SCREEN SIBLINGS, SOUL SISTERS
by Bayani S. San Diego Jr., June 29, 2002

Like in any government-run hospital, youíd half-expect pure bedlam to erupt any minute in the emergency room of the Ospital ng Maynila.

But that fateful night it wasnít just because of the usual suspects: a slew of birthing mothers and stabbing victims.

That evening, the charity ward of Ospital ng Maynila had been turned into a movie setócomplete with endless loops of cable, dolly camera, criss-crossing tracks, cool high-tech lights, an award-winning director, and not just one but two topnotch female stars, to boot.

As such, it was quite understandable why patients and hospital staffers alike seemed a bit more distracted than usual.

They were banging on glass doors, craning their necks until their veins were about to burst, and screaming (louder than the birthing mothers) for dear Sharon Cuneta and Judy Ann Santos to glance their way.

In spite of the tumult, Sharon, Judy Ann, and esteemed filmmaker Joel Lamangan quietly went about their business, unruffled by all the fuss and frenzy.

Direk Joel stared intently at the playback monitor, as if he was already seeing the finished movie from the random footage being shot.

Shawie and Judai, for their parts, hit their marks and shed the requisite tears on cue.

Between takes, Judai hurriedly retouched her makeup and curled her lashes, because her close-up was next in the shot list.

Sharon, on the other hand, was dialing on her cellphoneófuriously, fervently.

"My baby is running a fever," Sharon confided to Direk Joel.

For a minute there, the reel and the real collided; the lines between cinema and reality blurred and coalesced.

Shawie, you see, is playing a grieving mom in Magkapatid. And that night, in this run-down hospital kilometers away from home, she was a real-life mom fretting about her sick daughter.

Alas, there was a movie (with a deadline: June 12) to finish.

Despite her worries, Sharon stayed on for Judy Annís reaction shotsógiving as much as she did in her own close-up.

Because they aced their scenes, Joel congratulated his two stars for a job well done. For Shawie, however, he had an extra instruction to impart: "Go home na, take care of your baby Frankie!"

Dutifully, Shawie rushed out of the hospital. But before darting out of the emergency room, she made a 180-degree-turn, searching frantically for a familiar face in a charity ward teeming with strangers: star-struck fans, Karo Syrup-dripping extras, as well as actual bandaged patients.

"Sis!" Shawie called out for Judai, who was standing a few paces behind her. "I almost forgot to say goodbye," Shawie exclaimed as she hugged and kissed her co-star good night.

Just another evening in Movie Land.

The above scene clearly illustrates just how close Sharon and Judy Ann have become after shooting their first movie together, Magkapatid.

"It was as if I found a real-life younger sister," Sharon says of Judy Ann.

Judai, in fact, respectfully calls Shawie, Ate. Shawie, for her part, fondly calls Judai, Bunso or Sis.

The Megastar and the Young Superstar have discovered in each other a bond that goes beyond unparalleled showbiz fame.

Judai, in fact, was the first to point out that she shares a lot of things in common with her onscreen sister.

"We like the same stuff," Judai reveals. "We both love making butingting. Reading magazines. Workbooks. Writing in our journals. Thatís what keeps us busy on the set."

"We both collect cookbooks and lifestyle magazines (Gourmet, Bon AppÈtit, Martha Stewart Living)," Shawie pipes up. "Every time I arrive on the set, I bring along a new batch of magazines and we both read them between takes."

"We get along on so many things," Judai points out.

For Judaiís birthday, Shawie gifted her with a Catering bookóauthored by Sharonís family friend Lisa J. Alvendia. "Itís called Creative Planning," Judai explains. "Itís very practical. Very useful because my brother Jeffrey and I are opening a new restaurant (Carabana) in Quezon City. I bring it along with me every day, everywhere I go. Everywhere, I read it. I even retyped some of the recipes. For the new restaurantís menu."

"I rarely get attached to my co-stars," Shawie expounds. "But Judai is one of the few that Iíve grown fond of. Itís because Iíve noticed, just by observing, that sheís real, that sheís simple. No effort, no pretensions whatsoever. Sheís nice without trying to be nice."

And, of course, they have similar passions.

"We both like staying at home," Shawie enumerates. "We both like reading cookbooks, looking for recipes we could whip up for our family. We both bring along a pencil case wherever we go. We both write everything down in our little notebooks."

And more than these simple pleasures, Sharon believes that, like her, Judy Ann is also a devoted and doting daughter.

"I really appreciate people who love and respect their parents dearly," Sharon asserts.

Judai, on the other hand, has always admired Sharon the Megastar. "She has always been charming," Judai recalls her first encounter with Miss Mega, when she was just an eight-year-old fan visiting a movie set in Antipolo. "Always smiling. Always laughing. Very light. Very easy to get along with. Iíve always felt at ease around her."

Because she is quite shy, Sharonís gregarious nature suits her perfectly. "Sheís very ma-chika," Judai elaborates. "Never runs out of stories to tell, but sheís the type of person who doesnít want to hurt anybody. As much as possible, she doesnít want to say anything negative about anyone."

"I love making her laugh," Sharon says, with a smile. "Sometimes I would text her crazy jokes. Or I would tease her about (her ka-loveteam) Dingdong (Dantes) and she would holler: ëAte!í "

When it comes to work, however, these two stars are no-nonsense pros.

"Itís very inspiring to work with Ate Sharon and Kuya Boyet (Christopher de Leon who plays her brother-in-law in the movie)," Judai divulges. "Theyíre so good! I used to watch their movies and now theyíre in front of me. Itís a great learning experience for me. I see for myself how they motivate themselves. How they prepare for a scene. How they handle their characters."

Working with such dramatic heavy-hitters bestowed on Judai precious acting lessons. "I learned that we actors each have our own ways of ëmotivatingí ourselves. They have their own way of acting and reacting. But one thing I can say about Ate Sharon and Kuya Boyet, they donít upstage their co-stars. They, in fact, support their co-actors in all their scenes."

Sharon looks back on a particularly lugubrious scene in a cemetery. After Shawieís close-up, it was Judaiís turn for a zoom-in. "I donít usually cry as much when it is my co-starís scene," Shawie remembers. "Kumbaga you are feeding your co-star, but you canít expect to feel the same emotions with equal intensity. But when Judai was delivering her lines, I couldnít help being carried away. I wept just as hard even though I had my back to the camera. It was as if she were my real-life sister kasi."

Judai is thankful to her Ate for the latterís unwavering guidance.

"This is my first mature role," Judai chimes in. "My first time to be a mother in a movie. It was a long adjustment period for me. Until now, I am still trying to get the hang of being a mom."

Fortunately, Ate Shawie was always around for pointers.

"I observe how Ate Sharon is with her two kids," Judai avows. "How she takes care of her two daughters."

In the movie, Sharon plays an OB-GYN and, in one scene, she helps her screen sister Judy Ann give birth. It was Judaiís first time ever to deliver a baby on the big silver screen, so she was on needles and pins before the cameras started grinding.

No need to fret; Ate Shawie to the rescue.

"I shared with her the pointers Direk Marilou Diaz-Abaya gave me when I had a workshop with her for Dapat Ka Bang Mahalin," Shawie affirms. "I told her: This was what Direk Marilou taught me. Giving birth is like being in the toilet. The push, the pain comes from the tummy, not from the throat. Direk Marilou showed me the right breathing exercises from Lamaze. While undergoing labor, it will relax, then it will contract again. So you should pace your breathing." This piece of insight helped Judai in that crucial scene. "Itís very useful. In fact, I was able to benefit from that tip when I gave birth to KC," Sharon volunteers.

"I keep telling Judai that she has such beautiful eyes," Shawie beams. "That she was really born to be an actress, because her eyes register very well on the big screen."

Because Shawieís a Megastar and Judaiís a Young Superstar, intrigue-mongers expected fireworks on the set. There were, however, no Diva wars; instead the two Queens got along just as famously as their formerly competing camps. (Judai was once from Regal before joining Shawieís home turf, Viva.)

A veteran movie columnist even quipped: "Never in the history of Philippine movies did a more senior female superstar openly acknowledge the stardom of a junior superstar."

Sharon, true to form, has no hang-ups about the fame game.

"Judai has her own mark," Sharon insists. "Itís nonsense to say that she is merely following in my footsteps. Like, when I was younger, I looked up to Ate Vi and Ate Guy (Vilma Santos and Nora Aunor). You didnít want to replace them. That was never your intention. If you were to achieve even half of what theyíve accomplished, youíd be happy na. You didnít want to surpass them because it wouldnít be good for you." And then she half-seriously, half-jestingly quotes an immortal line from her old movie Bituing Walang Ningning, "Youíll be nothing but a second-rate, trying hard copycat!"

In showbiz, itís best to be an original.

"I see Judai as Judy Ann Santos," Shawie stresses. "As a Young Superstar who is good at what she does, who has beautiful eyes, and who is a good person."

Sometimes, Sharon thinks, "Judai is not aware of her own celebrity. So I remind her that sheís a Superstar, but sheís also a human being. Big star ka na, you donít have to do everything yourself. And also itís good to strike while the iron is hot, but whatís the use of your earnings if youíll only spend it for hospital bills?"

"Sheís very caring," Judai concurs. "She always asks me: Were you able to get some sleep last night? She always advises me to rest, not to work too hard."

And thatís how these two stars are, away from the blinding glare of the spotlight. Just like two sisters concerned about each otherís well-being. And happiness.

Judai, the Young Superstar, tries to fathom the secret of her Ateís Megastardom. "Itís because sheís being natural," Judai observes. "Sheís a normal person. She doesnít have to pretend that sheís a Megastar because she is a Megastar. She doesnít have to pretend that she loves you because she really loves you. And if she doesnít like you, she doesnít like you. What you see is what you get."

In that way, Judai couldíve been describing herself.

"Weíre basically alike in that sense, but I am more aloof and reserved compared to her," Judai clarifies. "She more readily opens up to people e. When Ate Sharon arrives on the set, you really feel her presence. Itís because of her aura. Itís a very pleasant aura. Very cheerful. Very warm. Itís like thereís a party on the set every day!"

"Iíve always liked her," Shawie lovingly says of Judai. "Sheís very quiet. She doesnít throw her weight around. Very humble. Doesnít put on airs. Thatís why I formed an instant connection with her as early as day one."

Fast forward to the Last Day.

After previewing the heart-rending trailer of their Manila Filmfest movie Magkapatid at the Viva office, Sharon asked Judy Ann to sign her copy of their movie poster. Judai seemed flabbergasted at first. After all, among Judaiís own memorabilia is a lyric sheet from her guesting on Shawieís TV show two years back.

"It was very special to me," Judai brims with pride. "The lyric sheet was for our duet ("I Wonít Last a Day Without You") on Sharon. And I asked her to autograph it for me. Later I had it framed."

That night at the Viva office, it was as if they exchanged roles for an instant. But thatís what sisters do, in both reel and real life.