Dimples aims for longevity

She might not be what you would call a “box-office star,” but Dimples Romana has never really been about big movies or big roles. Rather, her priority has always been to transform herself into what they call a “character actress” and a consistently “working actor.” Her biggest desire is to achieve career longevity and stability, much like her idols Angel Aquino and Cherry Pie Picache.

So far, she seems to have achieved it, because Dimples has turned out to be one of those actresses who has not stopped, and who goes from project to project, almost without a break in between.

“I guess for me, what I’m working on now, more than fame or stardom, is longevity and stability,” says Dimples, who’s playing a major role in the Dreamscape Entertainment teleserye And I Love You So. “I really love my job so much, I don’t see myself doing anything but acting and hosting and performing, so for me, what I’m working on now is the career path of Ms. Cherry Pie, kahit alam ko naman na malayo pa po ako doon, pero ‘yun ‘yung gusto ko, as well as the career of Ate Angel Aquino.”

Despite her busy schedule, Dimples is aware of her priorities, and on top of that list is being a wife to husband Boyet and mother to her two children, Callie and Alonzo. “I guess I now have a greater drive to work because there are two children, and ang saya,” gushes Dimples, who had Callie for 11 years before baby Alonzo came along. Having another baby after more than 10 years is hard — “super nangananay ako kasi si Callie is 11 years old already, and now I have a son” — but she has learned to adjust.

It is different because Callie is a girl, plus she’s a tween now, says Dimples, and Alonzo is a boy. Alonzo, she adds, is such a joy. “Every time I come home, I’m so happy to see him. Ang sarap pala na na-e-enjoy mo ang anak mo.”

Her two children have different personalities. “They’re total opposites,” laughs Dimples. Callie, she says, “is very reserved, may pagka-artistic, she designs and she paints, and she’s really good at it, but ‘yun nga, she speaks only when asked. She’s really shy.” Fortunately, Callie is starting to grow out of her shell now that she’s older.

Alonzo, on the other hand, is the artista. “My God, that kid likes to socialize at nine months! I brought him to ASAP one time, and pinagpasa-pasahan siya. I didn’t know na kung sino ang may hawak, at times it was Luis (Manzano), then it was John Lloyd (Cruz), then Bea Alonzo, nakatulog na kay Bea, so hinahanap ko, and he’s always just so happy to be around people. And when you ask him to do something, he does it right away, so willingly, that it’s so funny! Pinapalakpakan niya ang sarili niya. Kunyari nagsayaw siya, ayun pinapalakpakan ang sarili niya. So that’s the difference between him and Callie. I think (my daughter) got more of my academic qualities; she is really good in school, while Alonzo got more of my pagka-performer.”

Would she want to have more children? “To be honest, I get inspired whenever I see parents with three, four, five children. I want another one, but my husband is nine years my senior, so I have to consult him,” she says.

“Of course, he wants to enjoy the kids and enjoy Alonzo the way we enjoyed Callie, who we enjoyed a lot, because the gap was 11 years. Both of us were very young when we had Callie, so we learned a lot of lessons, some the hard way, and I guess that really stuck with us. And because we learned our lessons, we really wanted to make sure that this time, were we to have another baby, we have to do everything right. So we traveled a lot with Callie first, made sure that she was taken care of, and that her future is already secured, until we decided for Alonzo.”

In the meantime, Dimples intends to keep her career going. Her husband has never made her feel like she has to stop it to be a wife and mother. Dimples also feels very blessed that she continues to get projects, including her latest one, And I Love You So. “I feel very blessed and thankful to Dreamscape that they give me jobs all the time,” happily says Dimples.