'Smaller and Smaller Circles' role a dream come true for Carla Humphries

Joanna Bonifacio, the meddlesome reporter in Filipino crime novel "Smaller and Smaller Circles," is the role that actress Carla Humphries has been waiting for.

Humphries noted that growing up, there wasn't an abundance of strong female characters in film and television.

"Hindi masyadong uso, lalo na growing up, yung female heroine, na strong, intelligent. Syempre uso yung damsel in distress na hinihintay yung savior niya," she said at last week's press conference.

"So sobrang excited ako to play a character na intelligent, can fight for herself. Not only for herself but also for people who can't fight for themselves. And I think that's what real journalism is," she added.

In an interview with GMA News Online, Humphries shared that her character Joanna is someone she aspires to be like.

Joanna is the sole female lead in the popular crime-mystery novel, the first of its kind in the Philippines. In the story, she helped two Jesuit priests solve the serial killings in 1997 Payatas.

"My character is what I aspire to be. Someone that's strong, intelligent, opinionated, and not afraid to speak her mind. Syempre growing up here in the Philippines, natuto tayong maging magalang, natuto tayo na minsan kahit may nangyayaring mali, to keep quiet rather than to create conflict, especially as a woman," Humphries said.

However, Humphries noted that more and more strong female leads are being featured in films and television, despite the development being slow-going.

"I think very slowly, medyo mabagal tayo...Ngayon uso na yung matapang na babae, so sana magtuloy tuloy, kasi hindi ibig sabihin na strong personality, or strong character masama na," she said.

READ: 'Smaller and Smaller Circles' true to book's spirit but offers a different twist, says director Raya Martin

Big comeback

Humphries considers her "Smaller and Smaller Circles" role as her big comeback in the film industry.

The past couple years have been hard on the model-actress: she felt unsure of her place in showbiz, and questioned if the career was right for her.

After spending more than a year in France, Humphries is back with a renewed determination to fight for her place in the industry. She was greeted with the offer to play Joanna, and it helped her rediscover her passion for acting.

"It's a really good role and I think I was waiting for a role like this...roles like these are actually dream roles in our industry," Humphries said.

Good role model

Humphries hopes that her role will be a good example to young women who will be watching the film.

She urged, not just women, but all Filipinos, to be firm in their beliefs.

She called out a flaw in the Pinoy culture, where people tend to accept the way things are for the sake of avoiding conflict.

"'Di ba meron tayong sakit, ang Pinoy, na 'Sorry po,' 'Pasensya na po,' when in fact there are a lot of things in this world that we deserve, or it's our right," she said.

"I hope that it inspires women or people in general... inspire other people to be more firm with their morals and beliefs and to fight for what's right," she added. — LA, GMA News