MANILA, Philippines - Her last film was Katas ng Saudi, which won awards in the 2007 Metro-Manila Filmfest. “That was three years ago so I’ve really missed doing movies,” says Lorna Tolentino. “I’m glad to be part of Star Cinema’s 17th anniversary presentation, Sa’Yo Lamang, which reunites me with director Laurice Guillen whose Tanging Yaman, also a family drama, won several awards for Star Cinema in the 2000 Metro-Manila Filmfest. This is also a reunion for me and one of my favorite leading men, Christopher de Leon. Our last movie together was Mano Po 2 that was an entry in the 2003 Metro-Manila Filmfest. Doing Sa’Yo Lamang, I can feel the fire, passion, and hunger to do something great kasi this is also the first script of Kuya Ricky Lee in five years.
The movie has plenty of scenes na ang pinaghugutan ko are my true experiences in real life, like losing a husband. The difference is that in real life, my late husband (Rudy Fernandez) passed away. In the film, yung husband ko, nawala kasi nambabae. But all the pain, all the trials that I go through in the film, naramdaman ko talaga. Nothing is fake.”
In Sa’Yo Lamang, she plays Amanda, the wife of Christopher who he deserted for another woman 10 years ago. She plays mom to four grown-up kids: Bea Alonzo, Coco Martin, Enchong Dee and Miles Ocampo. Bea is paired with Diether Ocampo and Zanjoe Marudo, Coco with Shaina Magdayao and Enchong with Lauren Young. Lorna has maintained her youthful good looks. Didn’t she have any hesitation playing mom to all these actors?
“No, I’m very thankful nga dahil the roles I get now, even on TV, follow kung ano yung totoong edad ko (48). Alangan namang maging paatras ang age ko on screen. The truth is, all of them can really be my children in real life. My role here as the mom is so different from my award-winning roles before in Maging Akin Ka Lamang, Narito ang Puso Ko or Abakada Ina. Mas malalim ang kanyang pagiging ina, asawa at tao.”
The conflict in Sa’Yo Lamang starts when Boyet returns to their family. Lorna forgives him and accepts him back but their kids are all hostile to him, especially Bea who is very bitter as she became the breadwinner after her dad left them. “Kuya Ricky Lee said they interviewed several families for the material in this film and the incidents we portray actually happened. I’m sure many families will be able to identify to the situations that we show in the movie between parents and children, brothers and sisters.”
She’s glad to be reunited here with Bea Alonzo who plays her eldest daughter. “Bea’s first teleserye was with me, Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay. She was just 13 then at nasubaybayan ko ang growth niya as an actress as I watched all her succeeding shows and movies nila ni John Lloyd Cruz. I can say naging fan nila ako kasi sila naman talaga ngayon ang magagaling among today’s younger stars pagdating sa drama. Noon pa man, Bea already surprised me kasi even then, at such a young age, she’s already a competent actress. She gives her all sa bawat eksena. Ang pag-arte naman, teamwork yan. If you’re acting with someone who’s really good, kung nararamdaman mo ang ibinibigay niya sa iyo, then you get to collaborate well with each other para mas mapaganda ang eksena. And Bea is like that kaya masarap siyang kaeksena. Also, now that she’s more mature dahil dalaga na siya, mas masarap din siyang kakuwentuhan sa set. In all fairness to the young actors I get to work with in Sa’Yo Lamang like Coco, Enchong, Miles and their partners, they’re all good, and with the guidance of direk Laurice who’s an expert in doing films like this about family relationships, they all deliver well. We have so many touching and heartwarming moments as well as some surprising twists in the film so I’m confident that moviegoers will really enjoy watching this tear-jerking drama.”
So life goes on for Lorna after she became a widow. Her eldest son Ralph has finished college majoring in filmmaking while younger son Renz will also be graduating this October from UP. On TV, she will be returning soon as the mother of child star Xyriel Manabat in Momay.
“I was told that after that, I am doing another teleserye and that’s just fine with me as I really want to be busy.”