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Alfred Vargas, Carrie Lee bridge cultural divide


They come from two different worlds. They have traveled a thousand miles to be with each other and fulfill a destiny, to do what they love the most: acting. Alfred Vargas and Carrie Lee are two people who are brought together by fate. Their paths crossed when GMA Networks and Creasian Sbn. Bhd. of Malaysia decided to make a project that will produce the very first Filipino Asian Novella Muli. We visited these two dedicated artists on the set of their show, and witnessed how they bridged their cultural gap with their love for their craft. “The first two minutes after meeting her, nag-jive na kami," Alfred confesses. “She is so fun to work with." Carrie, on the other hand, elaborates on their first meeting. “The very first time I saw him, I felt embarrassed. I usually feel shy talking to artists especially when I am not wearing my make up." But she admits that she soon warmed up to Alfred and has only good words to tell about him. “He is a very professional actor. He has been in the business for quite sometime and is actually my senior. He is also one of the most thoughtful men that I have ever met. He always asks how am I or if I need anything. He is a very caring person," shares Carrie. Not to be outdone with the compliments, Alfred admits that it is a great honor for him to work with an international beauty queen, host, and actress. The praises never seem to run out between these two. It is no wonder that they are being linked to each other. But both vehemently deny that there is more between them besides being friends and enjoying the experience of discovering another culture. Carrie on Filipinos Carrie admits that working in the Philippines is very different from her past experiences in Malaysia and China. “When I am here (Philippines) I don’t feel like I am far from home, probably because I understand the language. I can speak English and it feels so warm to be here, maybe because this is also an Asian country. It is quite different when I was working in China. The language barrier is noticeable. When I talk to them, they don’t understand me and I have to force my self really hard to learn Mandarin." She shares that this project inspired her to further her career in acting and excel in the entertainment industry. She likes working here in the Philippines and applauds the efforts of her director (Mac Alejandre) and her co-stars, particularly, Alfred Vargas, Marian Rivera, Alicia Meyer and Renz Valerio. Carrie reminisces her bonding moments with the casts and animatedly told us how she has learned some Tagalog phrases from her Filipino castmates. Alfred on Malaysians Alfred considers himself fortunate to get this role. Aside from doing this show partly overseas, he got the chance to immerse himself in the culture of another Asian country and meet international artists like co-star Carrie Lee. “I am proud of this project. It’s a good project, ngayon pa lang, there is a certain fulfillment sa akin for doing this. I know I did my best. We did our best. There are a lot of new things here. Viewers can expect a different kind of soap opera, hindi na ito yung usual formula, maraming new elements na dinagdag dito," reveals Alfred. “In terms of the creative side, Filipino talaga yun. One truth behind it is that Malaysians really look up to Filipinos when it comes to the entertainment industry. Talagang respetado tayo. And you know what? Yung mga Malaysian co-actors ko when they got here, nagulat sila. They were overwhelmed by the standards in which GMA positions itself. Parang three times better, three times bigger and more serious. And in that way, I can say that we can be proud that we are part of the Kapuso network, kasi world-class tayo. World-class ang Kapuso!" One Love Brought together by this project, the two stars discovered a new aspect of their lives. Carrie realized that she wants to improve on her acting skills and wants to do another project like this. It doesn’t matter whether the project is in Malaysia, China or the Philippines. She just wants to continue improving her newly-found love for acting. Alfred on the other hand is determined to hone his skills in drama. “This is my first heavy drama series and to sustain a heavy dramatic character for 13 weeks is a really big challenge for me. Pero naging ok naman with the guidance of Direk Mac," says Alfred rather proudly. Without a doubt, Muli has enabled these two artists to rediscover themselves and find that their love for their craft can be brought to another level and can bridge the gap of a thousand miles with just a simple gesture of reaching out and opening oneself to the notion that cultural differences is just a matter of geography. Catch them both on Muli, weekdays after Daisy Siete 14. - iGMA.tv
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