It's a major throwback fest with the Queen of Philippine Soap Opera!
Judy Ann Santos is unstoppable, consistently delivering stellar box-office performances and iconic roles one after another. Achieving this feat was no easy task, but it has been a colorful journey worth reminiscing about.
That's why her smiles and laughter were so heartfelt, and her stories so vibrant, as she took on the "Rate and React" segment on Kapamilya Chat. In this episode, she revisited some of her most memorable scenes from Kapamilya teleseryes, shared fun trivia about them, and as a bonus, revealed her technique for delivering that unmistakable magic on screen.
Let’s dive straight into a spicy throwback—her teenage showdown with Gladys Reyes in “Mara Clara,” which aired from 1992 to 1997, specifically a scene where Gladys’s Clara slapped Judy Ann’s Mara. After watching the clip, Judy Ann estimated that it was filmed during the show’s first year, as the location, a house, was actually set up inside a studio in ABS-CBN’s lone building at the time.
She loved taping in the studio because of the air conditioning, which was perfect for resting, but the downside was she’d fall asleep and be so hard to wake up. “Parang nakakalimutan ko 'yung dialogue ko kasi malamang n'yan kagigising ko lang,” she admitted with a laugh. Apparently, taking a nap was her favorite thing to do on set, as well as for Gladys, who often recharged between takes since she was juggling “Mara Clara” and another show. Because of this, the two didn’t get to bond much on set and only became close after “Mara Clara.”
“Mukhang bagong gising. Parang hindi ko siya masyadong sineryoso,” she jokingly critiqued her performance in that particular scene which she gave a humble 2 out of 5 rating.
Judy Ann couldn’t help but laugh as she re-watched her superhero transformation in the fantasy series “Krystala.” The scene brought back vivid memories, including the pressure they felt while filming this scene, as they were racing against the clock for the episode’s airing.
She recalled how “Krystala” was a unique challenge for her stepping into an unfamiliar genre. Unlike the emotionally charged soap operas she was accustomed to, playing a superhero required a different kind of preparation. And one of the most meticulous processes was designing the blue and yellow costume.
According to Judy Ann herself, the creative team had a lengthy debate about the final look, as she wasn’t comfortable wearing a bikini-style outfit on national TV, unlike most superheroes with revealing costumes. To find a compromise, they opted for a design with a slightly lower neckline, a choice she felt was the perfect balance since she didn’t think her cleavage was particularly voluptuous.
And here’s an interesting trivia: Tala’s transformation into the superhero Krystala was choreographed by Julie Anne Benitez, now the head of JRB Creative Production.
“Korning-korni ako. Hindi ko lubos maisip na nagsu-superhero ako,” she admitted. But despite her initial reservations, she quickly realized how rare it was to be trusted with such a groundbreaking role. “It doesn’t always happen na ang mother network mo pagkakatiwalaan ka sa bagong character and superhero at that.”
She had to trust the process even when she had doubts, “’Yan ‘yung panahon na nilunok ko na lang ang proseso. Kasi kung pinagkakatiwalaan nila ako, ano ‘yung karapatan ko to question their ability? May nakikita talaga silang hindi ko nakikita. At kung hindi ko sasabayan ‘yung agos, hindi ko siguro ma-e-enjoy ‘yung journey.”
She further revealed that Krystala was conceptualized as a counterpart to the rival network’s “Darna.” However, Judy Ann viewed the competition positively, noting that it pushed everyone to be creative.
Stepping into the unknown was certainly daunting, but she believed it was where she was meant to be. In hindsight, she's glad she took the leap, as Krystala went on to become an iconic character in Filipino teleserye history. “Kumbaga, nagmarka siya bilang Pinoy superhero. So, that alone, bilang may mga anak ako, happy ako na naging superhero ako at some point,” she said with a smile, before giving the scene a score between 3 and 4.
The Kapamilya actress blushed a little as she reviewed a sweet kissing scene with Ryan Agoncillo from the sitcom “George and Cecil” (2009), the only sitcom she ever did. No surprise that the kiss felt genuinely kilig—"George and Cecil” debuted during their honeymoon phase as newlyweds. “Kaya siguro iba ‘yung tawid sa screen,” she mused.
She had nothing but glowing memories of her time on the show, which she absolutely loved, thanks to their smooth rapport director Joey Reyes, who would later direct their blockbuster film "Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo." And of course, she thinks the sitcom had a perfect casting. For the kilig that felt real, Judy Ann gave it a rating of 4.
She was also shown her death scene as Jane, a woman with split-personality disorder, from "FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano," which she didn't hesitate to accept, since she’d been long looking for a role with psychological disorder.
“I just didn’t expect it to be that challenging,” she admitted. “No'ng inisip ‘to ni Coco [Martin], hindi rin niya alam kung paano tatawirin ‘yung character ko,” she revealed. Because of that, she took the role seriously and did a lot of research. “Kinailangan ko siyang aralin. Kailangan kong maghanap ng basehan kasi ayokong masira din ang latag ng kwento ng ‘Ang Probinsyano’ kung hindi ko aaralin kung paano ba ang isang taong may personality disorder.”
Those who were fans of "FPJ's Ang Probinsyano" would know the only way to confirm a character’s exit is if they actually die, otherwise there’s always a chance for a comeback. So when Coco consulted Judy Ann about her final scene, asking if she preferred her character to die or to be sent to a psychiatric ward for a possible return in future episodes, Judy Ann’s funny response was, “Patayin mo na ako! ‘Yung patay na patay ako!”
She joked, “Kaya siguro lahat ng squad binaril ako. ‘Patayin na natin nang bonggang-bonga! ‘Yun ang hiningi niya ibibigay natin.’” Judy Ann admitted she preferred to get killed off, considering it was an exhausting role and she needed to move on to her next series, "Starla."
When asked how she pulled off switching between different emotions in a single sequence, Judy Ann, who topbills the Metro Manila Film Festival 2024 entry “Espantaho,” opened up about her process. She explained that it might come naturally to her because she's pretty emotional in real life.
With passion in her eyes, the Kapamilya superstar talked about relying on the classic method of drawing from personal experiences or mental images, such as imagining the death of a loved one, to get the tears flowing. But there came a point when this strategy no longer worked as effectively, no matter how hard she tried. That's when she realized she needed to find a new technique.
Through trial and error and learning from her co-stars, she figured out how to truly immerse herself in her character’s feelings and backstory. It isn’t just about re-creating feelings, but completely committing and diving deep into the core of the character. It isn’t enough to just memorize lines; she has to understand who her character is and what they are really going through.
That's why, in her ultimate scene as Jane, she had to fully embody the woman’s psychological depth. She explained that she had to step into Jane’s shoes completely, understanding her backstory and trauma. Then, all those emotions came flooding out during her final breakdown scene because she had already absorbed the essence of the character.
There were a few scenes that were particularly hard for her to let go of, like the next one featuring her drama-heavy moment with Joel Torre in "Starla." In this scene, Judy Ann’s character, Teresa, delivers a powerful monologue about forgiveness. Upon watching the clip, she expressed how much she loves doing scenes with Joel, whom she's been working with since her "Esperanza" (1997) days. She recalled how she never needed to rehearse every line to get that scene from "Starla" right, as she could instantly tap into her emotions just by looking at him.
"You will know kung gaano kagaling ang isang artista if wala siyang sinasabi and he is just there pero ramdam mo siya," she added, referring to Joel’s subtle yet powerful performance, which was enough to convince her to rate this scene a perfect five.