NO doubt Viva is the number one entertainment company in the country today. Even if they don’t have any network of their own like ABS-CBN and Star Cinema before, the talents they manage have shows in all the various networks.

On streaming, Vivamax is unquestionably numero uno, showing new movies every week and also various mini-series. They have their own exclusive stable of stars and directors who are given regular projects that are sexy and salacious in nature.

On the big screen, they’re the only one brave enough to exhibit their movies in actual cinemas. “Maid in Malacanang” is a big hit and now showing since September 14 is “Expensive Candy” starring Julia Barretto and Carlo Aquino.

Coming up next on September 28 is the romantic drama “Always” based on a Korean hit, with the love team of Kim Chiu and Xian Lim.

And on October 12, they will release the unusual love triangle story, “May-December-January” with Andrea del Rosario playing the lead role. Andrea is a member of the Viva Hot Babes launched in 2003 playing the title role in “Lupe: A Seaman’s Wife”. Her leading men in that film, Leandro Munoz and Jordan Herrera, are now both no longer active but Andrea has remained visible in TV series like GMA-7’s “Love You Stranger” and the forthcoming “Dirty Linen” on ABS-CBN.

And now, she’s given another lead role in Viva’s intriguing drama, “May-December-January”, about a mother, Andrea, and her gay son, Gold Aceron, who both fall in love for the same guy, Kych Minemoto. So how does it feel doing a lead role again?

“It’s been a while, so feeling virgin uli ako,” she says. “I m so happy na I was given a project like this. I guess it’s the right project at the right time. May love scenes with a younger man, and I told Direk Mac Alejandre, bahala ka na. With his help, nagawa naman namin. Kych is such an amazing actor he helped me, kasi I haven’t done scs like that for a while.”

So how did she prepare working with two guys much younger than her? “It helped na nag-bond muna kami. We went out, we had coffee, kumain together para maging mas magkakilala kami, mawala ang awkwardness sa isa’t isa. So later on, may pinaghuhugutan na kami ng emotions namin.”

Direk Mac Alejandre says: “Ang ganda ng chemistry nilang tatlo dito. Andrea was the first to be cast kasi she’s not only a hot mama but magaling pang umarte, so she’s our only choice to play the female lead role. They really became close ng two boys, pinaghandaan nila talaga. They know what they were getting into. Andrea is not only daring here, but napakahusay talaga niya at lahat ng nakapanood agree na lutang na lutang ang husay niya kasi napakahirap ng role niya.”

“Direk Mac really helped me a lot in my scenes to calibrate my acting,” says Andrea. “Kasi i’ve been doing a lot of soaps lately. E, magkaiba ang style ng acting at discipline for TV and the big screen. I’ve been in the business for almost 30 years and i’ve never been this kind of project.”

Didn’t she have any hesitation in accepting the role since she also dabbles in politics?

“When they offered it to me, I just had to say yes. I’m so glad they gave it to me. And it’s written by a National Artist no less, Ricky Lee, his first project since he was proclaimed as one. So tatanggi pa ba ako?”

Since she dabbles in politics, didn’t she have any hesitation about going sexy again in “May-December-January”?

“After I ended my term in 2018 as vice mayor in Calatagan, I never went back to public service anymore as it was quite challenging for me having to be away from my daughter Bea. I live by the saying “live in the now”….. so I’m just focused on my craft as an actress right now and finding the right projects. My first love is acting. I’ve been doing this for almost 30 years. And I’m just grateful that after experiencing other fields like beauty pageants , public service etc, I’m still around and continue to do what I’ve been doing for so long, acting, which is what I really love to do!”

In the movie, she falls in love with a younger man. Can it happen to her in real life? “Why not? As a matter of fact, I’m seeing someone younger right now. HIndi naman so much younger, konti lang.”