An evening with Dawn and George

 I love my job. It’s one where I meet and interview interesting people. And sometimes, I do so over good food.?   

This happened during the dinner at Nobu Hotel celebrating  Marie France’s 30th anniversary in the Philippines. I was seated between two interesting and intelligent people: Dawn Zulueta, the beautiful, award-winning actress who is Marie France’s top endorser; and George Siy, the president of Marie France, which is the leader in non-invasive anti-aging beauty treatments here.?   

I last saw Dawn in the movie The Love Affair, where Richard Gomez and Bea Alonzo complete the love triangle. Oh, and I also saw her on the Instagram page of Pia Campos, where she and Pia were strolling by the Thames River in London, emoting with their faux British accents. That was hilarious!?   

I have known George for many years but it took this anniv dinner for me to discover another beautiful side of this beauty mogul. More on that later.?   

Simply dressed in a little black dress by Margiela from one of her fave shops, Univers, Dawn looked every inch a classy stunner. Beside her was the handsome gentleman Anton Lagdameo, better known to us as the congressman from Davao.?   

What does Anton do when he’s not busy in Congress? “I just love staying at home and enjoying the peace and quiet with my family,” he said. Any hobby or sport?  “I love assembling and collecting remote controlcars.”

Let me share excerpts from my conversations with Dawn:? 

Your movie The Love Affair was a box office hit, and so were many other films before that. You have won so many awards as an actress. What else do you wish for??   

Oh, I’d like to be in a movie with Piolo Pascual or John Lloyd. Doesn’t have to be the usual boy-meets-girl plot. I wish local movies could develop other themes.?   

Just like movies done by Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts??   

Exactly.?   

Have you had any regrets as an actress??   

I really regret having turned down the movie offer of Lino Brocka where I would do a bathtub scene with Eddie Garcia. Gosh, I was only 19 then! I couldn’t imagine myself in a bathtub with an older guy who was like a Tito to me.?   

What has been your most memorable movie ??   

I guess it has to be Hihintayin Kita sa Langit.?   

What has being an actress taught you??   

Mastering control over my emotions. As an actor, you must learn the discipline of emotions during performances. I have involuntarily learned to apply this in real life. Because in actuality, I’m somewhat deadpan. Drama makes me cringe, hahaha.?   

Just curious — do you memorize scripts or are lines written on boards for you to read??   

There is no need to memorize scripts because they are given to you before each taping — and they could change on the spot.?   

So are you allowed to adlib or maybe change the script a bit??   

One thing I personally believe in is that you either speak in all English or all Tagalog.? 

You easily cry onscreen. In real life, what makes you cry??   

Sad songs. Seeing people, especially children, suffering. Remembering my children crying makes me cry. Breathtaking scenery — such as the European countryside — can also reduce me to tears.?   

And what makes you happy??   

Being around fun-loving and funny people. Watching ballet. Good food and good company. Traveling.?   

What would you never eat??   

Red meat. I seldom eat it.?   

What are the best beauty tips you can give??   

Three Ts: Tulog (sleep a full seven to nine hours); Tubig (drink plenty of water throughout the day); Treatments. I love the non-invasive treatments at Marie France.?   

Apart from these, live at peace with yourself and your surroundings. Keep giving back.?   

What was your dream as a child??   

Between the ages seven and 12, I dreamed of becoming an astronaut and/ or a scientist. I wanted to travel into space and learn more about the cosmos. Then I realized I couldn’t do this because of my motion sickness. So by age 13, I switched career plans and decided I wanted to go to Paris and learn to become a fashion designer.?   

And what is your dream now??   

Now I just want to see my kids studying (college) abroad, perhaps in Europe someday. I dream of traveling to visit them there and living there half of the year. I dream of having a home somewhere in England or France in the future, so Anton and I can enjoy our senior years traveling.?   

Who is the personality you’d like to meet someday??   

I want to meet Pope Francis, he reminds me of my grandfather. And I’d also like to meet Valentino Garavani, simply because I’m a fan of his work.

George Siy was seated with me on his left and our Philippine STAR president Miguel Belmonte on his right. The two gents must have been busy reminiscing about their days as schoolmates at Xavier (Miguel later went to UP for college, while George moved to Ateneo and later, Wharton).?   

I managed to steal some time asking George a few questions. During lunches in the past, George and I would talk mostly about the beauty industry. But this time, I saw George not as a businessman but as the movie buff, history lover, nationalist and intellectual that he is.?   

What made you choose Dawn as Marie France’s top endorser??   

Dawn projects refined class yet a down-to earth interest in things, an attitude that endears her to people. Her husband, Anton Lagdameo, is handsome and sociable, and a known legislator. Her talent and box office appeal keep her shows coming, and doing well, which is a mutual plus for us. We have a good relationship with her — she knows how to give and take — and she applies the treatments faithfully, which is important for the success of the programs. She brings her kids to our Christmas parties — she adores her kids! She is effusive with her thanks both in person and in media.?   

How did you meet or find her??   

Oh, I have been a fan of her movies from the time I finished school and started working. Dawn really looks like she hasn’t aged. She is such a pleasure to work with. Many people commented that in The Love Affair, she looks like real competition for the mistress and does not look like the older wife.?   

So you follow Filipino movies. What’s the latest local movie you’ve seen??   

Heneral Luna. I loved it so much I wanted more people to see it, to promote knowledge of our history. So I made an offer to a couple of our offices — that I would cover the tickets of employees who watched Heneral Luna. I didn’t realize the negotiating complexities of such an offer.?   

Why, what happened??   

Then the staff asked that surely, after watching the movie, they would need merienda. And so I agreed to giving P100 more per employee who watched!?   

What details did you notice in Heneral Luna??   

Many not popularly known but illuminating stories about Luna and the Philippine revolutionaries are shown in this movie... The love rivalry between Luna and Rizal over Nelly was given passing?mention. Luna’s love affair with “a woman from a known family” was given screen time but no identity... The council of government portrays the different interests, although the businessmen portrayed were the ones concerned with self-interest, not the ones who funded the war... The assassination and non-investigation and Aguinaldo’s denials sound like modern?public relations... The movie portrays that the Filipinos never even entered the negotiation in the Manila surrender or the Treaty of Paris, where we were purchased by those claiming to be our liberators.?   

What does this movie teach other moviemakers??   

We do not need fiction. Our history of murders, disorganization, massacres, thefts, betrayals, love stories, and heroism provides all the drama we need. We have potentially great cinematic material.?But the work of the builders on our history should also be given focus.?   

What errors in our history need to be corrected??   

The heroes that went recorded in history as bandits or villains — according to Japanese and American perspectives — many of them deserve to be among our great heroes. It is time to give them justice.?   

What’s the next hero movie you would like to see??     

The great Mabini cameo-ed here needs a movie of his own. It could include the involvement of loves in the revolution, perhaps the intrigues in detail, the many sellouts amid stories of the valiant.

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Follow the author on Instagram and Facebook@milletmartinezmananquil. Email her at mananquilmillet@gmail.com.

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