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Ces Quesada is proud to work with her former theater student JC Santos

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Rhea Manila Santos

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Known in the country as a versatile actress who has gained prominence in theater, television, and the industry film, Ces Quesada shared that she was happy to accept the role of JC Santos’s doting single mother in director Catherine O. Camarillo’s new film Meg &amp; Ryan. “Sa script pa lang, talagang na-appreciate ko na siya. Tawang-tawa ako, in other words. At hindi lang ‘yun, may puso. I really enjoyed doing this film,” she said. “At napakagaling pa ng aming mga bida dito. Actually, sa pelikulang ito, dahil ako yung nanay ni JC, halos lahat ng eksena ko nasa bahay kasama si JC.”During the movie presscon, Ces revealed how she had known JC since he was a college student at the University of the Philippines Diliman, where she is also an alumni and a former professor. “Before this film, matagal na kasi kami magkasama ni JC sa UP. Estudyante namin ‘yan sa theater. So marami na kaming kaganapan, with JM De Guzman. ‘Yan ‘yung mga babies namin in the theater,” she shared. “Ako naman, now that we’re working in this film — and take note, bida na siya, so you cannot imagine the pride that I have working with our students who are doing very well in the industry — proud naman ako na siya ang ka-eksena. He’s a very generous actor, very disciplined kaya happy naman ako sa aking ‘Lugud,’“ she added. “‘Lugud’ kasi yung tawag ko sa kanya. It’s a Kapampangan term for mahal.”<div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DL7oVJBybIu/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=485&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A12517950.599999905%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></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/movies-series/2025/5/6/nova-villa-turns-emotional-while-sharing-friendship-with-ces-quesada-2317">READ: JC Santos on working with Rhian Ramos for the first time: ‘I enjoyed every moment of it!’</a></div>Even though she had never gotten the chance to teach `JC inside the classroom, the two has teaching moments in theatre productions. Ces recalled first sharing the stage in a Dulaang UP production back in 2008. “Actually, noong nakasama ko si JC, hindi na ako nagtuturo nun eh. Hindi ko talaga siya naging estudyante in a classroom setup but we were in a production together, so kaming mga professional actors ang kasama namin ‘yung mga student actors sa Isang Panaginip ni Fili. Ako si Donya Victorina, siya si Basilio,” she shared. “Hindi niyo alam, kumakanta siya sa stage. Hindi naman niya siguro makukuha ‘yung role na ‘yan kung hindi siya magaling ‘di ba?“For that particular production, JC played the same role as JM De Guzman. Even back then, Ces already noted how talented both were.  “So nag-alternate sila ni JM nun. Magaling. Hindi naman magbibida ‘yung mga’ yan kung hindi sila magaling,” Ces said. “Maganda ang background niya kasi theater. So ngayon na nag-transition na siya as a film and TV actor, maganda ang kanyang foundation and I’m very, very proud of him.”<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/movies-series/2025/5/6/nova-villa-turns-emotional-while-sharing-friendship-with-ces-quesada-2317">READ: Nova Villa turns emotional while sharing friendship with Ces Quesada</a></div>Aside from JC, Ces has also worked with Meg &amp; Ryan lead actress Rhian Ramos in a series in 2006 when the latter was just new in the industry. Ces also gave her take on Rhian being an ”underrated“ actress. “I worked with Rhian doon sa first role niya, in Captain Barbell. And then I worked with her again sa Royal Blood. When you say underrated, I don’t think that’s a negative term. I think nga it’s a very, very good description of Rhian because I’ve seen her grow as an actor,” she said, looking back at Rhian’s professional growth in the industry.“Dati kasi, she was plucked out of a McDo commercial to be the leading lady of Richard Gutierrez, and that was the first time I worked with her. Siyempre, her role was goody-goody, and what else can you do with a damsel in distress ‘di ba? And then afterwards, the next time I worked with her was in Royal Blood and talagang drum roll ako sa kanya. Of course the role was something else. It was talagang very, very complex and napaka-exhausting. But she was very good! Hindi ko alam nangyari between Captain Barbell and Royal Blood. And so when I saw naman the script for this film, ibang-ibang Rhian naman,” she recalled. “So I guess, yes, she’s one of the underrated and I think that she should come out more with roles. This time she can really, really sink her teeth into any role.” Watch Meg &amp; Ryan when it opens in cinemas nationwide starting August 6. Directed by Catherine O. Camarillo,DGPI and written by Gina Marissa Tagasa under Pocket Media Films, the film stars JC Santos, Rhian Ramos, Cedrick Juan, Ces Quesada, Cris Villanueva, Jef Gaitan and a promising lineup of fresh faces like J-mee Katanyag, Steven Bansil, Poca Osinaga, and Alison Black.

Meg &amp; Ryan actress Ces Quesada looks back with pride as she shares how she watched JC Santos transform from a theater thespian to one of the country’s top movie leading men in the industry.

Meg & Ryan actress Ces Quesada looks back with pride as she shares how she watched JC Santos transform from a theater thespian to one of the country’s top movie leading men in the industry.