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Gone is the sweet leading lady of Sugo, and in its place is a woman who knows what she wants and will stop at nothing to get it.
Gone is the sweet leading lady of Sugo, and in its place is a woman who knows what she wants and will stop at nothing to get it. You either hate her or love her as Rosita but you certainly won’t be able to ignore her. In the Sinenovela version of Maging Akin Ka Lamang, a totally different side of Isabel Oli is uncovered. Text by KC M. Abalos. Photos by Mitch S. Mauricio and GMA Network. Maging Akin Ka Lamang—it sounds selfish. The title is psychologically disturbing indeed, but that is what director Lino Brocka intended the movie to be—disturbing drama at its finest. And the lady who plays the bad girl is Isabel Oli. “At first talaga na-pressure po ako kasi ang galing po ni Ms. L.T.,” she says with a hint of nervousness. There is good reason to be nervous since Isabel’s role in the Sinenovela version is played by the Grand Slam actress, Lorna Tolentino. Isabel may have faced many challenges since she started her acting career but she believes that this is her most daring role to date. And she can’t help but admire Ms. Lorna T’s original rendition again and again, especially after she watched the original film: “Happy [ako] na binigay sa akin ‘yung role niya pero at the same time, nape-pressure. Kasi kahit papaano iko-compare ako sa kanya. I find my role very challenging kasi sobrang galing niya.” But the young actress refuses to be intimidated. She sees this as an opportunity to prove her acting skills and is bent on proving that she is more than just a model or a superhero’s damsel in distress. “Sa akin naman tina-try ko ibahin. Kasi I want na maiba ‘yung pag-express ko sa character ni Rosita,” she says with a determined smile. Rosita’s Rape Scene In Sugo, Isabel played Richard Gutierrez’s sweet lady love. In Maging Akin Ka Lamang, she exchanges her sweet demeanor for a sophisticated façade, hiding an obsessive love for one man. Isabel describes Rosita in a nutshell: “She’ll do everything para lang makuha niya ‘yung love ni Andy. Bahala na ‘yung ibang tao masaktan. Kaya ‘yun nga ‘yung line niya eh, ‘Maging akin ka lamang.” And she may not be the lead but she certainly is the one who gets to say the all-too-famous line. But what does she really prefer? Being the lead star or tackling a juicy role even if she isn’t the lead? “Actually, depende lang talaga sa management. They want me to become a character actress. Ayaw nila yung lagi pa-tweetums or ‘yung lagi na lang lead. Sbi nila yun,” she answers. “For me naman, support man or lead basta maganda ‘yung role, I have to get it talaga.” The easy part is actually over; she has gotten the role. But the hard task is just about to begin. Since the real Isabel is far from the spoiled, possessive character she has to play, how will she face this particular challenge? “Mag-english ka lang mukha ka nang spoiled, mukha ka nang maarte—easy lang yun!” she laughs. “Mahirap ‘yung obsessed at sobrang aggressive. May isang eksena na ni-rape ko si Polo [Ravales], ang hirap talaga, sobra! Thanks to Direk Gil(Mga Mata ni Anghelita, Bakekang), tinulungan niya ko kung paano.” Catch more of Isabel in Maging Akin Ka Lamang in GMA’s Dramarama sa hapon. Talk about this Sinenovela at the iGMA Forums! Here are more stories about the show: New Tandem, New Twist Loving to the Limit Bring it On Getting the Roles