Kaye Abad on the downside of looking young

CEBU, Philippines - For Kaye Abad, her last drama on television was different and most memorable from her previous projects because she was paired with a much younger actor and surrounded by a cast that was mostly years her junior.

She was quick to add that there was no problem working with the younger set in Angelito ang Batang Ama. She was simply amazed that she can still pull off a character that puts her on the same age bracket with co-stars in their early 20’s. Kaye, known in the public eye and in showbiz circles as the epitome of simplicity, turned the big 3-0 this May. But none would be the wiser just by looking at her.

The age gap not posing any hindrance, Kaye’s real challenge in her last soap was interpreting her role in such a manner that viewers will sympathize with her, even when she was the third party to the relationship of the lead characters.

“In a way, I’m the antagonist, but not the typical one where I’m making life miserable for the lead or I have a mean attitude. I had to act in a way that viewers will not get mad at me kahit nanggugulo ako sa love story nila. I had to show and let viewers understand that I just happened to love the guy, and that I’m not messing up their love story for the sake of it.”

Playing kontravida isn’t something up her preferred alley. She shared it was much harder for her to act all tough, mean or powerful. She’d rather the director ask her to shed buckets of tears, something Kaye can easily do with the snap of a finger. “The afternoon soap Alyna with Shaina Magdayao was where I played the bad one for the first time, at ang hirap. Siguro nahihirapan ako, kasi una, maamo yung mukha ko. Ang hirap ipakita that I’m strong or powerful. I don’t have that confidence in myself, so it’s hard to portray that aura of power and strength.”

One of the pioneer members of Ang TV, Kaye would forever be Eds to John Lloyd Cruz’s Rovic among those who followed the three-year run (1999-2003) of Tabing Ilog, the then Sunday afternoon youth–oriented series ala Dawson’s Creek. While her Tabing Ilog persona being remembered and loved up to this day is a good thing, her eternal teen image has also been a cause for career limitations, according to Kaye.

Her petite features and naturally-youthful looks is an enviable problem for many who go to great vain lengths to preserve their youth, but for the actress in Kaye, this has its drawbacks too.

She explained, “It actually has a positive and negative side. The advantage is, yun nga, mukha pa rin akong bata. I can still do roles that will level me with JM de Guzman and Charee Pineda, and not only mother roles like Dimples [Romana] and Jodi [Sta. Maria] are now able to portray. Sabi ko nga, I hope when I’m 40, ganito pa rin itsura ko. The disadvantage, I also want to be paired with actors my age or close to it like Piolo Pascual or Jericho Rosales. Parang si Angel Locsin, she can be paired with Aga Muhlach or Gabby Concepcion. Pero kung ako, hindi bagay. Kasi nga mukha akong bata, plus, maliit pa ako.”

One other actor she’s eager to be paired with is Coco Martin. This seems to be in the realm of possibility, as the Walang Hanggan dreamboat is a fit for her looks-wise. But — forget Piolo, Jericho or Coco — what she’s really hankering for is an on-screen reunion with John Lloyd!

“We actually have the same Star Magic manager, and I’ve always been requesting that they let us do an MMK episode together. I really miss working with him. Aside from our chemistry, he’s a good actor eh. Ang sarap-sarap magtrabaho at ang dali-dali gumawa ng drama kung yung ka-eksena mo, magaling umarte. Because somehow, may paghuhugutan ka ng emosyon,” said Kaye of the box-office star with whom she also previously shared a real life romance.

While some are of the opinion that she has the potential to make it big, Kaye’s personality is simply in contrast with the usual tactics to achieve superstardom. She shuns controversy, values privacy, doesn’t dress flamboyantly or live extravagantly (when she could very well afford it), and works only because she wants to, not because she needs to.

“I don’t like it when I’m working everyday, that’s why I prefer one TV project at a time. I believe that one show will suffer if I juggle projects. O sige, okay ako today. Tomorrow, okay din ako for another soap. The third day, syempre pagod na ako. Yung mukha ko haggard na. Mukha na akong puyat. Somehow, hindi na ako makaka-arte the right way.”

In this era of liberated females, she’s also one among few remaining traditional Filipinas who believes in a long courtship. Asked for an update with her reported long-time suitor Guji Lorenzana, Kaye said that she is still being wooed. They met on set in 2009, when she made a TV comeback via Precious Hearts Romances Presents: Bud Brothers. “Ganon ako eh. Matagal ako.”

Kaye and Guji’s unplanned yet successful team-up spawned another follow-up, and she’s been back in the saddle since, after a two-year self-imposed hiatus. This is yet again what sets her apart from other stars, those who regard a long absence from the limelight as a death sentence of sorts.

She has been working non-stop since her Ang TV days, so Kaye savored her time-off. “I took a vacation. At first, I said, just one year. But I enjoyed it, so nagtuloy-tuloy na. I enjoyed not receiving a text message of an early call time the next day. I could hang out during evenings. I could make plans to go out because I had free time. If I had work, usual ko sinasabi, sige, I’ll check if may schedule ako next week. Tumagal siya ng mga two years. I just basically hung out with friends. We would watch movies, have coffee, or hang out at home. I don’t go clubbing eh, because I don’t drink. So just a very conservative kind of hanging out.”

Perhaps this is why Kaye possesses the fountain of youth. She doesn’t pressure herself, doesn’t indulge in vices. More importantly, she finds happiness in the simple pleasures of life. (FREEMAN)