Music plays an important role in the life of Cherry Pie Picache. She was able to revive this passion with her guitar and violin playing skills during the quarantine period. No longer is she running out of time for the things she likes, Cherry Pie enjoyed leisure reading, making dishes on a daily basis, and just learning more about life.
She marked her 50th birthday while in lockdown. And unlike other women who prefer keeping their age a secret, Cherry Pie embraces her golden season with gratitude. “We’re still blessed. There’s still so much to be thankful for kahit may masasakit na pangyayari, tuloy lang tayo sa paghahatid ng inspirasyon, kasiyahan at pagmamahal sa ating mga Kapamilya,” she said.
Cherry Pie maintains a positive attitude, fixing her focus on the silverlinings and lessons amidst the crisis. She believes the pandemic is teaching mankind what is truly essential like time spent with loved ones, compassion within the community, faith, and even environmental stewardship. There have been notable improvement in humanity and she hopes this would continue even beyond the pandemic. She would rather call the current situation as ‘temporary normal,’ keeping her faith that an antidote to COVID-19 will be discovered soon and things would go back to what it used to be, even better.
As much as she would like to dwell on optimism, however, Cherry Pie acknowledged that others have it worse. The coronavirus disease resulted in a domino effect on the economy, healthcare, and almost all sectors; thus aggravating the plight of most Filipinos. Yet, bold in her faith, the seasoned actress kept on emphasizing the power of prayers, strong sense of compassion, and little acts of kindness that will eventually create a ripple effect. Cherry Pie further reminded viewers to be mindful of health protocols especially when going out.
Ipaglaban Mo “Hostage”
Her unbreakable inner peace is where Cherry Pie attributes her youthful aura to. She doesn’t keep a complicated skincare regimen, just cleansing and moisturizing already work wonders for her. Besides, she believes looking good in front of her audience is part of her responsibility as an actress.
More than three decades in the industry, Cherry Pie has portrayed almost all kinds of roles, especially ones that revolve around being the antagonist’s mother. The 50-year-old actress doesn’t keep a specific character in her acting bucket list but she would like to be involved in more women-empowering projects like her previous iWant digital series “Call Me Tita,” or perhaps a love story about women her age. She hinted at an exciting project coming out soon. But this does not mean Cherry Pie is bidding mother roles goodbye.
She isn’t picky with acting assignments, especially now that jobs have dried up due to the pandemic. Although she considers several factors like plot and character when taking projects. As much as possible, she wants something that would challenge her artistry and still give her spare time for her son.
There’ve been times when the line-up of co-actors made her reject an offer. “If I feel like it’s not going to be a healthy environment for the both of us, mabuting umiwas na lang kaysa parehong ma-stress,” she admits.
Cherry Pie starred in the Ipaglaban Mo “Hostage” episode which is set for a replay this Sunday, August 2 on Kapamilya Channel. She portrays as one of the factory workers held hostage. Anna Luna, Mon Confiado, Jomari Angeles, and Junjun Quintana are also in the cast.
Even before they shared scenes for Ipaglaban Mo, Cherry Pie was impressed with Anna’s performance in the 2017 independent film “Changing Partners.” She’s also happy to be part of Ipaglaban Mo once again, saying she first starred in the show at 22.
Asked about the challenges encountered on the set, Cherry Pie recalled, “Dahil hostage kami sa warehouse, it was very hot. Doon lang kami naka-confine sa factory. It was really a factory, so talagang iba ang kondisyon, mainit at maalikabok. Physically challenging ‘yung mga takbo-takbo, yuko, tago, iyak but it was fun.”
The story will be relatable to many especially now that the crisis is putting everyone’s sanity to the test. Cherry Pie would like to highlight that violence does not solve a problem, as evil never triumphs in the end. “Sa ngayon, sa hirap ng buhay dahil sa pamilya, pangangailangan, gutom, kung ano-ano nang naiisip pero bago kumapit sa patalim, marami pang paraan ang pwede,” she said.
Yes or No Challenge
Cherry Pie lets us dive deeper into her quirks through this Yes or No Challenge. To kick off the game, she was asked, “Naranasan mo na bang hindi magpalit ng underwear for two days?” The seasoned actress said ‘no.’
Just like most actors, she also experienced getting scolded by a director in front of co-stars and crew, although she likes learning from her directors. She mentioned Direk Chito Rono lambasting her alleged unsatisfactory performance in a scene, and Direk Joel Lamangan getting mad due to tardiness. Without dropping names, Cherry Pie would admit that there are directors who still intimidate her up to this day.
A self-confessed Vilmanian, her ultimate starstruck moment would have to be with the Vilma Santos. She vividly remembers working with the Star for All Seasons for a commercial, then asking her to sign on their poster. Cherry Pie is also a fan of Sharon Cuneta, and most of her colleagues in showbiz, even the younger artists. “Kahit sa mga bata na artista, there are some I really don’t get to work with but when I see them, ‘Ah! Ang ganda niya pala talaga!’ I’m still a fan sa kapwa ko artista. I tell them if I appreciate what they did.”
Cherry Pie revealed that she sometimes tries her luck in the lottery, takes out food from parties, and brings home toothbrushes from hotels. She searches about herself on Google.
Get to know Cherry Pie in this Kapamilya Chat session as she reveals fun facts about herself.