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Did Annabelle Rama ever give Rhian Ramos a hard time on the set? Did everyone really get along? Find out from the cast members themselves!
Did Annabelle Rama ever give Rhian Ramos a hard time? What does her real-life daughter honestly think of her? Is she really a bully off-cam? “My Monster Mom’s” cast tells all! Text by Jillian Q. Gatcheco. Photos by Mitch Mauricio Annabelle’s ‘kem-bek’ “It’s such a joy to be working with my mom for the first time—we have so many stories to tell all of you!” Ruffa Gutierrez starts off during the movie’s press conference last June 10 at Mother Lily’s Imperial Suites. Aside from this being her first time to star with her mom onscreen, it’s also Annabelle’s much-awaited acting comeback after a long showbiz hiatus. What if her mom outshines her in this movie? Ruffa gamely replies, “This is really a project tailor-made for my mom, and kami namang mga Gutierrez, if it’s for our parents or brothers, we let them shine in every which way—hindi kami nagsasapawan. So now, it’s my mom’s turn to shine, so we let her shine. Just like my hair—Pantene!” The movie teasers show Ruffa and Annabelle inviting the viewers to watch the film. But Annabelle says everything in her trademark Bisaya accent, and her daughter, known for being frank and straightforward, corrects her in a funny yet haughty kind of way. Ever the “palaban” queen that she is, Annabelle insists on pronouncing English words like “comeback” as “kem-bek,” and “theater” as “che-ter!” What does Annabelle think of these trailers? “Syempre happy na happy ako, trailer pa lang, gusto na nila. Sana panoorin nila the whole movie, [dahil] mas maganda,” she says. Joey Reyes, who directed the movie, says that My Monster Mom is perhaps the most enjoyable for him among the many flicks he headed. He shares, “Kung minsan, the real drama takes place behind the camera!” Ruffa agrees with direk Joey: “Minsan nagtatalo kami sa set—alam ni direk Joey yan, hindi kami naguusap ni mommy, but we’re very professional, at kahit hindi kami naguusap, we still do our scenes perfectly.” The daughter spills! Ruffa clarifies, however, that her mom is only a “monster mom” for the movie. Beyond that, she says that Annabelle is a “super mom!” “It’s so funny, kasi in one minute, may kino-close siyang deal para sa mga artista niya. In [another] minute naman, nagiging artista siya at nagme-memorize siya ng script. In [the next] minute, sasabihin niya, ‘Ruffa, ano ba yang suot mo!’ Nagiging nanay na naman siya. So sa akin, isa siyang superwoman!” “Kahit nasa set ako, tuluy-tuloy pa rin deals ko,” explains Annabelle, adding that she doesn’t forget her role as a manager even if she’s also an artista. “Nakapag-close ako ng dalawang commercials para kay Heart [Evangelista], kay Richard [Gutierrez],” she enumerates. Heart and Richard are among the many talents that Annabelle manages. What are the qualities of Ruffa’s mom that she’d like to emulate and those that she’d rather avoid? “The quality I’d rather avoid is yung pagiging magulo sa bahay, especially now, I’m living with them in Dasmariñas after 12 years of living alone—syempre naninibago ako. And minsan ang wakeup call namin ang boses ni mommy—‘Daaaay!’ [Sinasabi ko], ‘Mom, are you practicing your lines, or is that the real thing?!’” “[But] more on the good things naman,” Ruffa continues. “Gusto kong tularan yung pagiging mabuting ina [niya]. Kasi yung pagiging ina mo, it doesn’t stop sa pag-[manage ng talents]. Kasi minsan pag naging artista ang isang bata, minsan tumitigil na sa pagiging ina. [Siya], tuluy-tuloy.” She adds, looking at her mom, “You’re the fire that we all really love. Pag may umaapi sa amin, you’re always there to protect us. Which is, I’m sure lahat ng mommies sa buong mundo, yun din ang gagawin. And I’m very thankful na you guided me properly.” The cast tells all! Annabelle’s co-stars also admit that although they were intimidated at first, they realized that everything was just a notorious reputation. In reality, Annabelle is really very kind! “Actually, it was fun, kasi noong una, syempre nakaka-intimidate dahil manager ko kasama ko, pero sa scenes, nakakatawa palang ka-work si tita!” says Bubbles Paraiso. Mart Escudero shares that he found it easier to talk to his tita Annabelle as their shooting progressed. “Habang tumatagal, gumagaan na loob ko,” he says. On the other hand, Chariz Solomon admits that she got star struck at first! “Pag tinatanong ako ng mga tao kung sinong artista yung pinaka-star struck ako, si tita Annabelle [yun]! [Tapos] kinabahan ako na siya yung laging ka-eksena ko! Pero magtatawanana na lang kami after noong mga eksena, at maalaga siya sa aming lahat.” Ruffa asked Rhian, who plays the young Annabelle in the movie, if Annabelle was ever a “monster” to her, especially during the time when Rhian was still paired with Richard Gutierrez in Mars Ravelo’s Captain Barbell. Rhian answers, “Sa tingin ko, okay naman kami ni tita Annabelle kasi never naman niya akong minonster, e. Ikaw, tita, ok lang ba ako sayo?” Annabelle replies, “Noong sinabi sa akin ng GMA na partner ni Richard si Rhian, sabi ko, ayaw ko yan, batang-bata, at hindi marunong umarte, e! Sabi ni Annette (Gozon-Abrogar, GMA Films President) sa akin, magaling umarte yan ‘day, nag-workshop na. Noong makita ko siya sa unang labas ng Captain Barbell, magaling pala siya, at mayroon silang chemistry ni Richard. Para siyang si Anne Curtis, e gusto ko rin si Anne!” Direk Joey also defended Rhian and shared something he did after shooting some scenes with the young actress. “After the first day of shooting with Rhian, tinawagan ko si Joey Abacan (GMA Vice President for Program Management), at sinabi ko kay Joey, ‘Hey, you have a gem here. Bihira lang sa mga artista ang alam mong may potential at marunong umarte at alam mong may mararating. I told Joey, hey, you really have to make alaga this girl because you have a gem here. Ang daming magagandang artistang babae pero ilan lang yung alam mong malayo ang mararating. Siguro naman sa tinagal-tagal ko sa industriyang ito, may mata na ako kung may future ang isang artista. It’s just too bad that people tend to prejudge her because of things they hear about her. Being a good actress has nothing to do with what people think of you in your private life. It’s being able to deliver as an actress. And I think Rhian really has an advantage compared to other people her age. So I wish people would give her a chance.” The movie hasn’t even aired yet, but Ruffa says that her mom is already getting offers for future projects! “Sabi ni mommy, ang dami nang offer, [kaming] dalawa [raw], pero dapat pareho [kami] ng talent fee!” Ruffa’s reply? “What?! You sure?!” But Annabelle’s primary concern right now is for the Pinoy audience to accept her “kem-bek” and for the movie to be a hit. She also adds, “[Aba], Hindi ako nakapag-take five dito!” Don’t miss My Monster Mom on July 2, in "che-ters" near you! Click here for another My Monster Mom feature! Talk about this flick in its iGMA Forum Thread