All of my scenes for “I Love You, Betty La Fea” were with Ai Ai de las Alas and a Filipina Character Actress named Marife Necesito. To theatre enthusiasts, the name Marife Necesito rings a bell. But, to others, it may solicit a resounding, “Cynthia?”. Cynthia a showbiz gay lingo meaning “Sino sya?” which is more of a sarcastic way of asking who the person is and if he/she has the “K” to be talked about or written about.

Marife Necesito was chosen from among several Filipina actresses who auditioned for the role. My personal friend, Tita Julie Ysla was the casting director who took charge of the auditions for the movie titled “Mammoth”. Marife got the lead role which brought her to the United States of America and Sweden for the shooting.

Marife has a breakout role in the domestic drama “Mammoth”, a film that includes Hollywood stars Gael Garcia Bernal ( Babel ) and Michelle Williams ( Brokeback Mountain ). In the film, Marife plays the nanny of Gael and Michelle’s child. The story involves Gael’s character, a successful New Yorker, who decides to radically alter his life while he is on vacation in Asia with his family. “Mammoth” is directed by critically-acclaimed Swedish director Lukas Moodysson.

Another Filipina character actress Chiqui del Carmen who is the mother of our Director in “Ligaw na Bulaklak” Direk Rechie del Carmen was also in the cast for a supporting role in that movie. But, it was Marife playing one of the three lead roles who got the highest talent fee and the longest exposure of the movie.

I had the opportunity to work with Marife for two projects in the past. The first one was in 2004 for a Lenten presentation of APT Entertainment titled “Angel Villa” with Dennis Trillo in the title role. It was for GMA 7. Marife played the role of a nanny (yes, she had been typecasted as nanny!) while I played the role of Congressman Reyes who maintained a kept woman played by Criselda Volks.

The second project that I had worked with Marife was for the Cinema One cable station ID with the “Ang Buhay, Parang Sine” line. We had Piolo Pascual in that commercial. I played the role of Johnny Delgado in a reenactment of a scene a scene in Tanging Ina. Marife was playing the role of Janice de Belen in front of a refrigerator reenacting a scene in "Shake, Rattle and Roll”.

For “Mammoth”, Marife who joined me in my car after the taping at the airport told me that she had a great time shooting in the USA and Sweden for the movie. The movie is due for international release next year 2009.

For “I Love You, Betty La Fea”, on the 7th week, she is the girl with Ai Ai delas Alas who would be in my office at the Philippine Embassy in London . We would have scenes together. She is morena and has long curly hair.

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