ACTRESS Jodi Sta. Maria, who will star in the Philippine version of the BBC drama series “Dr. Foster,” has added another feather to her cap.
According to an article in Inquirer.net, the 39-year-old television and film fan favorite announced her graduation from college, earning a Psychology degree from Southville International School and Colleges.
“I dreamt of finishing my schooling ever since I entered show business and today, after more than a decade, marks the fulfillment of that dream. After [four] long years, I am here graduating from college,” Sta. Maria was quoted as saying via her Instagram page.
She also posted a few pictures of herself in her graduation gear, which showed that she earned a Dean’s Merit from her school.
Jodi was really bent on finishing her studies and thanked God, her friends, her management team and her teachers who supported her during her college life.
“In school, whenever I faced a seemingly insurmountable task, I’d always push myself and say ‘it can be done.” [I] kept holding on to His promise that I can do all things through Him who gave me strength and supplied me with more than I needed according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus,” she said, in referencing her faith and what she felt was God’s presence during her college journey.
She also has a message for her fans: “Remember, it is never too late, and you are never too old to reach your stars.”
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Director Erik Matti, producer Dondon Monteverde and Andres Bonifacio’s great-granddaughter Susan Meyer believe they have found the perfect actor to portray the revolutionary leader and Katipunan co-founder.
According to the Philippine Star, a media statement sent by the trio announced that they have handpicked Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso to portray Bonifacio in a legacy project that will be produced under the Regal Entertainment banner.
The parallels between the lives of Mayor Domagoso and Bonifacio are what compelled both Matti and Monteverde to offer the role to the former, calling him “a perfect choice because aside from their physical resemblance, both were theater actors who hailed from Tondo, Manila. And just like Moreno, the hero’s father, Santiago Bonifacio, was a former Manila mayor.”
Meyer also approved the casting of Mayor Domagoso, stating, “Alam kong maka-Bonifacio si Yorme at nadarama din niya ang mga ipinaglaban ni Lolo Andres noon… Sa tingin ko magaling din siya umarte. Hindi ko lang alam kung magaling siya sa action.”
Before the announcement, other actors who were said to be in the running included Dingdong Dantes, Coco Martin, Jericho Rosales, Alden Richards and current Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto.
According to Matti, who directed the Anne Curtis 2018 crime thriller “BuyBust,” the film will differ from previous films that have depicted Bonifacio who is known as the “Father of the Philippine Revolution.”
“When we heard the details in Bonifacio’s life that we only heard for the first time, Dondon and I got interested. We’re interested in bringing to light new and fascinating details about a national hero that have not been depicted in the past, hoping that we could understand Bonifacio better than before,” Matti explained.
“We want to be able to tell a story about Bonifacio that hasn’t been taught in schools and has never been seen in the many Bonifacio movies made in the past. And we want to make this particular Bonifacio movie relevant to the year 2021,” he added.
There is no word yet whether Mayor Domagoso has accepted the offer. His last appearances were in the film “3pol Trobol: Huli Ka Balbon!” and cameo appearance in the 24th anniversary special of “Bubble Gang.”
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The rigodon of talents and executives among the major television networks is nothing new.
The latest rumor circulating in the industry is that former Kapamilya/Star Magic heads Johnny Manahan, known as Mr. M, and Mariole Alberto are heading to GMA Network.
It is speculated that Mr. M, who is close to Willie Revillame, will be allegedly part of the comedian/TV host/singer’s production firm, WBR Entertainment Productions. Revillame hosts GMA Network’s popular variety/game show “Wowowin.”
Manahan has often been linked to news items about an impending transfer to the Kapuso fold. Earlier this year, the man who has been responsible behind the successful careers of Piolo Pascual, Bea Alonzo, Liza Soberano, Enrique Gil, Kathryn Bernardo, Daniel Padilla, among many others, told journalists that he simply wants to rest and have a life which is why he left ABS-CBN after having spent more than three decades there.
He has received other offers after having retired from the Kapamilya network, but told journalists that being a freelancer is better for him as “it will be an easier job for him with less expectations.”
Mr. M doesn’t rule out the opportunity to work for another network though, especially as he is a free agent.
“But that doesn’t mean that I’ve ruled it out. Kasi pwedeng mangyari yun,” Manahan told media in that same forum.
Manahan was most recently affiliated with Brightlight Productions which produced the “Sunday Noontime Live” show for TV5, although the show lasted only for three months.
