by Blaise C. Gacoscos, Yes! Magazine, June 2002

When you finally manage to get Sharon Cuneta and Judy Ann Santos together in one movie, you're expected to have nothing less than a record breaker. So, even if times are fickle, money hard, movies not the sure fire things they used to be, the Sharon-Judy Ann starrer are not allowed to do less. What pressure!

"Over so many years of being in this business," says 36-year-old Sharon, "I know already that when people expect so much, you can't take it seriously. You take it seriously in the sense that you give your best. But you know what? You cannot live every moment while you're making the movie keeping that in mind. That's gonna kill you. I think other actors will understand what I'm saying. Kami, we're happy na siguro may konting attraction na 'yung team-up namin ni Juday. Sa 'min, we're happy na they even have expectations. Although it's a little bit of pressure, you know. Pero we're too busy to even be stressed about what they think. We're just doing our best..."

Judy Ann, who turned 24 last May, sees the pressure, too. "Sobrang taas ang expectation, kasing taas ng Eiffel Tower, nalulunod ako! Nakakalunod actually ang pressure."

To eliminate the pressure, this is what Judy Ann says she does: "Kung ano ang ine-expect ng mga tao, 'yon ang hindi ko ginagawa... Hanggang maari tumataliwas ako kasi ayoko ng feeling na nag-e-expect din ako, tapos hindi ko ma-reach ang expectations na nasa utak ko."

And on those occasions that expetations weren't reached, Judy ANn found herself saying: "Lesson learned."

She adds: "Masakit, parang, 'Loser ba ako?' Ayoko na ng gan'ung feeling. Parang hindi positive na magkaroon ka ng gan'ung pakiramdam sa katawan mo 'tsaka sa project na ginagawa mo."

Anyway, she says, she accepted long ago that the box-office burden is on the star whose name is written above the movie title.

"Tanggap ko na 'yon!" she says. "Mas magugulat ako kung hindi nila ako idadamay sa sisis kapag nabagsak ang isang film. Mas ikagugulat ko pa 'yon na walang negative write-ups sa akin at dedepansahan pa ako kapag bumagsak ang pelikula ko. Wala pang gan'un na nagyayari na mayroon akong bumagsak na pelikula tapos dinepensahan pa ako. Laging nas akin 'yung sisi."

Then, after the box office pressure comes the pressure to win an award.

Judy Ann nods vigorously. "Iniisip ko pa nga lang ngayon ang pag-attend ng awards night, parang may paru-paro na ako sa tiyan e," she says with great candor. "Yung parang feeling ko, enjoyin ko nalang ang gabi, enjoyin ko na lang lahat ng mangyayari mula ipalabas itong pelikula namin. Importante, nasa satisfy si Direk Joel sa ginagawa ko. And the mere fact na mag-take one sa mga scenes na ginagawa ko sa kanya, achievment na sa akin 'yon."

Sharon and Judy Ann play siblings in Joel Lamangan's Magkapatid.

Sharon has this to say: "God has given us so much ni Christopher [de Leon, her co-star]. Naliligo na ng award 'yan. Hindi na mabilang. Ako, 'di pa naman naliligo, naaambunan lang ng konti e tama na 'yon in one lifetime. You know, Juday is young and I think her role is something different for her, so it's parang bringing out what, kunyari, her drama roles on TV had not given justice to or not given a chance to shine, 'di ba? The pressure is, I think is good. It keeps us on our toes pero it's not what we live for every day on the set. Ako, I enjot being with Judy Ann when we make kuwento..."

Sharon must really like Judy Ann. She can makes excuses for the girl when the later is a little late coming to the set.

"This girl has to rest because sometimes she's late, you know," declares Sharon like a concerned older sister. "But I cannot find it in my heart to get angry at her. She finishes taping at seven in the morning. She takes a bath and she comes to our set. And the pinaka-late she's been is probably less than two hours. I've heard from other actors that there are some actors who actually just come from their house and make their co-actors wait for six hours! And that's something unforgivable as far as I'm concerned. I have a lot of respect for her. Not because she's my co star, but I've worked with 10 million other people ...you see that at a young age, she knows how to value her blessings, she loves her family, she works hard. So I respect that a lot because I don't know many people like that.

And where work is concerned, Sharon has no complaints about Judy Ann. Says she, "She gives me a lot. Sabi ko nga kanina, ang hirap ng nakikipagacting ka sa tuod. When you're doing a scene, it's not just you, e. It's really how the scene comes together 'coz no matter how hard you try, how much you give, kung 'yang ka eksena mo does not give you enough bala, it's not gonna work. You're not gonna do your best."

Meantime, Judy Ann, star struck from the very first shooting day, is all praises and good cheer when talking about the Mega Star. Says she: "Magaling siyang artista. Sobra. Nakakatuwa. Hindi ko iisipin na ang isang Sharon Cuneta ang mag-aabalang i-motivate ka, tulungan ka matapos mong maayos 'yung eksena. Nagbibigay siya ng mga tips kung paano 'yung mga ginagawa niya para maka-react siya sa kaeksena niya at 'tsakainiisa-isa niya lahat. Kumbaga, ayaw niya rin magkamali siya. So ako, ayoko rin magkamali, nakakahiya naman, baka mamaya masigawa ako ni Direk Joel."

But that doesn't seem forthcoming. Joel Lamangan has no complaints about his two stars. "Judy Ann is a very sensitive actress, like Sharon," he says. "Sharon is an intelligent actress. Wala ka ng masyadong motivation not gagawin sa kanila. They know what to do."

Even before the camera started rolling on April 3, Sharon had already decided to play ate to Judy Ann.

"I've taken it upon myself also to look after her," she says seriously. "I don't know her other scenes, yang mga sinu-shoot niya without me, but as long as I'm there I'm always watching her."

Sharon knew, of course, that there was bound to be speculation on who between them was getting the better deal say, with the number of highlights. Says she, "Hindi ako mahilig na makikialam sa production. Ang pakikialaman ko yung ano ba ang gagawin ko. Pero ayaw na ayaw ko yang because you're so and so, may nagpi-feeling na nadedehado o nao-OA."

Sharon's support for Judy Ann extended beyond the set of Magkapatid. When Judy Ann taped for her birthday special at the UP Theater, she was assigned a green room backstage that she had to share with Sharon. But Sharon very graciously chose to stay outside and let Judy Ann occupy the whole space instead. Judy Ann was touched. But, as Sharon says: "Si Juday, hindi pa niya alam na superstar na siya."