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With a recently-signed two-year contract with GMA plus a Hollywood-produced flick to her name, Iza does seem to be at the top of her game.
“How’s your New Year?” Iza Calzado asks us, with a smile that puts the sun to shame. Her almond-shaped eyes crinkle as she exclaims, “I just know it’s going to be an amazing year for everyone! I claim it, and proclaim it; I thank God for it!” With a recently-signed two-year contract with GMA plus a Hollywood-produced flick to her name, Iza does seem to be at the top of her game – and it’s not even March yet! Text by Jillian Q. Gatcheco. Photos by Mitch S. Mauricio and Jason John S. Lim. Back in primetime You’ll be seeing Iza daily starting February 11 in Joaquin Bordado, her primetime comeback after Impostora (2007). She’ll be joining a star-studded cast led by no other than Robin Padilla himself, who’ll be playing Joaquin. Every Thursday, she’ll also be in ESP, which takes the place of the Magpakailanman timeslot. This time, she’ll be working with her Impostora leading man Alfred Vargas and her Etheria (2006) co-star Francine Prieto. Iza looks forward to being with a different mix of people for her new shows, because it helps her have a new approach to acting. “In every soap naman that I do, I hope that I get better, I mature, or [people see] a different kind of ‘me.’ Magbabago lang naman yun mostly with the people that you work with – syempre magbabago yung dynamics ninyo. Ewan ko what it’s called; chemistry? Energy? Electricity? Something!” she says. Post-Hollywood As we all know, Iza shot her first Hollywood-produced flick late last year for Echo, a remake of Sigaw. We asked her what she gained from the experience. “You know what’s funny? I think I just gained more confidence -- that I can deliver,” she answers. “And knowing that I was able to do a film there.” She adds, “I don’t think there’s any difference naman on what we know here and what we know there. It’s just a totally different environment. But I gained the knowledge that they work in a different way, that this is how they work. Stuff like that.” More importantly, Iza says that she realized she can actually live abroad. “’Cos I’ve always had that fear,” she imparts. “I [didn’t] think I [could] ever live outside the Philippines. ‘Cos I’m very dependent on the yaya, the driver – everybody! So in those three weeks – I know, three weeks, wala pa yun syempre -- masaya-saya ka pa, you’re working and all that. But I was doing everything by myself, and I was very happy. But syempre things aren’t always like that and you have to struggle. Doon ko na-gain yung…It’s not wisdom, yung knowledge lang pag dating sa sarili ko na I just found out that I could probably stick it out there, just in case I make a decision to move at any point in my life.” Does she have any plans of migrating? “No solid plans,” Iza replies. “I do have a two-year contract with GMA that I recently signed. So in the next two years, I don’t think I can just leave. But who knows?” she adds with a smile. Iza was frank enough to admit that her stint in Hollywood contributed a great deal to her credibility as an actress here. “Actually, that’s the one thing I gained pa, which, I’m very, very thankful [for]. Parang because of that film – hindi ko naman pinagmamayabang; not for anything, pero talagang nakita niyo naman kung paano biglang nag-shoot up [yung career ko].” “E ganoon pa rin naman ako,” she remarks with a grin. “Yung ugat ko sa paa, ganoon pa rin, yung dumi ko sa kuko dito sa kamay pag naglalaro ako sa putikan, [ganoon pa rin]! I still chew the same way; I still wake up with the same face, doing everything almost the same. Siguro lang, mas na-recognize now, whatever it is that I’ve been doing over the past years. And it’s probably also a manifestation of the hard work. So reaping the benefits, probably.” The only downside of the fame is the constant reminder that she has to meet higher expectations. “I need to work harder now, actually, because there’s more responsibility and more things at stake. I know,” she says. Nevertheless, Iza is up to the challenge and is ready to face her year with as much optimism as she can muster. “It’s been a pretty good year! Ang ganda ng pasok ng taon. I wanna work! It’s actually a good thing that you have a drive, no? I started working [again] the other day, and I was very, very happy to be working again!” Get in touch with Iza via Fanatxt! Text IZA to 4627, or receive picture messages from her by sending GOMMS IZA ON to 4627. (Each SMS costs P2.50 for GLOBE, SMART, and TALK N TEXT, and P2.00 for SUN subscribers. Each MMS costs P5.00 for all Networks.) Related features: Iza Calzado: Take two! Chika Minute: Iza Calzado gets modeling award abroad Prepare for a scare Tattooed adventures Joaquin Bordado press conference Iza’s iGMA Forum thread