CLAIRE Castro is so lucky to have been chosen to play one of the lead roles in GMA-7’s new soap, “Nagbabagang Luha”. This is a remake of a Regal 1988 movie directed by Ishmael Bernal and it starred Lorna Tolentino, Gabby Concepcion and Alice Dixson. Lorna and Gabby’s roles as Maita and Alex are now played by Glaiza de Castro and Rayver Cruz while Claire got the role of Alice as Cielo Ignacio. So how did she get the role?

“They had an audition po at marami kaming nag-audition,” she says. “I was so happy when I learned I was the one chosen to play the role of Ms. Alice Dixson.”

Claire is the daughter of Raven Villanueva and Diego Castro, who met as teen stars appearing in GMA-Viva’s “Thank God It’s Sabado” (TGIS) along with the love team of Angelu de Leon and Bobby Andrews. The show aired from 1995 to 1997 and Claire was born on August 11, 1998.

Claire’s paternal grandparents are the late broadcasting legends June Keithley and Angelo Castro.

Claire signed up with GMA Artist Center along with Angela Alarcon, the daughter of another 90s actor, Jestoni Alarcon. But she’s much luckier as she’s now given a plum role after appearing in a small role in GTV’s “The Lost Recipe”. Does she really want to be an actress?

“Yes po, bata pa lang ako, alam ko nang I want to act,” she says. “Kasi growing up, I was exposed naman sa set ng movies and TV shows my parents did. And now, I’m happy that I get to fulfill my dream.”

Who’s her peg among today’s top stars? “Si Ms. Marian Rivera po. I grew up watching her shows. I remember ginagaya ko pa siya noon as ‘Marimar’ in front of the mirror. I’m so happy na now that I’m a Kapuso, there’s a possibility na makatrabaho ko rin siya balang araw.”

So how is it working with Glaiza, Rayver and their director in “Nagbabagang Luha”, Ricky Davao?

“Siempre po, intimidated ako noong una kasi puro magagaling sila, lalo si Ate Glaiza who can be very intense in front of the camera. I’m nervous at first but I was excited to try new things at mabait naman po sila sa akin, so I’m enjoying what I’m doing, lalo na napakabait ni Direk Ricky. He knows baguhan lang ako kaya inaalalayan niya ako and helps me hone my craft. I’m willing to learn naman and I’m just so happy to be given the chance to do what I really love.”

We ask Direk Ricky himself how he will size up Claire?

“She’s okay. Very raw but very intense. She fits the role of Cielo, ‘yung role ni Alice Dixson, perfectly. Hindi naman siya nagpaiwan sa mga kaeksena niya.”

What’s the most memorable advice has her dad, Diego Castro, given her?

“Sabi niya, wag lalaki ang ulo, always be humble. Kasi raw, no matter how beautiful or talented you are, if you do not have humility in you, you won’t really go anywhere but down. So I always bear that in mind.”

Claire is glad that Alice Dixson, who’s part of “Legal Wives”, congratulated her for getting the role of Cielo in “Nagbabagang Luha”, specially in doing that iconic scene where Cielo asks Maita not to take Alex away from her. “Ikamamatay ko!” she tells Maita.

And Maita’s reply: “Ipalilibing kita!”

“Yes, I remember how intense that scene is,” says Alice. “But since you’re very talented, Claire, I believe you can do that scene even more intensely. Just always do your best.”

Sizzlingclaire Sunday on ‘AOS’

IT’S a sizzling Sunday once again and cool down this summer as you hang out with your favorite Kapuso performers and idols in “All Out Sunday”! The AyOS Barkada is ready for a massive chillout session and you can be a part of it by tweeting and posting using this week’s official hashtag, #AOSCoolSummer.

Your Ka-Tambayan crew will be flexing their OPM summer favorites with performances by Julie Anne San Jose, Rayver Cruz, Barbie Forteza, Christian Bautista, Mark Bautista, Gabbi Garcia, Mavy Legaspi, Jeremiah Tiangco, Thea Astley, Jessica Villarubin, Garrett Bolden, Anthony Rosaldo, Kim de Leon, Shayne Sava, Ruru Madrid and Derrick Monasterio!

Get your fix of millennial hits with a birit twist as performed by The Divas of The Queendom, featuring Julie Anne San Jose, Rita Daniela, Jessica Villarubin, Thea Astley and Ms. Lani Misalucha! The Kapuso crooners will also make you feel cozy and sentimental with an All-Star Assembly featuring Christian Bautista, Jeremiah Tiangco, Garrett Bolden, Anthony Rosaldo and Mark Bautista as they sing boyband serenade hit songs.

Wondering how your Kapuso idols stay cool despite the summer heat at home? Check out special vlog-type features with Alden Richards, Julie Anne San Jose and Ken Chan wherein they will prepare unique and well-loved summer coolers from the comfort of their homes.

Summer lovin’ is also in full swing with the comedy musical featuring Rhian Ramos, Paolo Contis together with Denise Barbacena, Kristoffer Martin, Betong Sumaya, Jennie Gabriel and Tuesday Vargas in “Love Doctors”. Tune in to find out what’s next on this continuing story of that elusive type of love!

You will also definitely love the special titig and kilig-worthy performance of the OGs, namely Ken Chan, Ruru Madrid, Derrick Monasterio, Jeric Gonzales, Paul Salas and Rayver Cruz. Ms. Lani Misalucha and Aicelle Santos will be singing a special song requested by a mom and daughter who unfortunately had a similar experience of becoming single mothers, owing to the fact that their relationships with their partners failed due to infidelity and other issues. Alden Richards will be sharing their story to the audience as well, to shed light on the unbreakable bond between mothers and daughters.

Special Kapuso guests Mikee Quintos and Kelvin Miranda as well as The Clash alumna Psalms David will also be on the show this week to share their new musical offerings to the Kapuso audience. More hits to add to your summer cool down playlist! With AOS Barkada, it’s a guaranteed fun party this Sunday! Tune in to “All-Out Sundays” at 12nn on GMA and GTV!

Review of Amazon Prime thriller ‘Shadow in the Cloud’

CHLOE Grace Moretz started as a child actress on TV and films. At 12, she got her best role as the young vampire in “Let Me In” and as Hit Girl in the action flick, “Kick-Ass” and its sequel. She’d later do more films like “Hugo”, “Dark Shadows”, “Hick”, “If I Stay”, “The Fifth Wave”, “November Criminals”, the remake of “Carrie” and “Greta”.

She now stars in “Shadow in the Cloud”, a period sci-fi action film made by a New Zealand film company. Set in 1943, she plays Maude Garette, a flight officer who boards a B-17 bomber plane called Fool’s Errand carrying a metal box which she says has valuable secret documents and cannot be opened. The plane leaves Auckland, New Zealand for Samoa.

At first, the all male crew wouldn’t let her in but she says she has all the necessary documents to prove that she is a legit passenger of that flight. She is accommodated but she is made to sit in the plane’s turret, a very small compartment in the plane’s underbelly. It will be her home for the next 30 to 40 minutes.

We see her trapped in there when she sees a scary, ugly bat-like winged creature clinging on the plane’s wing. She reports it by the intercom to the crew on top, but they ignore her and just dismiss her warnings. They all belittle her and make fun of her with offensive sexist remarks.

The crew eventually sees the frightening monster and calls it a gremlin. On top of this, Japanese fighter planes are also attacking them. Maude finally succeeds to get out of the turret and, as things get from bad to worse, she even manages to fly the crashing plane and land it to safety when its pilot was killed by enemy fire.

Moretz does well as the courageous heroine. There’s a big twist in the story which, of course, we cannot reveal. The film apparently spouses feminist politics and an unabashed tribute to women who fought with the British and American forces during the war. The ending shows actual footage of many women serving in various capacities as homage to them.

The film is directed by Chinese-New Zealander filmmaker Roseanne Liang but she’s no Chloe Zhao of “Nomadland”, since she chooses to do an escapist fantasy action flick with feminist overtones denouncing the mistreatment of women by chauvinistic men.

As a popcorn flick, it has its jump scares and exciting moments as an action-adventure movie in mid-air, with Chloe perfect as the feisty protagonist who even saves the repulsive men who were earlier jeering her and kills the monster singlehandedly with her own bare hands. The monster is obviously CGI green screen but it’s quite frighteningly convincing.

The film runs for less than an hour and a half but the first half with Chloe all alone in the turret seems quite boring. The final half is more action-filled and seems completely removed from the first, which demonstrates that the movie is actually trying to be many things smashed together, as symbolized by the Looney Tunes cartoon that serves as its prologue. Some parts are no doubt fun and goofy, some are tense and exciting, but major suspension of disbelief is most certainly required.