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Jodi Sta. Maria details new show 'Lavender Fields'

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Jodi Sta Maria 08072024

Gretchen Fullido

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA -- Asian Academy Creative Awards Best Actress Jodi Sta. Maria, who has been a beloved figure in the entertainment industry for nearly three decades, is diving into a new genre with her show &quot;Lavender Fields.&quot; </p><p>The series promises to be more than just your average revenge plot. &quot;Without revealing too much, it is a complex tale of love, duality, and redemption,&quot; Sta. Maria explains, her eyes lighting up with enthusiasm.</p><p>The multi-layered narrative is designed to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. &quot;Maraming mga subplots din ang &#x27;Lavender Fields&#x27; na talagang aabangan, ikaka-excite, at kakapitan ng mga manonood,&quot; she adds.</p><p>Sta. Maria&#x27;s character, Jasmine Flores, finds herself entangled in a web of emotions and conflicts. In a recent interview, co-star Maricel Soriano said, “In Lavender Fields, nawawala &#x27;yung anak ko. Matatagpuan ko sa isang kubo na duguan si Jodi at nawawala din ang anak niya. Kaya, aarugain ko siya, bibihisan, i-gogroom.”</p><p>Sta. Maria recalls with a smile. &quot;Well, isa yun actually sa mga nangyari. Pero... simula pa lang &#x27;yun. Oo, super, super, super simula pa lang yun. Pero kung paano naganap, ang kinuwento ni Inay Maria, &#x27;yun naman din &#x27;yung aabangan ng mga viewers.&quot;</p><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/C-UVbVPy0jI/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=675&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fnews-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A1579247%2C%22ls%22%3A1578813%2C%22le%22%3A1579206%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="880" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>Taking on an action drama of this magnitude is a first for Sta. Maria, and she admits it has been a challenging but rewarding experience.<br/>&quot;\I&#x27;d say it&#x27;s not easy, it&#x27;s very challenging. Ang daming mga physical na mga scenes talaga na nire-require. We had to do a lot of preparation from training to doing cinematic Filipino martial arts to boxing. A lot of strength and conditioning to avoid injuries. And a lot of rehearsals na before kaming sumasampa sa set.&quot;</p><p>She likens the physical preparation to a dance. &quot;&#x27;Yun &#x27;yung na-realize ko. Choreography. Parang ka palang sumasayaw nang may puwersa. &#x27;Yung ganun &#x27;yung feels niya. Pero, ang talagang kailangan maiwasan lang is &#x27;yung matamaan. Matamaan mo &#x27;yung ka-eksena mo at makapanakit, di ba? So, &#x27;yun &#x27;yung hindi natin gusto. At syempre, ikaw din &#x27;yung masasaktan. Kaya ka nagre-rehearse para iwasan mo nga na magkasakitan kayo.&quot;</p><p>Despite the intense physical demands, Sta. Maria finds joy and fulfillment in the process. &quot;Ang saya, kinakarir ko talaga ang training. Kailangan. There&#x27;s no other way but to give it your 100%. Even if nagti-training ka palang, kailangan ibinibigay mo na &#x27;yung lahat mo, &#x27;yung time mo, &#x27;yung effort mo. Siyempre, you have to be, talagang dedicated sa craft. And yeah, it&#x27;s not easy. But it&#x27;s fulfilling. Pero nakakatuwa lang kasi parang never ko namang na-imagine na magagawa ko ‘to. Kasi dati talagang iyakan kung iyakan. Pero ito, may action, tapos may iyakan pa. Sabi ko, grabe no, ang hirap pala ng action. Parang, paiyakin niyo na lang ako.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Lavender Fields&quot; boasts a remarkable cast that also includes Jericho Rosales, Edu Manzano, Janine Gutierrez, and Albert Martinez. Sta. Maria speaks highly of her colleagues, emphasizing the professionalism and camaraderie on set. &quot;Some of them, I&#x27;ve worked with na before. But, &#x27;yung iba, first time. Si Janine, first time ko siyang makatrabaho. Kaya, na-excite ako. Alam mo yung excitement na, may first time kang makakatrabaho. And then, ibang level of excitement din na makakasama mo yung mga nakatrabaho mo na.&quot;</p><p>She particularly highlights her experience with Rosales, Soriano, and Manzano. &quot;Si Echo, ang tagal niya kasing, di ba, parang nag-sabbatical siya from doing series. So, parang ilang years din &#x27;yun. Then Maricel, nakasama ko siya sa &#x27;Ang Sayo Ay Akin&#x27; bilang si Nanay Lucing. Si Tito Edu naman, nakasama ko siya sa, kasi suki ako noon ng &#x27;Game Ka Na Ba?&#x27; So, I guess, &#x27;yun &#x27;yung, nakasama ko siya.&quot;</p><p>Sta. Maria also shares a touching anecdote from her time working with Martinez. &quot;Trivia lang. When we were doing &#x27;Patayin sa Sindak si Barbara&#x27; in, I guess, 2007 or 2008. Asawa ko siya dun. Tulad nga nang sabi mo kanina, dekalibre, magkakagaling, sobrang professional, &#x27;yung pinaka-importante din is, mabubuti silang tao.&quot;</p><p>Despite the intense scenes, Sta. Maria notes the supportive atmosphere on set. &quot;Kahit bubugan, pero masarap pagtrabaho. Oo, nagmamahalan kami lahat sa set. Yung after ng action, okay ka lang, may masakit ba? Natamaan ba kita?”</p><p>&quot;Si Tito Edu, laging, kung ano-anong baong luto at chichiria sa set. Naminigay siya ng gano&#x27;n. Meron siyang laging pabaon. Parang may pantry siya. Si Jolina (Magdangal) naman, grabe, sari-sari store. Kung ano anong bitbit. Tapos meron siyang parang kitchenette, magluluto siya ng ramen for everyone.&quot;</p><p>When asked about Rosales&#x27; role, Sta. Maria is careful not to reveal too much. &quot;Ayoko mag-spoil too much. Si Jasmine Flores at si Lavender Fields ay iisa. Si Jasmine Flores ay nahulog ng bonggang-bongga sa role ni Jericho Rosales. So, nagkaroon sila ng thing. At dahil doon sa ugnayan na &#x27;yun, doon nagsimula ang problema at sigalot sa buhay ni Jasmine Flores a.k.a. Lavender Fields. Ang dami plots and twists na aabangan.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Lavender Fields&quot; is coming to Primetime Bida this September.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/2024/8/6/watch-dreamscape-drops-lavender-fields-trailer-1338" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">WATCH: Dreamscape drops ‘Lavender Fields’ trailer</a></div><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/2024/8/6/jodi-sta-maria-says-lavender-fields-more-than-just-a-revenge-drama-1616" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jodi Sta. Maria says &#x27;Lavender Fields&#x27; more than just a revenge drama</a></div><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/2024/6/4/jodi-sta-maria-coming-back-to-primetime-in-lavender-fields-1204" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jodi Sta. 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