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Judy Ann Santos stars in HBO Max's 'Call My Manager.' Photo from Santos' Instagram account

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Judy Ann Santos stars in HBO Max's 'Call My Manager.' 

Ganiel Krishnan

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1786870463120SaveClip.App_770608957_18420300760151207_4130210963083758045_n.jpg" style="width:450px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Judy Ann Santos stars in HBO Max&#x27;s &#x27;Call My Manager.&#x27; Photo from Santos&#x27; Instagram account"/>Judy Ann Santos stars in HBO Max&#x27;s &#x27;Call My Manager.&#x27; Photo from Santos&#x27; Instagram account </div>MANILA -- For Judy Ann Santos, playing a talent manager in the Philippine adaptation of “Call My Manager” hits close to home as the veteran actress revealed that she has been managing her own career since the passing of her longtime manager, Alfie Lorenzo. During the series’ junket, Santos said she could relate to around “70 percent” of her character Andrea Manuel, particularly when it comes to her dedication to work despite personal struggles. “Probably around 70%. For the same reason that regardless of whenever, even if brokenhearted or not, may sakit o wala, papasok ako. I will go to work. I will do my job,” Santos said. The actress recalled instances during her years of doing teleseryes when she would continue working despite being sick, sometimes staying on set until her condition required medical attention.“I’d be on the set, I’d stay there, even if I have a high fever, up until himatayin na ako, saka ako pupunta sa hospital,” she shared. Santos clarified that her approach does not come from wanting to prove anything, but from her love for her craft and consideration for everyone working behind the scenes. “But it’s because I love what I do. It’s not because I’m being a martyr. It’s not because I’m trying to prove something to everyone. It’s just that that’s who I am,” she said.Having grown up in the entertainment industry, Santos said she has always been conscious that delays in production can affect not only actors but also crew members who depend on completing the day’s work. “Even if you’re just a part of the crew or the production or a celebrity, when you’re on set, you’re on the set. You’re part of everything. So the consideration is very important, as much as the respect to everyone,” she said. The role has another personal connection for Santos, who said she eventually found herself taking charge of her own career following Lorenzo’s death. “I could say for a fact that I have been managing my own career now ever since my manager passed, but it wasn’t planned,” Santos said. <div><iframe width="960" height="540" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Pw2q5eTVANU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></div>Taking on the responsibility gave her a greater appreciation for what Lorenzo had done for her throughout their years together.“I realized what he was doing for me back then wasn’t really an easy job, that you really have to know how to talk to your producers, to the people around you, and really get along with them,” she explained.Despite her personal experience, Santos stressed that Andrea was not patterned solely after Lorenzo.“Doing this series, it wasn’t him that I was copying. I just want to put it out there. I really had to create a totally different character for my character because I personally didn’t want to exclude just one person,” she said.<div><a class="fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/showbiz/movies-series/2026/7/21/judy-ann-s-call-my-manager-to-debut-on-august-13-at-hbo-max-1402">READ: Judy Ann&#x27;s &#x27;Call My Manager&#x27; to debut on August 13 at HBO Max </a></div>Instead, Santos and her co-stars built their respective characters based on the vision of director Erik Matti.“It’s something that’s fun to do and at the same time very challenging for the simple reason that we are not celebrities here. We are the managers,” Santos said. “It’s challengingly fun and emotionally difficult at some times.”Santos also credited Matti for giving his actors enough freedom to discover their characters while knowing when to step in and guide them.“He will guide you. He will tell you when it’s appropriate. He will tell you when it’s over the top,” she said.The actress added that the cast quickly developed a natural chemistry, making it easier to establish the dynamic among the managers of the fictional talent agency.“The comfort level to everyone is palpable,” she said.For Matti, one memorable moment came on their very first shooting day, when the production was still trying to establish the energy and rhythm of the series. The sequence involved Santos, Edu Manzano and the other managers moving around their office, with Santos repeatedly walking up a flight of stairs while wearing high heels.According to Matti, they had already filmed several takes when a member of the production team pointed out how many times Santos had climbed the stairs.“She’s been going up the stairs three, four times already. Don’t you already have a good take?” Matti recalled being asked.Matti requested one more take and noted that Santos never complained.“I started looking at her feet going up the stairs. And I don’t even think that it ends up in the show that her missteps along the way was real or not. It was quite real,” he said.Meanwhile, Manzano said his role made him reflect on his own experiences as an actor and the challenges managers face while handling their artists.“When you look at the different masks that the manager wears in the course of managing someone’s career, it’s unbelievable,” Manzano said.He joked that managers sometimes have to deal with their talents like children, something he admitted he may have been guilty of himself.“Now at my age, I feel that, yeah, maybe I have been a child quite a number of times. And for that, I apologize,” he said.Manzano even jokingly suggested that managers deserve their own recognition for the work they do.“I think we should also start considering having a National Managers Award because it’s a really tough job,” he said.“Call My Manager” follows the professional and personal lives of talent managers Andrea Manuel, Matthew Buenaventura and Gabriel Soler, played by Santos, Manzano and RK Bagatsing, respectively, as they navigate the demanding and often chaotic world of show business.The eight-episode Philippine adaptation also stars Gina Alajar, Christiana Zaleta and Raf Pineda, and is directed by Matti, Mario Cornejo and Jade Castro.“Call My Manager” premiered August 13 on HBO Max, with new episodes streaming every Thursday.

For Judy Ann Santos, playing a talent manager in the Philippine adaptation of 'Call My Manager' hits close to home as the veteran actress revealed that she has been managing her own career since the passing of her longtime manager, Alfie Lorenzo.

For Judy Ann Santos, playing a talent manager in the Philippine adaptation of 'Call My Manager' hits close to home as the veteran actress revealed that she has been managing her own career since the passing of her longtime manager, Alfie Lorenzo.

Judy Ann Santos relates to ‘Call My Manager’ role as she opens up about managing own career

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Judy Ann Santos relates to ‘Call My Manager’ role as she opens up about managing own career

Ganiel Krishnan,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 16, 2026 04:57 PM PHT

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HBO Max

Judy Ann Santos

Call My Manager

Erik Matti

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