Director Paul Soriano All Praises for Maja Salvador

“When I watch the film, it’s not Maja I see but the character she plays.”

This is how director Paul Soriano assesses the performance of “Thelma” lead star Maja Salvador, who was first choice for the part. He added that the 22-year old ABS-CBN talent was a pro through and through; the kind who insisted on working despite suffering setback.

“Since indie production kami, we only have limited time to shoot. Twice, namanhid yung legs ni Maja while we were shooting sa Ilocos last year. We made her run wearing slippers, minsan naka-paa, kasi hindi afford nung character n’ya mag-running shoes.

“Despite this, hindi tumigil si Maja. An hour after i-masahe ni Elma [Muros, track and field champion who served as the film’s consultants] ang legs niya, sabi ni Maja, ‘Ok na ulit, Direk. Let’s go!’” Soriano told Bulletin Entertainment and select members of media in an interview held July 28.

Maja’s leg cramps and muscle spasms got so severe at one point that Soriano had to rush her to the emergency room of a provincial hospital for treatment. The young actress was also reported to have collapsed from exhaustion after doing one of the scenes. In a previous interview, Soriano said that they shot 14 to 16 hours a day “with very little sleep.”

The director believes the role is meant for Maja. He said that upon meeting with the actress in order to discuss the project, he was surprised to learn that her mother’s name is Thelma and that they hail from Aparri that’s just a couple of hours away from Ilocos.

It also seemed to fit in the puzzle that Maja knows how to speak Ilocano. Even the 10-day shooting schedule that Soriano needed from Maja was miraculously granted with a rare lull in her calendar!

Soriano likes it that Maja is an intelligent actress. Though respectful towards Soriano, he said that she sometimes shared her thoughts to him on how to best portray her character. There were discussions and a lot of rebuttals but in the end, the movie remained paramount over differing opinions.

“People have always said of Maja, ‘She’s the next star.’ But, no, she is a star,” Soriano quipped.

Note that prior to “Thelma,” Maja has received offers to star in other indie films but all got turned down.

Some roles that Maja has played in the past include a girl with a third eye, a woman with cerebral palsy, and a doctor who gets haunted by demonic visions.

“Thelma” is Soriano’s second film after 2009’s “A Journey Home.” Both inspirational stories, this one is about a woman who discovers her gift of running and uses it to better her life and that of her family. In researching the movie, the director interviewed a lot of runners in order to come up with the best story.

Soriano also took his time in doing post-production chores. Shooting for “Thelma” was done by December yet he was still working on the film five months hence.

“I want it to be perfect as much as possible. Ang total time ng mga shots was two hours and now it’s down to an hour and 35 minutes. Talagang piling-pili and whenever I felt na hindi kailangan, tanggal. I don’t want to offer a slow-paced movie,” Soriano said.

While filming, the director said he made his actors follow certain rules such as no using of celphones on the set and no reviewing of performances.

“I also treated them according to the characters they play. Si Maja ang tingin ko, hindi artista, kundi runner talaga while we were shooting,” he said.

The movie, set to hit the big screen nationwide on Sept. 7, is in the vein of “Children of Heaven,” “Million Dollar Baby” and “Remember The Titans.” Soriano wrote “Thelma” with Froi Medina and Rino Que and it took them a year to finish the script.

The “Thelma” tagline goes, “Some people run away from their problems. She ran to fix them.”

Soriano said: “The message here is that it’s never too late to finish what you’ve started. Just because you’ve been through a lot is not an excuse for you to give up on your dreams of having a better life.

“And run towards your dreams. Don’t walk---run!”

“Thelma” is the maiden offering of Time Horizon Pictures, in cooperation with Abracadabra Productions and Underground Logic. The cast includes Tetchie Agbayani, John Arcilla, Eliza Pineda and Jason Abalos. The film will be distributed by Star Cinema.

Source: Manila Bulletin

Maja Salvador Excited for Upcoming Indie Film

Actress Maja Salvador is excited about her upcoming film "Thelma."

In an interview with abs-cbnNEWS.com, Salvador said the film is based on the life of Filipino athletes, in particular, runners.

"Ang role ko dito, isa akong runner na sobra ang pangarap niya para sa pamilya niya na ginawa niya ang lahat para matupad ito," said Salvador.

She clarified that the film is not the based on the true-to-life story of athlete Elma Muros. However, she said it was Muros who actually trained her.

"Itong Thelma kasi, bago nila isulat ito, nag-interview sila ng runners sila, hanggang sa nabuo, yung kwento ng ganitong runner, hindi yung kay Ms. Elma," she said.

For the film, Salvador said she had to do real training and exercises of a runner. As a result, she lost weight.

"Bale si Ms. Elma siya ang nag-train sa akin, kasama ko siyang mag-training...Talagang mahirap ang pinagawa niya sa akin habang nagte-training kami. Kung ano ang ginagawa ng runners, yun ang ginagawa namin. Six weeks kaming nag-training," she said.

"Thelma," produced by Time Horizon and distributed by Star Cinema, also stars Tetchie Agbayani, John Arcilla and Jason Abalos.

"Thelma" will hit theaters September 7.

Salvador is currently part of hit television series "Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin" with Coco Martin as the lead star.

Source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Matteo Guidicelli and Maja Salvador Settle Their Differences

Young actor Matteo Guidicelli on Wednesday confirmed the issue that he and rumored girlfriend Maja Salvador got into a slight misunderstanding.

He explained, “All friends naman, sometimes you disagree on something. Like a normal friendship, naayos naman lahat.”

Meanwhile, in an interview with “Showbiz News Ngayon,” Guidicelli refused to verify the report saying that he actually picked up the “sweet Post-Its” scene from John Lloyd Cruz and Toni Gonzaga’s movie “My Amnesia Girl” to woo Salvador into forgiving him.

He simply brushed off the question with a charming laugh.

Source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Deborah Sun Lambasts Maja Salvador

Veteran actress Deborah Sun lambasted her cousin, young actress Maja Salvador, for being disrespectful.

"Alam mo, ang sinasabi ko lang, kahit hindi ako, pero kung ahead sa iyo, senior sa iyo, kahit 'di mo kilala, bigyan mo ng respeto," Sun told reporters during a press conference for ABS-CBN's TV series "Reputasyon."

Sun was referring to incidents when Salvador snubbed her, such as what happened at the wake of the latter's father a long time ago.

When asked if she knows why Salvador acted that way, Sun replied: "Wala lang. Honestly speaking, plastik at fake siya."

As a cousin, Sun said she only wants Salvador to be respectful and just be true to herself.

"Ako, hindi ko sinasabing sikat ako or whatever. Ako, ito lang ang sasabihin ko: Ang daming binibigay sa kanya na magagandang project ng 2 (ABS-CBN). Ayaw tumuloy why? Nagagalit siguro si Lord dahil sa iyong A--capital A, iyong Attitude," Sun said.

"Alam mo, 'yong mga half sister niya nagkukuwento sa akin na ganito. Ang sabi niya, siya ay tumutulong sa pamilya niya. No, it's all kayabangan or whatever," Sun said.

Currently, Salvador is part of ABS-CBN's hit television series "Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin."

Maja Salvador Talks About Coco Martin

After many years of being paired with different leading men, Maja Salvador is very happy that her latest team-up with Coco Martin has gained a lot of supporters. According to the talented actress, sharing a special bond with him off cam is an even greater bonus. “Napakatagal ko itong hinintay. Kilig din naman yung ibang nakapareha ko, pero iba kasi ang samahan namin ni Coco. Sa set, [na-discover namin na] pareho kaming grabe yung pagmamahal sa pamilya, pareho kami ng pinanggagalingan... Iba yung ibinibigay naming effort sa trabaho dahil inaamin ko naman na ’di ako galing sa mayamang pamilya. Madami din akong pinagdaanan nung bata pa ako. So ngayong nandito yung opportunity at grabe ang pagtanggap ng tao sa amin, sana mas madami pa kaming projects na gawin together.”

Maja revealed that she was particularly impressed with Coco’s love for his grandmother. Apparently, she noticed that he often thinks about his lola’s welfare even while they’re working on the set of Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin. “Kapag nagte-taping kami, natutuwa ako kasi mas nakikilala ko ang isang Coco Martin na hindi lang bilang isang mahusay na aktor, kundi pati yung kung sino siya sa likod ng camera. Nalaman ko na lola’s boy pala siya. Kunwari, meron lang kaming nakain na cake. Mamaya sasabihin niya gusto daw niya ipatikim sa lola niya. Kapag nakita mo si Coco, meron pa lang siyang other side na ganon.”

What’s more interesting is that Maja has experienced being the object of Coco’s affection as well. As his leading lady, the young actress admitted that she appreciates the way he takes care of her on the set. “Kahit papaano kikiligin ka. Siyempre bilang babae, ‘wag ka ng umarte, kikiligin ka rin talaga. Kasi kahit nasa ibang unit siya, magugulat ako magpapadala siya ng food. Kasi ‘di ba sa taping namin 2 units? Kunwari siya nasa Antipolo, ako near ABS-CBN ang location. Magpapadala bigla ‘yan ng food, may ganon siyang ka-sweetan.”

But when asked if she feels that it’s Coco’s way of expressing an attraction towards her, Maja was quick to say that only time would tell if they’d end up being more than just friends. “Ayoko magsalita. Kilala naman natin si Coco, hindi masyado vocal [sa feelings niya]. Hindi ko sinasabing nanliligaw siya. Ayoko lagyan ng malisya yung pagbibigay niya sa akin ng food, kasi baka mamaya hindi na siya magbigay ng food (laughs).”

Didn’t she know that she was one of Coco’s celebrity crushes when he was just starting out in the biz? “Hahaha! Kung totoo man yun, yun din siguro kung bakit madali para sa amin mag-work [at] kaya may kilig [yung team-up namin]. Kasi sino ba naman ang hindi magkaka-crush kay Coco? Kapag nakikita mo siya mapapansin mo naman na, ‘Pwede to si Coco, mabait.’ Siyempre mapapaisip ka rin,” she beamed.

Source: www.push.com.ph

Coco Martin Defends Maja Salvador

Coco Martin was quick to defend Maja Salvador against recent reports accusing her of being a playgirl. In fact, he said that it’s easy to see why she has a flock of admirers. “Nagkasama na kami una pa lang sa Nagsimula Sa Puso. The more na tumatagal ang pagkakakilala namin sa isa’t isa, the more na nagiging close kami. May time nga minsan pinapakain niya kami sa bahay niya or yung mommy niya nagpupunta sa set para magdala ng food sa amin. Kaya nga sabi ko, kung marami man nali-link sa kanya, dapat lang, kasi napakaganda at napakabait niya,” said Coco in an interview with Push.com.ph during the Star Awards for Movies last June 22.

When asked if it’s true that he’s one of Maja’s current suitors, Coco explained that it’s not yet the right time for him to pursue her off cam. As it is, he refused to take advantage of their growing friendship on the set of their current soap, Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin. “Eh kasi napakabait naman ni Maj. Sabi ko nga ‘pag nasa taping, wala din ‘yan ginawa kundi magpakain sa set. Kaya minsan pinapadalhan ko din siya ng food kahit nasa ibang unit ako at hindi kami magkaeksena. Siyempre bilang katrabaho niya at leading man niya, dapat suklian ko naman yung mga bagay na yun.”

There’s no denying the fact that the two are kindred spirits given their similar humble beginnings and how it drives them to make the best out of their showbiz career. “Actually, pinag-uusapan namin yung mga ganong bagay. Minsan nagte-text ako sa kanya kahit walang specific reason. Nagpapasalamat ako sa support niya and then sa pagiging mabait niyang katrabaho. Nakakatuwa kasi para siyang lalakeng ako. Nakikita ko ang sarili ko sa kanya—yung pagiging humble niya, pagiging masipag niya at pagiging totoo.”

But Coco insisted that it’s too early for him to say if he is considering courting Maja for real. “Sa ngayon, ayoko magsalita kasi baka mabigyan ng kulay. Pero sa nakikita ko, isa siya sa mga babaeng hinahangaan ko.”

Source: www.push.com.ph

Coco Martin and Maja Salvador Party in Tacloban City's Fiestavaganza

Stars of the now-trending Kapamilya teleserye “Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin” Coco Martin and Maja Salvador, together with Kapamilya hunk Ron Morales, are now ready to party with Taclobanons’ much-awaited event—the Kapamilya Karavan in Fiestavaganza presented by ABS-CBN Regional Network Group (RNG), which takes place on June 25, Robinson’s Parking Lot, Tacloban City.

Coco’s distinct portrayal of his two different characters has been gaining praises not only from fans, but also from TV critics. His way of giving life to Javier and Alexander proves his versatility as an actor and how he has matured through the years as an artist. No wonder, Taclobanons love him too and are excited to see him live in the Kapamilya Karavan. That’s why, for him, performing for his fans is his way of thanksgiving.

“I don’t consider my Kapamilya Karavan stint as part of my job. It’s actually my way of thanking God for the unending support our fellows give and the blessings I continuously receive. That’s why I’m always motivated to travel and perform,” said Coco.

“Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin” still reigns on its timeslot. According to Kantar Media’s national ratings result last week, “Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin” earned a national rating of 26.3% beating the rival teleserye’s 16.6%.

Maja doesn’t want to miss the Kapamilya Karavan, as she also wants to personally extend her gratitude to the people of Tacloban.

“Tacloban City’s Fiestavaganza is a time of thanksgiving for their patron saint. It’s also an opportune time to thank them for supporting our teleserye by giving them my best performance,” Maja said.

Kapamilya hunk Ron, on the other hand, would like to make the Kapamilya Karavan “hotter” than ever. “I’ll make this show hot. That’s for sure. Be there,” he said.

With all these big stars geared up, RNG’s Kapamilya Karavan never fails to bring happiness to country’s happiest and most colorful fiestas.

Don’t miss this joyous celebration! Catch Kapamilya Karavan in Fiestavaganza on June 22, 4p.m. at Robinson’s Parking Lot, Tacloban City. Also catch “Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin,” Mondays through Saturdays, after “Guns and Roses” on ABS-CBN Primetime Bida.

Source: www.abs-cbn.com