Anyone who was a fan of showbiz back in the '90s remembers Ana Roces as this pretty teen idol seen regularly on the youth-oriented variety show That's Entertainment.
Aside from television, Ana was known for being part of movies such as Miss Na Miss Kita (Utol Kong Hoodlum II), Alabang Girls, Mahirap Maging Pogi, Mistah, Kadenang Bulaklak, among many others.
Fans would be happy to know that Ana will soon be seen in Sunny, an adaptation of a South Korean drama-comedy film shown in 2011.
"Siyempre I'm very interested [in the project] kasi nga usung-uso yung mga Koreanovelas. Lahat tayo nanood lalung-lalo na nung lockdown.
"Ako, personally, first time ko talaga manood ng Koreovelas nung nag-lockdown. So, yun, I became curious," Ana told PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) during a set visit recently in Binangonan, Rizal.
TAKEN BACK IN TIME
But what made Ana very excited about Sunny was the chance to work again with her contemporaries, namely, Candy Pangilinan, Sunshine Dizon, Katya Santos, Tanya Garcia, and Vina Morales.
Read: Vina Morales dismisses comparison with Lea Salonga after getting plum role in 'Here Lies Love'
She recounted seeing them during the look test and the atmosphere inside the room.
Ana said, smilingly, "Oo, nung nagkita-kita kami, para kaming mga bata nagsisigawan.
"Daig pa namin yung mga high school. Para kaming, exactly, para kaming mga high school students."
Continued Ana, "Kasi nga yung cast na kasama ko, e, sila rin naman yung kasama ko nung mga bata, nung mga teen stars pa kami, sa Viva rin.
"Parang reunion nga, e. So, parang true to life yung nangyari. In a way, yung mga nakasama ko nung bata pa ako, nung teenager pa ako, nakasama ko ulit ngayon."
GRATEFUL TO FANS
The last time Ana was seen in a movie was in the 2020 comedy film, Pakboys Takusa.
Unfortunately, the movie came out while the country was still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, limiting the promotional activities of the cast to help boost the film's presence.
But with safety protocols now relaxing, Ana finds it more inviting for her to entertain showbiz-related offers that will not sacrifice her time with her family, which is her top priority, of course.
As Ana puts it, "I'm very active being a mom. I have an 18-year-old [Carmela] who is in second-year college now and my 12-year-old son [Mateo] is in high school.
"So, yun, yung day-to-day activities nila keep me preoccupied."
Ana, meanwhile, thanked the public for their continuous support despite her on-off affair with the spotlight.
"Siyempre nakaka-flatter, nakaka-touch, kasi nga, after all these years... Minsan nga, kasi di ba nga pag lumalabas tayo, naka-mask tayo? And inspite wearing a mask nakikilala pa rin tayo," beamed Ana, sounding both proud and humbled.
"So I'm flattered and thankful and grateful na nakikilala niyo pa rin ako after all these years, and thank you so much sa pagmamahal na ibinigay ninyo sa akin."