Ever since her first appearance in the controversial and critically-acclaimed primetime series Dirty Linen, Jennica Garcia and her promising performance as Lala Millado went on to become the top and hottest topics on social media for weeks now since the January 23 premiere.

And recently, host DJ Jhai Ho had the chance to catch up with her in the latest episode of Hotspot. The exclusive interview commenced with the usual brief kumustahan and with Jennica imparting how she actually doesn’t expect to be the talk of the town in the online world, considering that she only has around 500 followers and just created her Twitter account last December to help Dreamscape Entertainment and the whole Dirty Linen production with the promotions.

According to her, she only learned about her being trending on Twitter from her co-star Christian Bables, who plays her childhood best friend Max Dionisio, as he called her 15 minutes before her supposed daily livestream for her “Study With Me” session on Facebook that night. She was so shocked upon confirming it and immediately prayed to thank the Lord prior to going on with her livestream.

DJ Jhai Ho then went on to express how much she admires Jennica because of how she was able to step out of the shadow of her mom, premier veteran actress Jean Garcia, and make a name for herself through her impeccable acting talent. He also reminisced about that time when he got starstruck upon seeing her for the first time in an event that they attended together, as well as how he witnessed her humility and kindness towards the people around her. Thus, for him, she really deserved everything that she’s savoring at present.

Their conversation then veered to her striking statement during the Dirty Linen grand media conference in January, wherein she confessed about her plan of working abroad if she wouldn’t be able to score another project after the last series she did in another network.

Jennica took the opportunity to clarify it and correct herself by conveying that she actually had managed to juggle various jobs within the seven years that she was not in the limelight, such as selling breads and plants and live selling. However, as her two children start going to school, she has already felt the need to look for another occupation that could suffice their needs. She actually considered to work as a caregiver like her two friends who are currently based in Los Angeles, California.

The 33-year-old actress then shared one of her most memorable conversations with her Mama, wherein they talked about how parallel their experiences when they’re on the same age. She reminded her to keep on doing her best and told her how ABS-CBN offered her to do the Pangako Sa ‘Yo when she was also around 32 to 33 years old and working in Japan. However, the only difference is that it was Jennica who asked for the job, so she advised her to do her best because there’s a possibility that they will have the same fate.

As we all know, Jean Garcia played the role of iconic kontrabida Madam Claudia Buenavista in the said soap opera that was top-billed by Kristine Hermosa and Jericho Rosales. It was indeed a huge hit throughout its ran from 2000 to 2002 and was also broadcast in four countries and adapted by a popular Cambodian TV network in 2013.

Since it was her who asked for it, Jennica revealed that she feels pressured to be always her best. She scrupulously studies their script and makes sure to do every scene she’s in well, regardless if it’s big or small. She also bared the secret behind her “mata-mata” acting technique, which she usually utilizes every time she doesn’t have a line and it’s only her reaction that is required. According to her, she simply creates her own monologue or scene in her head so that it could manifest onto her face.

She also looked back to that instance when she cried after doing one of her scenes with Christin Bables as she felt that she wasn’t able to exude her best even though it was already good for their director. He tried to appease her upon seeing her swollen eyes, but she explained that being teamed up with a group of award-winning actors – him, Janine Gutierrez, and Joel Torre – puts more pressure on her to show everyone that she, too, can also shine. It has been her goal since Day 1, so she made sure that everything she does in the series will leave a mark to the people who would see it.

Apart from her statement, netizens also talked about her sexy dance, which, despite only being 45 seconds, unbelievably raked in more than two million views. She told DJ Jhai Ho that her initial reaction then was to thank their wardrobe for the pretty clothes that she lent her and Direk Andoy Ranay who guided her while filming that shot. That scene proved that listening to the instruction of your director/s really pays off, which she always because she trusts that the director knows what’s going to be the best.

“Ako talaga as an actor, that’s one of the things that I really make sure that I got to do – ‘yong makinig sa direktor, ‘yong makinig sa direksyon ni Direk Andoy. I trust Direk Andoy e. Alam ko kung ano sa tingin niya ang tama, ‘yon ang makakapagpaganda sa eksena. Kaya naman ‘yon ang ginawa ko at masaya ako na gano’n ang naging resulta – na naging mainit ang pagtanggap ng mga tao,” she conveyed. Furthermore, she also disclosed amusing stories about how that particular scene was shot – from how Direk Andoy forbade him to have a retouch to how he instructed her movements.

As DJ Jhai Ho asked her for her message to herself with regards to all the successes that she’s relishing at present, Jennica simply shared a portion of her daily journal entry from that time when her name trended on Twitter for almost two days.

According to her, she wrote: “Ito na ‘yon. Nagsisimula ka na. Huwag mong kakalimutan kung sino ‘yong mga taong tumulong para marating mo ‘yong ganitong klase ng attention. Don’t let it get into your head. Hindi ito dahil magaling ka lang, it is all because of God. God made a way, God blessed you through Dreamscape, through ABS-CBN. So, do not forget that and keep on doing a good job!”

With how hectic her schedule is at present, it’s truly admirable how Jennica is still able to keep her tight bond with her two young daughters, who are now 7 and 4. Aside from being able to manage her time, she also makes sure to look at them in the eyes and go down in her knees so that they’re on the same level or height whenever she’s talking to them, which are her ways of making them feel and see that she is always present and willing to listen to them. Besides, she repeatedly reminds them, especially her eldest that they’re the most important persons in her life and that everything she does is for them.

When asked for her ultimate dream, she divulged that it would be to star in a Korean drama if given the opportunity. She also aspires to work with Coco Martin, who she admires for his passion and talent as an actor, as well as his creativity as one of the directors of FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano that made it possible for the series to run for seven years. Since it dominated local TV for years, it would also be likely for her to buy a studio-type condominium with the salary she’s going to make if ever she would be included in one of his projects.

She didn’t have the opportunity to be part of the iconic action-drama series since she was a full-time housewife and only accepted guesting and short stints during its seven-year run. Her kids were still too young then and still couldn’t talk, so she couldn’t afford to leave them for a long time.

Watch this episode to see everything that happened in this lighthearted and insightful conversation between DJ Jhai Ho and Jennica!