Jodi Sta. Maria shared how difficult it was to let go of her The Broken Marriage Vow (TBMV) character as a revenge-seeking, betrayed wife, even long after filming ended in late 2021.
The Kapamilya star topbills the ABS-CBN and Dreamscape Entertainment primetime drama as medical doctor Jill Ilustre whose picture-perfect marriage collapses after David (Zanjoe Marudo) cheats on her with a rich and younger woman Lexy (Sue Ramirez).
During an interview with select entertainment press on Monday, Jodi revealed she struggled to separate herself from her character even while taking an acting break these past six months as the show is airing.
“Am I ready to embark on a new character (after Dr. Jill)? I think six months of not working was enough time for me. I feel I was able to rest, recharge and rejuvenate myself, and I think my creative juices are starting to flow again. But there was a point wherein I would try to think of other things but si Jill pa rin naiisip ko,” the 39-year-old actress said.
She recalled attempts to create a possible new character to portray but ended up shaping one that was similar to Jill.
“There were instances tini-test ko sarili ko. Kumukuha ako ng blank paper, gagawa ako ng isang character, gagawan ko siya ng map, gagawan ko siya ng strengths and weaknesses niya, anong reactions niya, ano ang defense mechanism niya. Wala akong magawa. Nag-e-end pa rin ako na si Jill pa rin yung na-de-describe ko,” she admitted.
Nevertheless, with the drama now down to its last three weeks, Jodi could say that she had somehow “washed her out of my system.”
She might also be ready to take on another onscreen role. “It’s just a matter of, I guess, being offered the right role, the right project. Perhaps, something I’ve never done before that would cause you to be challenged and to kind of doubt yourself, if you can really pull this thing off. That doubt, I don’t see it in a negative way. I see that as something that would really put you on your toes,” she said.
Meanwhile, when asked to recall what they appreciated most while doing the series, Jodi’s castmates took the opportunity to pay a mini-tribute to the actress for holding “everyone together” during the months-long making of the series in Baguio at the height of lock-in tapings.
Zanjoe quipped that whenever Jodi was around, they were on their best behavior. “‘Pag kasama mo si Jodi, bumabait ka kahit masama ka pa,” said the actor.
Sue, on the other hand, said the actress was a calming presence on set. “Ang laki-laking pasasalamat namin kay Ate Jodi kung gaano siya kakalma. How she reacts to our workmates, how she reacts to even negative situations, you will see that there’s grace. And she really thinks about what she will say. Nakaka-inspire and we are motivated to be better co-workers and better people, in general,” she said.
“And may pa-acupuncture pa. Every day, alam namin siya yung pagod na pagod, but at the end of (the five taping days a week), siya yung may gusto na mag-relax lahat ng mga kasama. She will calm you down and hug you when she knows you’re in a bad mood,” the 25-year-old actress added.
Zaijian Jaranilla, who plays Jill and David’s troubled son Gio, also said that Jodi, as an artist his senior, made such an impact on him. “Grabe po ang epekto sa akin ni Mama Jodi. She allowed me to be both Gio and Zaijian. She lets me express the things I want to tell her,” the 20-year-old said.
He also found a mom in her. “I was really able to find a nanay in Dr. Jill and Mama Jodi. Kasi iba yung feeling sa sobrang tagal namin dun sa lock-in. Yung pagiging caring niya at saka yung patience niya… I’ve never seen her complain or get angry, she’s very professional. That’s why I thought, ‘Why will I complain? I’ll just follow her example,’” the former child star added.
Jodi, on the other hand, said she was only grateful for her co-stars as she hinted at having struggled during the shooting of the series. “I’m just thankful. I think it was one of our shoots… I was having difficulty on set and asking myself, ‘Why was I put here?’ You were trying to find a deeper purpose, like why? Because for me this isn’t just any project. Parang wala namang accidents or coincidences happening in the world. Each person you meet, each person you work with, there’s a greater purpose why they’re placed in your lives.
“(And) at that time, that was what I was looking for – the why, bakit ba? I think, siguro kahit papaano, ngayon lang na-validate, na parang there’s a greater purpose as to why pinagsama-sama kami lahat. I’m just happy that they were open and gave me the chance to be of service to them. What they don’t realize is, each and every time you’re able to give, bumabalik din sa akin. Ako nga yung mas napupuno eh,” she added.
Jodi went on to praise each of her fellow lead stars in The Broken Marriage Vow.
“With Sue, she’s so giving and very open. We’d discuss how we would go about things and she’s so respectful. She has really done a great job of playing the character of Lexy.
“With Z, I’m thankful to him because we had scenes that, for me, were very sensitive. Of course, we had love scenes. Each and every time talaga, dun ako kabadong-kabado, parang oh my god. But I’m thankful he was the one I shared scenes with because he’s such a gentleman, he really makes you comfortable. Hindi ito yung taong matatakot ka na pwedeng gamitin yung eksena to take advantage of you. He’s very protective when it comes to those scenes.
“Of course, yung anak ko naman, Zaijian, he’s very generous. He doesn’t run out of things to give (in scenes) that’s why our job on the set is easier. Parang makita ko palang siya, (I’d immediately want to say) take na natin ‘to. Hahaha! Ganun yung presence niya.
“And when we made this, (I really told myself), ‘He is my son.’ When we did this, I didn’t see him as Zaijian, my co-actor but as Zaijian, my son. Kulang nalang iuwi ko siya sa Manila (and tell my real son), ‘Thirdy, meet your new brother.’ Hahaha!”
Meanwhile, Jodi is tightlipped about the forthcoming events in TBMV Season 2 and how the final last weeks of the Philippine adaptation will be faithful or close to the original BBC series Doctor Foster or its hit Korean counterpart The World of the Married.
As the teaser goes, the show is still headed for the “shocking part” as Jill ramps up efforts to protect her dignity and her son while her rage against her ex-husband David hits new heights. David, on the other hand, isn’t done with his old, unfaithful ways, and Jill makes sure his current wife Lexy knows about it, sowing seeds of deep doubt and setting the stage for a couple crisis that they may or may not survive.
Aside from iWantTFC and Viu, TBMV can be seen weeknights at 9:20 on Kapamilya Channel, A2Z, TV5 and Kapamilya Online Live on ABS-CBN Entertainment’s YouTube channel and Facebook page. The series is also available to viewers out of the Philippines on iWantTFC and The Filipino Channel (TFC) on cable and IPTV.