For Barbie Forteza, working with Sharon Cuneta on 'Honor Thy Mother' is a full circle moment

For Barbie Forteza, working with Sharon Cuneta in the upcoming series “Honor Thy Mother” feels like a full-circle moment.

In an interview on “Fast Talk With Boy Abunda” on Friday, the Kapuso Primetime Princess said Sharon is the reason she wanted to enter showbiz and become an actress.

"I became an actress because of her,” Barbie said.

She recalled being eight years old and seeing the Megastar in the 1996 film “Madrasta.”

“Then I saw her scene where she said, ‘I was never your partner, I'm just your wife.’ I was so captivated by her and her performance,” Barbie said in a mix of Filipino and English.

According to the Kapuso star, despite her young age and not having any experience with heartbreak, she could already sense the depth in Sharon’s performance.

“It was Sharon Cuneta’s level of truth and depth,” Barbie said, explaining that she immediately told her mother that she wanted to become an actress because of Sharon.

Humble Beginnings

During the interview, she recalled her humble beginnings, commuting with her mother from Biñan, Laguna to Quezon City just to audition for roles.

“We would take a bus from the market in Biñan. There was a bus terminal there. My dad would take us there, then we would take the bus to Magallanes,” she said, and from there, would take the MRT to GMA Kamuning.

“Usually, my mom and I wouldn't be able to sit anymore because it was always during rush hour,” Barbie recalled.

Upon arriving at GMA, they would still have to line up for auditions. Some of those auditions, Barbie said would take as long as five hours.

Then the pair would share a single serving of beef mami because their budget could not afford two bowls.

“My mom will just have the broth while I would have the noodles. Then, going home, we would line up again at the terminal for either a UV Express or a bus. There would be vendors selling biscuits or otap. I used to love otap, Tito Boy, especially the ones with lots of sugar,” she said.

“So I would buy that so we could still have something to eat on our way home. Then my dad would pick us up again when we arrived in Biñan,” Barbie said.

Honor Thy Mother

She's certainly has come along way — a full circle moment, as Barbie calls it — and says working on "Honor Thy Mother" with Sharon is akin to attending a masterclass every day.

“To have that experience, it’s so surreal,” she said.

According to Barbie, Sharon is very generous with her emotions during their scenes, making it easier for her to deliver what the story required.

“She’s that generous, she’s that brilliant. She really gives me the right emotion that I need to bring out,” Barbie said.

Their relationship has become even more personal, with Sharon already allowing Barbie to call her “Mama."

“She also takes such good care of all of us on set. So even my love for her becomes genuine,” Barbie said.

As such, portraying the resentment toward Sharon’s character becomes even more emotionally challenging.

“It becomes deeper because my love for her is also real,” she added.

A story of family conflict and the complexities of relationships, "Honor Thy Mother" is a collaboration of three media giants, GMA Network, ABS-CBN, and Prime Video.

It will premiere on September 11 on Prime Video. — LA, GMA News