sa ‘Yo” came up when she responded to, “Never Have I Ever Regretted Rejecting A Project.”

Referring to the character of Claudia as a “role of a lifetime,” Serna went on to explain the process of clinching the role in the pioneering teleserye, and the reason why she was unable to push through with it.

“Meron po akong ginawa noon,” she said, mentioning she auditioned for the part.

“Ang nangyari, nakapasa po ako sa audition. Tapos may workshop. E nagkakaroon ho ako ng personal problems at that time, hindi ko ho ginawa ‘yung workshop. So, napalitan, siyempre po,” she explained.

ABS-CBN had to recast the part, resulting in Jean Garcia filling in the shoes of Claudia, the series’ main villain and the archrival of Eula Valdez’s Amor Powers.

“Iyong pumalit sa akin, ngayon ho isa na sa pinakamalaking bituin sa larangan po ng telebisyon. And I’m very happy for her, honestly. Ito po ay si Ms. Jean Garcia,” Serna said.

"Iyong role po na iyon ay yung role ni Madam Claudia doon po sa show na ‘Pangako Sa ‘Yo.’ Sana ako si Madam Claudia,” she added.

The primetime title went on to become a phenomenal success, not just in the Philippines but in neighboring Asian countries and parts of Africa. “Pangako Sa ‘Yo” also launched Jericho Rosales and Kristine Hermosa to superstardom, and paved the way for the career resurgence of Garcia and Valdez.