Jillian launched solo with new leading man
JILLIAN Ward was last seen in “Prima Donnas 1 and 2” sharing topbilling with Sofia Pablo and Althea Ablan. This time, she’s launched solo in “Abot Kamay na Pangarap”, which replaces the hit “Apoy sa Langit” starting this Monday, right after “Eat Bulaga”. How does she feel that she is now on her own, without other teen stars to support her?
“Siempre po, sa totoo lang, sobrang kinakabahan ako,” she says. “Super challenging ang role ko and I want to thank GMA for giving me their trust and this kind of opportunity. Sa taping, I always ask them kung tama ba ang ginagawa ko. I’m so happy to work with the people around me na sobrang supportive.”
In the story, she plays Analyn, the love child of Carmina Villarroel as Lyneth, an illiterate woman. Her dad is a doctor, RJ Tanyag played by Richard Yap, who abandoned her mom while still pregnant with her. Jillian turns out to be a child genius and became a doctor at a very young age. She teaches her mom how to read and write.
Supporting them are Dominic Ochoa as Michael, Carmina’s boss who’s in love with her; Andre Paras as Luke, a neurosurgeon who helps Jillian in the hospital where they work; Dexter Doria as Carmina’s cruel stepmother who maltreats her and Jillian; Wilma Doesnt as Carmina’s best friend and Ariel Villasanta as Wilma’s supportive husband.
Also in the big cast are Pinky Amador as Richard Yap’s wife, John Vic de Guzman as a doctor who belittles Jillian, Kazel Kinouchi as Jillian’s half sister who demeans her, Alexandra Mendez as Jillians best friend, and Sparkle’s new actor, Jeff Moses, as Reagan, the janitor in the hospital who becomes Jillian’s leading man.
So how did Jillian prepare for her role as a young doctor? “We had an immersion in an actual hospital,” she says. “We watched the doctors there as they did brain surgery. I also watched medical shows like ‘The Good Doctor’. Mahirap ang role as I had to memorize a lot of medical terms. Kahit natutulog na ako, I try to remember them and when I wake up, naaalala ko pa rin sila.”
Did she ever dream to become a doctor? “When I was about five years old, I remember when they asked me what I want to be when I grow, I’d say I want to be a doctor and an artista. But playing a doctor in ‘Abot Kamay na Pangarap’, I realized na ang hirap pala maging doctor. E show lang ito, di what more kung ‘yung totoong nasa medical field ako. Sobrang daming minememorize na technical terms. We had a scene sa loob ng emergency room na nagbibigay ako ng instructions kung ano ang mga gamot na dapat ibibigay sa pasyente and dapat accurate lahat ng sasabihin ko, so I really have to memorize them all.”
How is it working with Carmina as her mom? “Ay, napakabait po niya. She really acted like a mother to me. I told her nga that I will miss her after the show. Marami siyang words of wisdom shared with me.”
In “Prima Donnas”, she was identified with Will Ashley as her ka-love team. But now, she’s paired with new actor Jeff Moses. How is it?
“I trust the management kung sino ang gusto nilang ipareha sa akin. Siempre, ‘yung fans ng love team namin ni Will, hinahanap siya. But I tell them na okay naman si Jeff. Masaya siyang kasama sa set so sana, suportahan din ng viewers ang pagtatambal sa amin.”
What does she think is the message of “Abot Kamay na Pangarap”? “First of all, as an inspirational show, it tells people never to give up on their dreams. Make an effort to pursue them and make them come true. Tapos, it also says that whatever your profession might be, very important to have a family who loves you for you to achieve success in your life and career. Dito, it’s Tita Carmina as my mom who really pushed me para maabot ko ang pangarap kong maging doctor.”
