Sue Ramirez recalls fangirling over Jodi Sta. Maria, now her onscreen rival

MANILA — A self-confessed showbiz fan girl, Sue Ramirez remembers vividly the first time she saw Jodi Sta. Maria in person, when the latter happened to be at her subdivision to film scenes for an ABS-CBN teleserye back in 2009.

At the time, Ramirez had yet to enter showbiz. That came a year later in 2010, after her successful audition for Star Magic, the same talent agency that trained Sta. Maria in the earlier part of her career.

“I remember the first time nakita ko si Jodi Sta. Maria, nag-te-taping siya ng ‘Tayong Dalawa’ malapit sa subdivision kung saan ako nakatira. Nag-bike ako papunta sa location nila, tapos pinicture-an ko lang siya gamit ‘yung flip phone ko,” she said.

Now, over a decade later, the two are set portray rivals, as the lead stars of another ABS-CBN teleserye — an opportunity Ramirez is admittedly still processing.

“Ngayon, makakasama ko na siya! Makakatrabaho ko na siya! Makaka-eksena ko na siya! Excited na excited na excited ako talaga,” Ramirez said.

Ramirez and Sta. Maria will share the screen in “The Broken Marriage Vow,” the upcoming Philippine adaptation of the hit British drama “Doctor Foster.”

In ABS-CBN’s version, Ramirez will portray Lexy Lucero, the “other woman” who ruins the family of Dr. Jill Ilustre, portrayed by Sta. Maria.

“Medyo may pressure, pero more excited ako than pressured!” Ramirez said. “Iba ‘yung pakiramdam na nakikita ko lang sila dati, nag-ba-bike pa ako, tapos ngayon nakaka-eksena ko na sila. Nakakatuwa, naha-happy ako!”

Also starring in “The Broken Marriage Vow” are Zanjoe Marudo and Zaijan Jaranilla, with Dreamscape Entertainment (“FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano”) producing and Connie Macatuno (“Glorious”) directing.

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That Sta. Maria, an actress she only once looked up to, is now her co-star, is one of many reasons Ramirez considers her role in the series as her “biggest so far” with ABS-CBN.

“Aside from it being a talked about K-drama na lumaki talaga in the world, medyo malaki ‘yung pressure na na-feel ko. But more than that, sobrang thankful talaga ako,” she said, recounting the time she got confirmation of her casting in the project.

Ramirez was referring to “The World of the Married,” the South Korean version of “Doctor Foster” which became a massive hit among Filipinos early this year and which was broadcast locally by ABS-CBN.

“Ang daming magagandang artista, ang daming magagaling na artista, but ako talaga ‘yung napili nila for this. Wala akong ibang maramdaman noong mga panahon na ‘yun kung 'di pagpapasalamat dahil doon sa tiwala,” Ramirez said.

“I really broke down crying because it’s such a big project also for ABS-CBN, because they’re doing this with BBC London. Na-overwhelm ako at saka sobrang hindi pa nag-sink in sa akin noong mga panahon na ‘yun,” she added.

Having followed the South Korean remake, Ramirez teased that Filipino viewers can look forward to the same gripping storyline, but with notable changes in terms of presentation.

“It’s going to be very different, because culture-wise, magkaiba naman talaga ‘yung tatlong bansang ‘yan. Of course, Filipinized version talaga siya,” Ramirez said.

Macatuno, the director, earlier said that local elements will be prominently seen in the story, “from the setting, the food, the style of life.”

“I hope that the audience will open their mind to the differences,” Ramirez said. “The differences can be major, but most definitely, we’ll give the same amount of entertainment that they felt with the two series that they’ve watched before.”

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Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv

Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv