Hilda Koronel still a refreshing presence on TV

WE first interviewed Hilda Koronel when she was only 14 years old, two years after she entered show business. At that time, she had a weekly drama series ("Hilda") on Channel 9, where despite her tender age, she showed her competence in mature roles.

This is what we wrote in September 1971: "Aside from being a refreshingly lovely person, what makes Hilda Koronel different from TV's other leading ladies? Well, she's young. Fourteen, going on 15. Though many of the roles given her require maturity and experience, she can handle them well with a deliberately underplayed style. No long sighing, dying or crying scenes for this youngster."


That style served her well in succeeding years as she blossomed into one of the industry's finest dramatic actresses in the movies with the help of the late Lino Brocka.


Today, the actress is still a refreshing presence on the boob tube. Her latest assignment is in the star-studded "Kung Mawawala Ka" where she plays one of the three wives of Eddie Garcia. The soap, directed by Joel Lamangan, airs weekdays at 8:30 p.m. on GMA-7.


We spoke with her during a recent press conference for the soap. She was no longer the innocent young thing we interviewed a long time ago. She's older and wiser (she's proud to say she's already 45 years old), saying she's learned a lot from her turbulent personal life.


Hilda now leads a more peaceful life with her American husband and her children. As far as her career is concerned, she doesn't miss the days when all she played were lead roles. She has been able to effect a smooth transition to character roles, which ensures her longevity in the acting profession.


Here are excerpts from that interview:


Edmund Sicam: How do you describe your role here? Are you a suffering character or ikaw iyung . . .


Hilda Koronel: Well, yeah, sa umpisa, kami iyung pinakamamahal ni Eddie (Garcia) kasi kami iyung pinaka hindi mahilig sa pera. Pag in-o-offer niya kami, we say no. Kami naman iyung kinakawawa ng first family, specially nung may nangyari kay Ed, mas kakawawain kami ng todo-todo. With the second (family) also, very assertive din sila, and they're also very rich. Kami iyung pinaka-wala, so kami iyung target.


Acting-wise, is it harder to be the api or mang-aapi?


Alam mo, I find na mas madaling maapi (laughter), kasi pag 'Marinella,' kontrabida ako, ang hirap laging sumimangot! (laughter) It was so hard, lagi kang nakakunot-noo, lagi kang galit. Isip ko, tatanda ako dito!


Do you watch soaps or listen to soaps on the radio?


Noong maliit ako, sa radio, yeah. Pero ngayon, maaga ako matulog! I wake up at around 4 a.m. or 5 a.m. and I'm asleep by 7 p.m. I have to adjust my time, dati insomniac ako! Nagkaroon lang ako ng limitasyon noong araw bago ako nagkaroon ng pacemaker. Pero bago noon, nahirapan kasi ako magpuyat. Kaya nawala ako sa "Marinella," kasi it was so hard for me to be on call.


Do you agree that once the acting bug bites you . . .


Hinahanap mo rin, e. Especially if there's a good project in front of you, mapipilitan kang gawin, kasi bihira iyon dumating.


Kasi for some, acting is a job . . .


It is a job in a way, 'no? But it's also . . . it's an art. I think it's what I was born to do. Iniisip ko, o sige, I'll go get another job. (laughs) I'll do this or that, and I go . . . eeeeh . . . huwag na lang! (laughs) It's what I'm good at.


Parang you don't have to act naman to survive in this world.


Hindi naman. I really like the work I do, specially if it's good. Kasi nakikita ko. I'm not going after an award or anything like that. But, what makes me happy is when I hear people say, "Ma'am, alam niyo iyung last episode niyo sa ano, naiyak ako." It makes me really feel good na iyung trabaho ko was really worth it. Iyung magdamag kong kakaiyak doon, it was worth a simple praise lang na ganoon. It makes me happy.


Parang you've developed a new generation of fans and followers because of your TV appearances.


Very seryoso din iyung mga fans ngayon. Tsaka iba-ibang klase, iba-ibang grupo. I have this artistic group na noon mga estudyante, mga teachers, ngayon meron pa ring ganoon, tapos meron akong group, iyung mga artist na gay na memoryado nila iyung mga linya, oo, iyung mga bagong direktor, 'tita, eto iyung linya mo sa . . .' Ina-acting nila! And it's so nice to see that, kasi you know they study your films, talagang kabisado nila iyung mga punchlines mo, na hindi ko na maalala! (laughs)


Your relationship with Lino Brocka was more than director-talent?


Sa akin, it was more personal than work. Si Lino kasi, he was like my mother, my father, my sister, my brother, all rolled into one. Kaya I was really devastated when I lost him. Siya kasi iyung kasama ko lagi. Siya iyung nagno-note ng mga hindi ko dapat gawin . . . nagkakaroon din kami ng iritahan minsan, pero nothing like nasisigawan ako or anything.


Lino was always the type na very quiet, kunyari meron akong nagawa, like when I was younger, there are things di ba na when you're young, hindi mo naiintindihan. Sabihin niya, sa taping, meron kang nasaktan na tao doon. Pero hindi ko alam kung bakit. Then he would explain, kasi hindi ko talaga naiintindihan or hindi ko mahuli.


Aside from the fact na I always have to be . . . nauuna sa set! Hanggang ngayon dala ko pa rin! Like kanina, andito ako, ang aga-aga ko, everybody's like, 'Tita, you're early!' and everybody's panicking sa set pag dumadating ako. Kasi it's a habit of mine, nakuha ko sa kanya! It makes everybody panic. I'm like that talaga.


Siya lang talaga. Kasi, nag-start kami pareho. Twelve lang ako in '69. So, iyon na talaga iyung parang nag-mold sa akin sa lahat--sa trabaho, sa personal, lalo na sa personal. Pag nabubugbog ako ng asawa ko, si Lino nandoon, nasusuntok din siya! Sila ni Orlando Nadres. Silang dalawa.


Looking back on your life, do you think it's like a soap also?


Ya, worse pa! (laughs) Sabi nga ni Lino, before he died, 'Gusto ko gawing pelikulang storya ni Hilda!' Sabi ko, no way! Heavy! Tatlong pelikula kailangan mo diyan!


Pero at this point in your life, tapos na iyung soap?


God, I hope so! At least malalaki na iyung mga anak ko, isa na lang ang maliit.


So you think itong mga nangyari sa iyo, was it more of your own making?


Mahirap din, kasi nandito ka sa business na ito tapos iyung asawa mo wala dito. Pero mahirap din na pareho kayo sa show biz. Hindi mo rin masabi kung anong tamang kombinasyon, e. Basta noong nag-asawa ako ng hindi na artista after Jay, mas tahimik na, right? (laughs) Hindi, worse pa pala! Hindi mo talaga masasabi kung anong mangyayari.


If you were to travel in a time machine and go back to where you started, do you think you would make the same decisions that you made then?


No! (laughter) Sa career siguro, hindi sa personal life. I really like my job. Sometimes the people you work with lang talaga . . . (makes face) Iyung iba, hindi naman lahat. 'Cause a lot of them are nice, but some are really pangit kasama, some are walang respeto. Merong mga tao, di mo pagbigyan, masama ka na. Stuff like that. It's hard!


Nagtataray ka raw sa mga artistang hindi sineseryoso, parang nilalaro lang ang taping?


Of course not. In fact, tinutulungan ko pa nga sila. Iyung mga nagsasabi niyan, mga galit sa akin. Sabi ko, masyado kayo nagbabasa ng mga magazine. Kaya tuloy iyung mga batang nakakasama ko ngayon, natatakot lahat sa akin! (laughter)


Tatanong ko lang naman, 'Anak, bakit ka ba laging late? Ano ba problema mo?' Kasi ayoko naman talaga mag-antay! Kasi, nag-aantay ka doon, ang tagal-tagal, e hindi naman seryoso ang dahilan. Pero, bahala na si direk ang magsisisigaw doon!


Hindi ka naman nag-walkout dahil late iyung kasama mo?


Meron akong once na muntik na! (laughter) Muntik na! Muntik na! 15 hours lang naman akong naghihintay.


Sinoli ko na iyung tseke ko. Inyo na ito, sabi ko, patayin niyo na ako. Uwi na ako. Antok na antok na ako. I was so tired! Mas gusto kong sunud-sunod ang trabaho ko kesa nakatanga ako. I get so tired just sitting there, doing nothing. Pero ratsadahin mo ako tuloy-tuloy, ay, OK lang iyon. Nakakapagod pero may ginagawa ka.


I remember one time, may schedule ako. Antay, antay, antay. Naka-make-up ka na, kuntodo hairdo, naka-dress ka na, halimbawa alas siete iyon, alas dose na, 'Ay ma'am, pack up na ho pala kayo ma'am, kasi ho, si Ms Ano ho, uminom ng sleeping pills, hindi nagising.' E di maiinis ka, right? O sige, uwi na nga ako! Ano ba iyan? Ganoon lang! Wala naman akong sinasabi.


Tapos one time nga, naghintay din ako, superstar din, katagal . . six hours na ako nandoon, sabi ko, sige, aantayin ko lang pero aalis din ako pagdating. (laughs) Dumating, kissy-kissy, ganyan, "Sorry ha, kasi ganito-ganito." "O sige, diyan ka na! Uuwi na ako!" Ganoon. Pero hindi ako nagsasalita ng ano . . . E para naman madala, kasi kung lagi naman ginagawa sa iyo, di ba, para ka namang gago!


Kasi sa akin, respeto e. Hindi kita pag-aantayin kasi importante iyung oras mo sa akin. So para namang ginagago mo ako, parang walang kuwenta sa iyo ang oras ko. Di ba? Sa akin, lahat ng tao pare-pareho.


Do you miss the days when you played one lead role after another?


Hindi naman. I think the way to survive a transition is you have to take into account that you will fade someday! (laughs) Iniisip ko na iyon. A, sa susunod, magnananay na ako kasi mamamatay na si ganito, si ganito, si ganito (laughs). Iyon bang pag nawala silang lahat, kokornerin ko iyung market na iyon! (laughs)


Yung iba na-o-offend pag binibigyan ng mga mother role . . .


Ako hindi, kasi nanay talaga ako. Tagal na. Tsaka noong araw pa, talagang nagnananay na ako. Pag feel ko, sabi ko, magta-transition ako! Walang mga lead role diyan? E di diyan ako sa mga nanay! O di ba? You just have to realize, kasi kung hindi, you'll be disappointed. Iinom ka ng alak diyan, magda-drugs ka, naku kalimutan mo iyon! Talagang ganon ang buhay!

By Edmund L. Sicam

(Manila Times)
Apr. 26, 2002
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