With an acting career that has already spanned more than five decades and includes a list of former leading men like showbiz icons like Fernando Poe Jr. and Joseph Estrada, multi-awarded actress Boots Anson Roa-Rodrigo is proud to reach another career milestone this year after accepting a lead role in the family drama film Until She Remembers. She plays the role of a woman with Alzheimer’s disease who unexpectedly gets reunited with her younger former same sex lover, played by Charo Santos.
“It’s my privilege to work with Charo and Barbie (Forteza) and of course, direk Brillante Mendoza. Nasa bucket list ko po ang lumabas sa ganitong uri ng pelikula at lumabas na kasama ko ang mga kasama ko dito ngayon. Bakit bucket list? Kasi yung role ko dito ay kaiba sa lahat ng mga role na na-portray ko in all my years in the industry. And what is wonderful is the intimacy, the love that is portrayed in this movie is different. It can be difficult. But it’s such a comfort na ang kasama ko sa set ay si Charo, na matagal ko ng kaibigan,” she shared during the Until She Remembers presscon held in Quezon City.
When she was first approached by the film’s internationally awarded director, Boots explained why she did not hesitate to accept her first-ever LGBTQ role. “Ang unang pumasok sa isip ko sa, ‘Hurray, I’m going to do a movie with direk Brillante Mendoza, hurray nung malaman ko si Charo at si Barbie ang kasama and I’m going to be in a movie with them.’ Yung role and yung deviation of the role, yung pagkakaiba ng role, of course nag-register din sa akin nun pero ako sinaniban ng takot na uy, what will my family say? What will people say? It’s an out-of-the-box role. Ang naisip ko kasi, maganda yung role, magaling ang director ko, magaling ang mga kasama ko, I will do justice to the role and I’m happy na it came at a time na nag-81 years old na been there, done that, siguro kakayanin ko na yung role.”
READ: Barbie Forteza on working with Charo Santos for the first time: ‘Walang ka-ere ere!’
Boots has maintained a relatively squeaky-clean image throughout her more than 50-year career and two marriages, a fact she attributes to her always having been a family-centric person who keeps the most important details of her life out of social media.
“Hindi ko ito ma-me-maintain on my own, sa sarili ko lang. Because I’ve always had a supportive family, with my late husband Pete and now with King (Rodrigo). Parang there is no need to be distracted from the family life that I live. Kaya hindi kami masyadong lumalabas. Hindi kami masyadong nag-so-socialize. Even with the onslaught of social media, hindi kami masyadong nag-pa-participate. Except now that we would promote the film.
"But otherwise siguro, yung social life namin kasi hindi masyadong active. Like we keep our privacy to a (small) extent as possible, unless kailangan talaga sa pagpatakbo ng pelikula. Maybe it’s also a reflection of the kind of life that we live. Simple lang yung buhay namin talaga eh. Walang maraming decorasyon,” she said.
READ: Charo Santos, Boots Anson-Roa, and Barbie Forteza to star in new Brillante Mendoza film
During the film’s press conference, Boots also shared a glimpse of what viewers can expect from her first LGBTQ-themed film.
“Itong pelikulang ito, it’s really very simple. Dalawang nagmamahalang pinaghiwalay. At dahil sa initiative nung isang miyembro ng pamilya, played by Barbie, naghanapan sila, nagkita, pero meron ng problema sa health yung hinanap nila. And the challenge therein lies in how Charo and Barbie work and sacrifice to get her memory back para mag-rekindle sila ng kanilang ties. Kaya ang title ay Until She Remembers,” she added.
Until She Remembers is produced by Solar Studios Inc. and Center Stage Productions, with Wilson Tieng as executive producer. The film is written and directed by Brillante Mendoza. The film opens on February 25, Wednesday, in cinemas nationwide.