Kapamilya star Andrea Brillantes recently moved into womanhood. It was a glow-up so stunning that her beauty and talent shines from within. As she continues to amaze us with her riveting portrayal in Huwag Kang Mangamba, here’s a little throwback fest as Andrea reacts to her other TV roles.  

Annaliza (2013)

This edition of Kapamilya React begins with a snippet from Annaliza, the teleserye that brought Andrea her biggest break. Her heart was full of gratitude. She prayed for an hour just giving thanks for the greatest surprise of her life. Andrea said it took years before her star shined brighter but it was worth the wait, “Ang tagal ko din hinintay itong break na ‘to. Ang dami kong audition. Pumila ako, nag-extra ako kung saan-saan. Noong binigay sa akin ‘to, sobra akong nagpasalamat kay Lord at sabi ko ibibigay ko ang lahat ko dito.”

The young actress recalled how she breezed through playing Annaliza because she could relate to the character’s situation of staying with the grandparents. In a scene where she had to run after her onscreen father Zanjoe Marudo, the pretty Andrea revealed, “’Yung takbo ko diyan kaya ang pangit, awkward kasi kailangan mabagal para ‘di ko mahabol yung jeep. ‘Yung iyak na ‘to talagang masakit. Kahit after ng take, iyak pa rin ako ng iyak kasi sobra kong naramdaman ‘yung pain ni Annaliza kasi ‘yung Tatay niya iniwan siya.”

Watching the clip made her miss her young days, so much it made her say, “Sana ten years old na lang ako ulit!”

Hawak Kamay (2014)

In the same year Annaliza concluded, Andrea jumped into her next primetime drama Hawak Kamay. She shared the screen with prime Kapamilya stars Piolo Pascual and Iza Calzado alongside former child stars Zaijian Jaranilla, Xyriel Manabat, and Yesha Camille.

The series showcased Andrea’s dramatic prowess that was quite oversized and impressive for her age. She doesn’t disappoint in crying scenes from then to now. Apart from being natural, Andrea takes her job with passion and effort. “Ang ginagawa ko, ‘pag may mabigat na eksena, mine-memorize ko na lahat ng lines ko para hindi na ako mag-focus sa lines, sa blockings, mas focus na lang ako sa emotions ko.” 

For characters and scenes she can relate to, Andrea usually gets it perfectly done on the first take, “Pagdating sa scene na I can relate to, mas close to my heart, mas less preparation ako. Ang lagi ko lang ginagawa, nire-request ko na mag-tight shot na kaagad kasi ‘pag binigay ko itong emosyon ko, laging maganda ‘yung unang take.”

She also makes sure to create empathy and understanding for the character, “Pagdating sa mga eksenang wala akong experience at hindi ako nakaka-relate, doon, iniisip ko lang talaga ‘yung nararamdaman ng character ko. Kaya very important na maging ikaw ang character mo.”

Pangako Sa’Yo (2015)

In 2015, Andrea reprised the role originally played by Jodi Sta. Maria for the remake of one of ABS-CBN’s classic gold teleseryes, Pangako Sa’Yo.

She portrayed the onscreen sister of Daniel Padilla, her ultimate crush then. For a scene where she unleashed her ‘taray’ side to child stars Angelou Alayon and Clarence Delgado, Andrea said she apologized to the kids before the take. “Kasi ayaw ko silang saktan pero kailangan. After ng take, sorry din ako nang sorry. Nadapa si Clarence diyan,” shared Andrea.

The scene progressed to an altercation with Kathryn Bernardo’s Yna Macaspac. It might be an intense face-off scene but Andrea was feeling ‘kilig’ because she was doing it with no less than the Queen of Hearts. “Ang nasa isip ko, ‘Oh my God! Inaaway ko si Kathryn Bernanrdo! Sinisigawan ko siya!’ Hindi lang halata pero deep down inside, kilig na kilig ako.”

Through this role, Andrea realized that it’s easier and more fun to play ‘kontrabida’ in a series. “Kasi sa kontrabida, hindi ka iisa. Mas static at monotone po kasi ‘yung mababait kasi lagi kang ganito, ganyan. Sa kontrabida kasi super unpredicatable sila at masaya siya paglaruan. Pero nakakapagod talaga.”

Kadenang Ginto (2018)

The last clip was from the hit afternoon drama Kadenang Ginto. In that scene, Andrea, playing the bratty girl Mara, opened up emotions, throwing all the hate and anger while standing at the edge of a building rooftop.

One wrong move and Marga would fall off the building. Andrea revealed that she was intentionally moving backward to make it more realistic, thus her co-stars’ genuine reactions of fear. “Nasa edge kasi talaga ako niyan. Lahat sila alam nilang may pagkaluka-luka ako, sinasabi nila, ‘Huwag na huwag kang aatras!’ Lahat sila tinatakot ko kasi umaatras ako. ‘Yung ibang reaksyon diyan totoong ‘Huwag!’ kasi akala talaga nila malalaglag na ako.”

She also infused the scene with adlibs, “’Yung ibang lines dinagdag ko lang kasi nararamdaman ko ‘yung pain ni Marga, so dinagdagan ko lang ng what I think she should’ve said sa eksena niya na ‘yun.”

For Andrea, being part of Kadenang Ginto was life-changing. It opened up a slew of projects and recognition for her. People also loved her even more. “Tinulungan niya ako mabuo ‘yung sarili ko. Pinakamasaya sa akin nagkaroon ako ng recognition. Napansin ako ng marami at maraming naka-appreciate sa akin after Kadenang Ginto. Kontrabida siya pero minahal siya ng mga tao,” she said about the show and her character.

Be mesmerized by Andrea’s charisma and acting prowess all over again in Huwag Kang Mangamba, airing weeknights on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, and A2Z.