Czarina Faith Abuso

Kaila Estrada takes us behind the scenes of her first knockout punch in "Incognito"

Article (news)

Liezel Dela Cruz

<p>From the moment Kaila Estrada appeared in &quot;<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/incognito"><strong><u><em>Incognito</em></u></strong></a>&quot; as Max Alvero, an ex-military cyber ops specialist and hacker with a moral compass, she exuded pure female ‘badassery’ that had everyone instantly obsessed with her character.</p><p>In her first scene, she was shown as a hacker with the code name’ Metamorphosis,’ taking down a group of cybercriminals by outsmarting them at their own game.</p><div><script data-wid="auto" type="text/javascript" src="https://content.viralize.tv/display/?zid=AAEyze-tm4MR6kEa&amp;cid=ABTW3tvrv_tbiWX_"></script></div><p>But just as you thought she was only about using her brains and working behind her laptop, the next event led her straight into high-octane action. Set against the sleek, neon-lit backdrop of BGC at night, Max was seen moving like a shadow as she noticed a group of men tailing her. With nothing but her fists and the phone in her hand, which she effortlessly used as a makeshift knuckle weapon, Max displayed her martial arts bravado as she took them down one by one.</p><p>Kaila moved with the calculated finesse of a seasoned fighter, which she credits to the months of intense training she and her co-stars underwent before they started filming. “<em>Nag-prepare talaga kami, so I feel like ‘yung months of training na ‘yun really prepared us for the fight scenes. Mas mabilis naming na-memorize ‘yung choreography. Muscle memory na rin ‘yung iba kaya mas comfortable and confident na kami gumalaw</em>,&quot; she shared.</p><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHBAGFhypyP/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=502&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A1717822.7999999821%2C%22ls%22%3A1717451%2C%22le%22%3A1717784.199999988%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="938" 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><br/></div><p>It certainly takes discipline and serious practice to pull off that level of skill and confidence. In a BTS reel shared by Star Creatives, Kaila further revealed that it was the first fight scene she did in the series and in her career—and on top of that, it was filmed on her very first day on set.</p><p>Stepping into the action genre for the first time could’ve been nerve-wracking, but Kaila approached it like a student eager to learn. She was just so excited to throw that first punch and finally put all her training to the test.</p><p>More than just the thrill of it all, what fascinated her most was discovering that fight choreography is a lot like dance, “<em>There&#x27;s a timing to it. A synchronicity between you and ‘yung partner mo sa fight.</em>” That made the experience even more exciting. So despite the physical demands and challenges, her first fight scene turned out to be one of the most fun she’s ever done.</p><p>Brains, brawn, and effortless cool—Max Alvero is a total game-changer. Catch her in &quot;<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/studios/tv/incognito"><strong><u><em>Incognito</em></u></strong></a>,&quot; weeknights on Kapamilya Channel,<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@abscbnentertainment"><strong><u><em> Kapamilya Online Live (KOL)</em></u></strong></a>, TV5, and A2Z.</p>

<p>Kaila Estrada breaks down her intense first fight scene as Max in "Incognito."</p>