Sheryl Cruz: 'Being a villainess a very, very hard job'

Since she made her comeback in 2004, Sheryl Cruz has become very visible on the boob tube. From the fantaserye Mulawin (2004) to the heavy family drama Now and Forever: Ganti (2005) and Now and Forever: Tinig (2006)—she has become part of the GMA-7 stable of stars. In these prime-time shows, she has generally played the "good" person, with a minor and underplayed "bad" role thrown in. These days, in the network's prime-time offering, Bakekang, Sheryl does the unexpected. The former teenybopper, the mainstay of sweet-girl roles, the star with the wholesome image, is now the main and hateful contravida. "It's good that I'm able to present the side na hindi pa nila nakikita, na hindi ko pa nagagawa before," the actress said about the "awful" character she portrays. "You are always expected to do a certain kind of role and character. 'Pag medyo nalilihis ka dun, people get disappointed," she told the Philippine Entertainment Portal. But things may be different today, she thinks. "I guess nowadays, I think gusto ng mga tao na may nakikitang versatility when it comes to acting. Hindi yung luma, yung dati at dati..." The beautiful Sheryl—daughter of the late actor Ricky Belmonte and the U.S.-based actress Rosemarie Sonora—is well-applauded by critics for her portrayal of Valeria, Bakekang's (Sunshine Dizon) archenemy. Sheryl is the first to say that being a villainess, the contravida, is not easy. In her own words: "It is a very, very hard job." She added:"It's tough din na umiiyak kami. 'Pag umiiyak kami, walang ipinagkaiba sa isang buong araw na panay sigawan." Asked how she's able to portray the role effectively, Sheryl says, "Ngayon na mas marami na kaming pinagdaanan sa buhay namin, I've been in the industry for a while...When you get to experience things in your life—nakakakuha ka ng panghatak sa emotions, lumalabas yung natural. It's not acting anymore. It comes naturally, you don't act it out." After Bakekang, she has plans to take a break from contravida roles. She said, "Kailangan ko munang magpahinga doing that. It's very stressful, strenuous. You exert a lot of effort pagdating sa boses mo. There are a lot of times na talagang wala akong boses o namamaos ako." Other than Bakekang, Sheryl also took part in the ongoing 2006 Metro Manila Film Festival (MFFF). She is in the cast of the "Yaya" episode of Regal Entertainment's Shake, Rattle & Roll 8. "I'm also happy na nabigay sa akin itong Shake, Rattle and Roll 8 project because iba na naman yung nakitang side ng ibang tao. It's more similar to the state that I'm in right now. Nash [Aguas] is eight years old and my daughter is five years old—may similarity—tama yung role para sa akin." Sheryl is, in fact, very good in "Yaya," the Topel Lee-directed episode in the eightsinstallment of the Regal horror franchise. She plays the mother role neither over the top nor underacted. In every scene, she has her character at just the right pitch—doting mother, worried mother, tolerant mother, reasonable homemaker, concerned parent. There is nothing irritating, strident, or melodramatic about her portrayal. Considering that the eight-year-old Nash Aguas—who won MMFF best child performer for his performance here—is a natural actor who can steal the scene from everybody, Sheryl holds her own. Only in the final scene does her portrayal fumble, when her reaction to Iza Calzado's manananggal character dissolving into nothing is too cool. Here, her body language and facial expression do not match the climactic horror of the scene. When she should be horrified at the ungodly revelation, she stands there only looking stunned. But then again, it is only in this final scene that director Topel Lee—whose talent throbs in "Yaya" and whose work shows he is going to be an important director in the years ahead—fumbles. The scene feels abbreviated. It doesn't hold the "revelation" long enough. After all the well-paced tension build-up, the film should stamp its long and final mark in that scene. Unfortunately, the scene doesn't stay long enough for the viewer to absorb the moment longer, and in the end also fails to give its characters (Sheryl, Nash, TJ Trinidad) enough cinematic seconds to shake and rattle. Overall, however, "Yaya" is the one film that makes Shake, Rattle and Roll 8 worth watching. And Sheryl is one good reason why. For her future projects, Sheryl says she really wants roles that will challenge her. She expressed her desire to do roles that are different and not normally expected of her by the audience. Now a mother to Ashley, the former teen idol is set to prove her versatility as an actress. - Philippine Entertainment Portal