“’Pag nagtanim ka ng seed, hindi naman agad-agad may makikita. Bigyan mo siya ng time. Water it every now and then kung kailangan. Be patient and eventually you’ll see it,” said Jane Oineza.
The conversation wasn’t about her being a plantita or something of that sort. She’s talking about dreams, the seeds of which she started planting as a child star and now she sees in full bloom. Finally, the seed has borne its first of many fruits. And it’s spicy, juicy, irresistible – in the form of her first lead teleserye role.
“I’m super happy kasi ang tagal ko siyang sinimulan pero ngayon ko nakikita ‘yung mga results ng dating-dati ko pa nasimulan. Natutuwa naman ako. Kaya, sabi ko, I have to pat myself at the back kasi alam ko naman na hindi siya naging madali. I had to go through a lot of trial and error,” she looked back.
“I’m still a work in progress pero I have to give myself a pat on the back for the achievements that I got.”
Jane is finally headlining her first series, titled “Nag-Aapoy Na Damdamin,” a collaboration between ABS-CBN and TV5. “It’s about revenge, power, ego. It’s about who’s telling the truth and who’s lying. How well do you know the person you love?”
Asked why the title “Nag-Aapoy Na Damdamin,” she answered, “Kasi lahat ng feelings – galit, love, betrayal, revenge – lahat ‘yan magpapaapoy ng damdamin.”
“Kukulo ‘yung dugo mo but at the same time maiinitan ka,” she laughed. “Paiinitin namin ang hapon ninyo.”
If you think the story is a rehash of old teleserye plots, you’re wrong. It’s something exciting, mind-boggling, and out-of-the-box. For one thing, Jane plays dual characters, quadruple even as she hinted at her living characters’ alter-egos. Thus, when asked which trait her character has that she likes most, she teased, “Sino sa kanila?”
She is Olivia, the wife of Lucas played by Tony Labrusca, and at the same time, she portrays Claire, the wife of Philip played by JC De Vera. These two characters, apart from her mental alter-egos are different yet the same. Sounds complicated, right? That’s why Jane had to dive deep into each of them through research and in-depth discussions with the creatives until they arrived at solid character arcs. She revealed that Claire is devoted and caring, so much so that she remains quiet even when she’s betrayed, while Olivia has an intriguing past.
The cast is a mix of strangers and old friends that she’s already got to work with in previous projects. But everyone got along well in an instant. “I’m blessed to be with this team,” said Jane, who went on to describe her co-stars individually.
‘Gigil’ was the first word to pop up in her mind when asked about Tony, saying that they’re long past the stage of awkwardness and shyness. It’s their third time working together, and Jane is a witness to Tony’s humility, honesty, and thirst for improvement, which she truly appreciates. She said that Tony is never scared to ask for help, paving the way for effective teamwork.
Meanwhile, she gushed about JC’s gentlemanly ways. “JC is such a decent guy. I feel comfortable working with him,” she added that they’ve already done some intense scenes but there are a lot more in the script. She’s just excited.
Completing the main cast is Ria Atayde, who, based on the trailer, is Jane’s ultimate nemesis. But in real life, they’re like sisters and she’s one of the reasons why Jane enjoys work. “Sobrang happy ko na magkasama ulit kami ni Ria. From ‘Cattleya Killer,’ tumawid kami dito,” she smiled. “Nakakatuwa na makatrabaho ang best friend mo in real life kasi tulungan din talaga, but at the same time, meron kang ka-chikahan, ka-bonding. Excited din ako sa scenes namin together.”
The cast of “Nag-Aapoy Na Damdamin” maintains strong teamwork through communication. Jane and Ria, for example, made a pact to be honest with each other in terms of portrayals, as they must differentiate their characters in “Cattleya Killer” from the ones they play in “Nag-Aapoy Na Damdamin.”
“Whatever happens, we would talk to each other. Mahabang process ito. Maraming pwedeng mangyari, maraming intense scenes. So, sa amin lang is to open up to each other and help each other when we can,” shared Jane of Ria and their other co-stars. “It makes the scene easier ‘pag nakapag-usap kayo. Kapag comfortable kayo sa isa’t isa, kapag alam mo na safe ka, mas makakagalaw ka, hindi ka conscious.”
The amount of trust they share as a team also helps in mounting intimate scenes. Jane said that apart from listening to instructions, she prepares by maintaining her workout routine and taking care of herself, so she can feel more confident. Speaking of confidence, she advised fellow females to accept who they are, because who they are is more than enough and amazing.
Apart from ego, the series also touches on revenge. In keeping with this theme, Jane was asked about the deepest revenge she’s done in her life. She said that revenge could also mean proving her doubters wrong. “Kahit anong gawin n’yo, it’s okay. I’ll just show you, parang gano’n. I think that’s the best form of revenge.
After all, “palaban” is how she describes herself. “Ever since naman, talagang never say never. Magbe-break down man, iiyak o kung anuman, pero tuloy lang ang laban.”
Indeed, Jane is determined to prove her dramatic gift in “Nag-Aapoy Na Damdamin.” Catch its pilot episode this July 25, on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, TV5, and A2Z.