In a unique mother-and-son collaboration, renowned actress Maricel Laxa and her son Donny Pangilinan are both part of the upcoming film ‘GG (Good Game),’ produced by Mediaworks Inc., Cignal Entertainment, and Create Cinema.
Maricel, who is known for her discerning choices when it comes to projects, revealed during a ‘GG’ media conference that her decision to join this particular film was influenced by her children. Donny, who plays a leading role in the movie, is also a creative producer, while Hannah, Maricel’s daughter, is part of the production team.
“I think this is a product of obeying your children,” Maricel humorously admitted. “Kasi, sila naman ang nagpilit sa akin na bumalik sa pelikula. Akala ko, wala na talaga sa sistema ko ang showbiz. Pero, once an actor will always be an actor, I guess. It was very special in my heart, so, here I am.”
In ‘GG,’ Maricel and Donny portray mother and son characters, but their on-screen dynamic is vastly different from their close and loving real-life relationship. Their characters, Iya and Seth, need to adjust to each other after a significant separation.
“Magkaibang-magkaiba sa totoong buhay,” Maricel pointed out. “So, makikita n’yo ang mga bagay na kailangan naming mag-adjust. We’re not portraying ourselves. Bagamat mag-nanay, hindi kami ‘yon.”
When asked about their working relationship, Donny humorously responded to his mother’s comment, saying, “Basta lang sumusunod ako kanila, walang problema.”
Maricel elaborated on her response, saying, “Ibig sabihin kasi, maayos ko naman siguro silang pinalaki. And they’re experts in their field. So, respeto na lang ang maibibigay ko.”
Maricel proudly shared that Donny has an unwavering belief in the movie, to the extent that he invested his own money in it and became a stakeholder in the film. “Donny believes in this movie so much that he’s a major investor and stakeholder of this film. He has been part of it from beginning to end and continues to be part of it whether it is behind-the-scenes or with the cast, crew…every single detail, he’s part of. And I’m very proud to be part of this film because he puts his whole heart and soul in it.” Maricel stated.
‘GG’ is a friendship and e-sports drama film aiming to showcase the Filipino e-sports landscape. The movie also demonstrates that despite the negative connotations often associated with online gaming, it can be a pathway to stronger friendships and family bonds.
Maricel admitted that, like other parents, she used to have a different reaction when she saw her children engrossed in online gaming. “Ako ay guilty na kapag nakikita ko ang mga anak ko na palaging nasa phone nila, nakakapag-judge ako na hindi sila dapat diyan nang matagal,” she confessed.
“Pero, salamin din ‘yon ng mga ginagawa ko sa phone ko. How much time do I put using my phone or my gadgets to allow my time to be consumed in good or bad ways. So, as a parent, ang reminder sa akin is p’wedeng maging mabuti ang e-sports kung merong guidelines and boundaries ang magulang at mga anak together. And I believe, in our family, noong bata pa lang sila, hindi pa uso ang lahat ng mga gadgets na ‘to, wala pang internet no’n, wi-fi and all, we set good boundaries that we all agreed on. And that’s important. So, in the family setting, I really encourage parents and children to have a healthy communication when it comes to gadgets and e-sports.”
Maricel also had a fun moment when asked about the online games the cast members play or are addicted to. She proudly declared, “Ako, Candy Crush. Yan lang talaga. Ang taas ng level ko!”
She added humorously, “At one point, pinadalhan ako ng best friend ko, si Mariz Ricketts ng rehabilitation coupon… kailangan ko raw magpa-rehab kasi, wala nang maka-kausap sa akin kaka-Candy Crush ko.”
“Nag-repent na ‘ko. I’m a renewed person,” she concluded with a laugh.
