Multi-awarded actress Jodi Sta. Maria is set to take a well-deserved break after wrapping up her work on the top-rated series ‘Lavender Fields’, which is now airing its final week.
In a recent interview, Sta. Maria revealed that she has been working non-stop, even during the pandemic.
“After this, magre-rest muna tayo kasi nagdire-diretso tayo. Kahit noong pandemic hindi tayo tumigil ng trabaho — 2020, 2021, 2022, hindi tayo tumigil,” she shared.
Sta. Maria admitted that the filming process for ‘Lavender Fields’ was physically and mentally demanding, sharing that they would sometimes shoot 28 to 30 scenes per day for months.
However, instead of complaining, the actress expressed her gratitude for the opportunities she had.
“I’m just really thankful to the Lord for His provision, for the work na ibinigay niya,” Sta. Maria said.
After an intense work schedule, Sta. Maria said she plans to recharge by pursuing activities outside of acting.
“But of course, kailangan din natin ng konting pahinga, ‘di ba? Kasi all work tayo. Kailangan nating mag-refill ng creative juices…. will mean travel, embarking on something new, going back to school. That’s rest for me. Hindi siya rest na walang ginagawa. It’s doing something else outside of work,” she explained.
As ‘Lavender Fields’ draws to a close, Sta. Maria reflected on some of her most unforgettable moments in the series.
One of the scenes she fondly recalled was with Lotlot de Leon, who plays her mother in the show.
“Gusto ko ‘yung rapport namin, ‘yung relationship namin nilang mag-ina. I really, really felt her. Napaka-loving ang caring niya kasi as a human being and as a person,” she said.
She also mentioned a challenging breakup scene with Jericho Rosales’ character, Tyrone de Vera, which took place at a cliffside.
“We attempted to shoot that scene so many times. The scene was shot in a cliff so there’s a beautiful view, but there’s fog, so we waited for the fog to clear. When the fog cleared and we were ready for the take, suddenly it rained,” she shared. Despite the setbacks, the scene was successfully completed.
Another standout memory for Sta. Maria was her fight scene with Janine Gutierrez, who plays Iris Buenavidez, Tyrone’s wife.
“I remember that day. We were so nervous. We rehearsed it for about two days. And when the day came that we needed to shoot that scene, we just held each other’s hand. We encouraged and assured each other that we could do it,” she recalled.
The actress was grateful that they completed the scene without any mishaps.
