 Cherie Gil: How the talented character actress triumphed over kontravida stereotype.
Interview by Tinna S. Bonifacio
Photo Courtesy of Women's Journal
She comes from showbiz's equivalent of royalty. Daughter to Eddie Mesa and Rosemarie Gil, and sister to award-winning actors Michael de Mesa and Mark Gil, Cherie Gil is one of the finest actresses in the Philippines and is acknowledged as one of the best kontrabidas ever produced.
Who can forget her iconic turn as the villainess Lavinia in Bituing Walang Ningning, where she uttered that memorable line--”You're nothing but a second-rate, trying-hard copycat!”--before emptying her glass of water in Sharon Cuneta's face?
Now, she's even branched out into theater, playing another kontrabida role, but this time, on the stage. Cherie is cast as Sister Aloysius in Atlantis Productions' staging of Doubt, the Pulitzer, Tony and Drama Desk award-winning play by John Patrick Shanley. (The play runs from June 2 to 24, with performances on Friday and Saturday evenings, at the RCBC Theater in Makati).
Her career has spanned 35 years of fine, first-rate performances on stage and screen—how does Cherie Gil do it? Here, from one of the Philippines' finest actresses, are words of wisdom and advice that works.
How did you get started in showbiz?
It actually started when I was nine years old. I started as a child actress in the movie Cofradia, which starred my sister-in-law Gina [Alajar]. Then when I was a teenager, I mentored under Elwood Perez at Regal Films, where I did my breakout movie, Problem Child in 1981. I was only 14 years old then.
How did you get typecasted in all these kontrabida roles?
I really don't know (laughs). I think it started with all these Sharon [Cuneta] films. I did Bituing Walang Ningning, then it went on from there.
Is it difficult to be typecasted as a kontrabida?
It's gotten in the way of my day-to-day life in that sometimes, people think I'm a kontrabida in real life. When I'm at work, I even have to try hard to get people to relax in my presence.
You're starring in a play again, your first serious, full-length play since 1983's Barefoot in the Park. You're doing Doubt, which is about a priest who is suspected of getting a little too close to his male students. What's it like being back in the theater?
I'm so scared [about being back in the theater]. This is a whole different thing. In theater, you can't call a cut. Every word, every phrase, needs to be thought out. It's very tiring that way.
You, scared? You mean after 35 years as an actor, you still feel that way sometimes?
Yes. This play is the most difficult thing I've done in my 35 years in the business. When I got the script, I felt very, very pressured, but at the same time, I was also very challenged creatively. That's why I wanted to do it.
What's your character, Sister Aloysius, like?
She comes into the play very strong, very rigid, very close-minded. But it's not a kontrabida role in the usual sense. She's just righteous and sticks to what she believes in. She's very devoted to the truth, and a bit of a rightist, in fact.
Who inspired you to go into showbiz and to make a career out of it?
I guess you could say my family, not so much in terms of the career, but more in terms of the [long-term] planning. We're not really here for a career. It's more that we're here because this is what we love to do. Because if you call it a career, it means you're already making it your profession. The decision-making process should start even before the career comes in. You've got to be true to yourself. There are so many people in the business who are there merely for economic reasons, and not because they have the passion for it.
Was being born into a family like yours—a family of actors—a source of pressure for you, career-wise?
No. I was proud. Especially when I was starting, it was an ace up my sleeve. There was never a sense of competition in our family, only support. Even now, I'm proud to be an Eigenmann. It's like being royalty.
Some of your nephews, like Geoff Eigenmann, are already following in your footsteps. What advice would you give to young people who want to make a career in showbiz?
Like I said, it should start even before the career. You've got to be true to yourself. You have to make sure you can be dedicated to it. Make sure you know everything there is to know about your craft. First, find out if you have it, then hone it. It's also important to realize that it doesn't happen overnight. You also have to take care of your talent, because when God gives you something like that and you don't take care of it, He can take it away, just like that.
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