Carla Abellana almost gave up on acting

CEBU, Philippines -  Carla Abellana’s slen der arms, in all its porcelain glory, was littered with a few visible bruises, and her interviewers were naturally concerned. Examining her upper limbs, the 27-year-old star explains how she ended up with a bit of black and blue.

“The red ones are scratches from the fans. The elevator in the mall where we had a mall show suddenly wasn’t working. Instead of being stuck, we decided to use the staircase from the uppermost floor going down. Sinalubong po kami ng fans sa bawat floor. Wala kaming security so nahablot kami ng fans. The other bruises are from the some of the scenes I did with Tom Rodriguez. Pasain po kasi talaga ako,” says Carla during a recent interview with the Cebu press.

Carla broke into the showbiz scene in 2009, yet it was only the past few months that the public has been clamoring for her this badly. GMA-7’s homegrown talent is now a certified mob-drawer, thanks to the hit primetime series “My Husband’s Lover (MHL).”

The granddaughter of legendary actress Delia Razon and daughter of ‘80s heartthrob Rey “PJ” Abellana famously plays the devout housewife of a gay man. “My mom is very proud. Even her officemates, high school friends and those friends she hasn’t been in touch with for a long time — they’re sending her messages that they’re watching the show, with some even expressing their gratitude. Humihingi pa nga sa akin ng pictures of anything from ‘My Husband’s Lover’ to send to her friends and our relatives. I haven’t talked to my lola yet, but I know she watches the show every night.”

Of the hardest MHL scene she’s done so far: “The hospital scene, I guess. Because that was the moment everybody was waiting for – the discovery that the husband is gay, and the admission. We were surprised that as early as the fourth or fifth week, it was already revealed. It was a very loaded day for us.That scene was done past 3 a.m. Lahat nung major scenes nag sabay-sabay. It was a draining day. It was difficult tsaka mabigat yun for the both of us. One take lang yun. In all fairness naman sa director namin he’s very understanding, if we have a difficult scene, if we can give it in one go, ibigay mo na lahat. Hindi ka na niya pahihirapan pa with many shots and angles.”

Carla says that more than anything else, she admires her character Lally’s unbelievable amount of strength. “Hindi mo alam kung saan nanggagaling eh. Although her circumstances while growing up was difficult, such as being raised by a single parent and the family’s financial struggles, I think her motivation comes primarily from her children. Ang hirap tanggapin na meron talagang taong ganun ka-martyr na tinatanggap lang lahat. Bibihira nalang yun these days.”

The Summa Cum Laude graduate from De La Salle University was also asked, based on her knowledge as a Psychology major, whether she believed sexual preference is carved in stone. “In Psychology, you are born gay. But there has to be a social factor influencing you as a person for you to become gay. There is a certain part of the brain called INAH-3 na kapag nasira lang ng konti yan while you are still in the tummy, then you’ll be born gay. Lahat ng bakla sa mundo, they were born with that INAH-3. But again, there has to be a social factor.”

How does she feel with being tagged as the next Kapuso Queen? “That’s their opinion. But honestly, I don’t think so. Ano bang batayan ng isang queen? Pwedeng paramihan ng show, pwedeng yung quality of shows. I feel like I’m still starting out. Marami pa akong bigas na kakainin,” Carla expressed.

Whether or not she be bequeathed with a title, Carla vows to continue doing her best. She says it was through her eagerness to learn and listen to constructive criticism which helped hone her acting skills.

“I listen to the director and put to heart all the tips that they impart. Always keep an open mind. Always find opportunities to learn. Pulot ka lang ng pulot ng tips. Learning should never stop. I think it’s also the quality of the material. Kapag maganda yung character, mas lumalabas yung capacity ko as an actress.”

She admittedly wasn’t this confident of herself in the beginning. It didn’t help that directors would yell at her when she didn’t get it right. “Rosalinda pa lang, nasigawan na ako. There were times I cried when directors would reprimand me and I wanted to give up.”

Good thing Carla chose to stick it out, for viewers can’t imagine Lally portrayed by any other actress.

The Regal Films contract artist has two movies lined up this year with Regal Films, and possibly another one for next year. Currently filming is her romantic-comedy flick with Tom.

She also recently inked a recording contract with Universal Records, where her first single is a cover of Toni Daya’s hit “Kung Alam Mo Lang.”

Told that we hoped her recent success won’t transform her into — heaven forbid — a swell-head, the consistently pleasant beauty was quick to assure us and her followers, “Ay hindi, kasi patay ako sa lola ko!” (FREEMAN)