Eula Valdez is a queen in Kamandag

Veteran actress Eula Valdes joins the Kapuso network and takes part in the all-star ensemble of its latest primetime hit, Carlo J. Caparas’s Kamandag. With great passion for her job and the eagerness to overcome challenges her character has in store, Eula has made herself all comfortable in her new playground. “I am very eager to work with GMA" Eula says in an interview with iGMA during her photo shoot for the show. “Para ibang playground naman" she adds. In Kamandag, Eula plays Alicia, a mortal woman from a wealthy family brought by the snake-king Sadan (Gardo Versoza) to the underworld kingdom, Ambograw. She becomes his queen, and eventually bears Sadan a son. Later she is taken by the wolf-king Gulag (Zoren Legazpi) after killing her husband in a duel. “Alicia’s good naman" Eula affirms, and then shares that she familiarizes herself with her new character by chatting with the writers. “Gusto kong malaman kung anong type of person she is" she adds. The seasoned actress admits her excitement over working in a fantasy-themed television series and says she looks forward to wearing the queen’s costumes. “Excited ako sa idea na may costume, kasi mahilig ako maglaro eh" she says. Eula believes wearing costumes will work to her advantage. “Para din ‘yan sa moods ng tao, depende sa kung ano 'yung nafi-feed sa’yo ng environment mo. Big help din 'yung look, automatic 'yun sa tao 'di ba? Kapag nag-dress ka, nagiging prim and proper ka, kapag nag-casual ka, cowboy ka lang" she explains. Destined to Shine Growing up watching old films, Eula believes she has been lured into the entertainment world by its “glamour [because] everyone’s all made up [at] ang gaganda nila". As a TV kid who eventually found herself in the business, Eula confesses she could not imagine herself being anything else but an actress. “Ito talaga ang gusto ko" she says. “Pinanganak yata ako na kapag tinanong, ‘Anong gusto mo, prinsesa or artista?’, 'yun [pag-aartista] ang gusto ko" she shares. And now that she has successfully made name for herself in showbiz, Eula feels it no longer matters which show genre she works in. “It really doesn’t matter kasi this is all play para sa’kin" she replies when made to choose between fantasy-themed shows and the tug-at-heart reality types. “Pine-prefer ko to be given different roles para mas masarap paglaruan…basta gusto ko iba-iba para hindi boring" she states. “Ngayon ang importante sa’kin 'yung magandang story. Basta magandang character. Hindi naman kailangang sobrang complicated 'yung pagkatao. Ngayon mas na-a-attract ako sa mas simple [at] mas totoo" she adds. Overcoming Fears As she stars in a project as big and grand as Kamandag, Eula says she expects to have lots of fun – but hopes to have fewer moments with the snakes. “Terrified ako dun sa snakes" she says in a small voice, almost in a whisper. “Hindi ako nakakagalaw. I’m afraid of snakes, lizards – reptiles. As in kasehodang breakdown scene" she discloses. Fortunately for her, she has not dealt with any of the slithery creatures in the duration of the show. But she assures everyone that she will condition herself to deal with her least favorite creatures when the need arises. “Basta alam ko kaya ko 'yan" she guarantees. “Bahala na, ayokong isipin kasi baka manlata ako. Pag nandyan na, I’ll deal with it." Eula expresses her glee as she works on her first television series with the Kapuso network. “I’m happy kasi pleasant 'yung mga tao. Nervous ako at first pero buti naman very accommodating si Miss Carol (Kamandag’s executive producer), tapos in-introduce na rin niya ako sa iba. Very warm [sila] so at ease na ako agad" she says. - iGMA.tv