Max Collins knew from the onset that portraying two personas of the same character in “The Master Cutter” would demand quite a lot. And it seems that her and the entire team’s hard work has been paying off as the GMA Prime offering continues to enjoy positive reviews and good ratings since making its premiere last May 11, 2026.

Three successful months into the show, Max reflects on the unique nuances of her character– like the transition from ‘Elaine’ to ‘Audrey’ – and what makes her collaboration with this Dingdong Dantes-led cast fun and productive.

HOW DID MAX PREPARE FOR THE ROLE IN THE MASTER CUTTER?

Max plays Audrey, the estranged daughter of a syndicate boss who left her violent roots and tumultuous past behind by adopting a second persona in Elaine, who took on being a preschool teacher on an island.

In the words of the versatile actress, Audrey is inherently "compassionate, loving, and a very hopeful person” who, while having a deep well of painful experiences, remains to be “helpful” and “forgiving.”

“My preparations were more of understanding kung saan nanggagaling yung character, like what are Audrey’s motivations… marami siyang pain, marami siyang pinaghuhugutan. Knowing that she’s (still) always helpful, she’s very forgiving – that made it easier for me portraying her,” shared Max during an interview with GMA Regional TV.

She explained why the character’s departure from her violence-ridden Regalla family and the comeback of a more mature Audrey in the form of Elaine, was crucial in fleshing out the character’s incentives.

“Akala nya nagbago yung pamilya nya pero hindi pa pala, there are a lot of layers of that character. Understanding where she’s coming from helped me portray her,” Max said.

Being a mom herself helped Max in internalizing the wants and needs of her character as it became “easier for me to understand the depth of her pain, yung lalim nya – mas nagging madali para sa akin.”

HOW’S WORKING ALONGSIDE DINGDONG DANTES?

Max had nothing but good words about her working dynamics with Kapuso Primetime King Dingdong Dantes, who’s playing the titular role Anthony ‘Atoy’ Padua.

“With Dingdong, I was fortunate enough to have been working with him over the years. So, I'm comfortable with him,” Max said. 

The 33-year-old Kapuso actress also had positive remarks about their partnership’s collaborative nature.

“We always talk about our scenes. Kung saan yung trajectory ng characters. And also, we talk about, does this sound right for your character? Does this sound right for my character?” Max explained, crediting an open communication system with Dingdong especially when it comes to heavy scenes.

“Nagco-collab kami, and yun yung nakatutulong sa mga eksena na maging mas fluid and more truthful para sa characters namin. We really talk about where our characters are coming from, and kung ano yung gusto naming makuha from each other sa eksenang iyon, and then we just let go,” she mused. 

Asked what she admires about the award-winning actor, Max said it’s his professionalism and inspiring body of work.

“He is very professional. Hangang-hanga ako kay Dingdong kasi ang dami-dami niyang ginagawa, hindi sya nagpapahinga. And he’s a leader on set in ‘The Master Cutter’ but obviously he has his other shows, and he’s such a family man—so he really finds time for everything and does everything well and so he is such an inspiration,” she shared.

TAKEAWAYS FROM THE CHARACTER

With all the internalization process trying to get into the psyche of ‘Audrey/Elaine,’ Max believes her character in ‘The Master Cutter’ essentially shows viewers the value of “giving yourself time to heal, and learning that it doesn’t happen overnight.”

“May process talaga yan, it takes time, and eventually you’ll move on, but being easy on yourself and giving yourself time to heal – that is very important,” she added.

She also described the character as one that’s given multiple layers by its writers.

“Yung depth ng character n Audrey, and yung fact na her character isn't black or white. It's a very gray area. Yes, she wants to be good, but she's not from a good family.”

As The Master Cutter enters its second successful month in primetime, Max offers some important questions that surround the complexity of Audre: “it's hard to know what the trajectory of the character will be. Saan ba siya pupunta, magsa-side ba sya sa good? Magsa-side ba sya sa bad? Ipagtatanggol ba niya byung masama?”

The Master Cutter airs weeknights on GMA Prime after 24 Oras, with a delayed telecast on GTV at 9:45 p.m. Episodes are also available for streaming on Netflix, where new episodes are released after their television broadcast.