Bea Alonzo (center) with GMA 7 executives Annette Gozon-Valdes and Lilybeth Rasonable
One of the first people Bea Alonzo talked to after finalizing her transfer to GMA 7 was John Lloyd Cruz.
“I was very happy. Supportive si John Lloyd, ah! He wished me luck and congratulated me,” she said of her friend and perennial screen partner, who’s rumored to also follow suit.
In fact, around the same time of Bea’s contract signing at the Edsa Shangri-La hotel on July 1, GMA 7 executives had a meeting with John Lloyd via Zoom—presumably to discuss the blocktime sitcom Willie Revillame is set to produce for the actor on the Kapuso network.
“I was told that Miss Annette (Gozon-Valdes, GMA Films president) had a call with John Lloyd, so they had me over so I could say ‘hi.’ Direk Bobot (Mortiz) was there, too. We joked around. ‘Ano, dito ka na rin daw? And he was just laughing,” she said.
“I asked him if he plans to have me on his sitcom. He better, kasi magtatampo ako kung hindi. And he joked that if I were to make a guest appearance, there should be no one else in the cast.”
Was John Lloyd a deciding factor in Bea’s decision? “Official na ba? Baka sinusundan niya ako,” she jested. Seriously, though, Bea insisted that she isn’t privy to the details of whatever negotiations John Lloyd may have with GMA 7.
“Honestly, I didn’t talk to him when I was in the process of dealing with my new bosses, because I honored the confidentiality of the deal. It was between me and GMA 7,” the 33-year-old star said. “We also didn’t talk about his deal. I don’t know what’s up for him.”
Should that happen in the future, Bea, of course, will be more than willing to reunite with John Lloyd, with whom she worked with in various iconic movies and television series, like “One More Chance” and “Maging Sino Ka Man,” back when they were with ABS-CBN.
Different environment
“Basta kasama si John Lloyd, lagi akong game. I miss working with him. He’s such a brilliant actor, and I love sharing the screen with him. I like the idea of working together in an entirely different environment with new people. I’m curious to see what the output would be like,” she said.
While she’s open to trying different concepts with John Lloyd, Bea believes that, at the end of the day, she will always choose to go back to her core—drama. “Ang ganda lang because doing a series is still a possibility… Siguro, ayaw ng tadhana paghiwalayin kami,” she surmised.
However the chips may fall, one thing will remain certain: their friendship and genuine concern for each other. “I’m happy I got to talk to him. But even without talking to him, I know that he cares about me. And I care about him deeply,” she said. “And I know that we will be happy for each other’s new life chapters, even if we’re not together.”
The nonrenewal of ABS-CBN’s broadcasting franchise last year forced not a few Kapamilya talents to seek projects elsewhere. But of all the stars who have transferred to GMA 7, Bea was undoubtedly the biggest and most surprising.
‘It feels right’
Bea herself didn’t foresee this turn of events. “It’s something that wouldn’t have occurred to me years ago. Now, I’m entering a new chapter, and I feel very empowered,” said the actress, who’s now under veteran manager Shirley Kuan after 18 years with Star Magic. “And to be honest, it came to me at the right time. It feels right.”
The actress will fly to the United States in a few days for a vacation and to recharge herself. But once she returns later this year, she will head straight to work.
First in line for her is an undisclosed primetime series, which she could only describe as a “dream project.” She’s also expected to make the rounds of various Kapuso shows.
Life can be full of surprises. And as “scary” change can sometimes be, Bea realized that it can also be “beautiful.”
Excerpts from Bea’s virtual chat with the entertainment press:
What was going through your head when you signed the contract?
To be honest, I was very excited … as if I was starting all over again… It’s surreal. I’m touched by the nice welcome event they have prepared for me. I’m also nervous. But the more I do interviews, the more I get excited.
What was the process like?
It took a lot of months. Everyone knows that this past year has been challenging for all of us. And it gave me time to reflect and think about things in life, about how I want to move on.
I’m ready to chase more dreams—and not just in acting. I feel this time, I want to discover more about myself, say exploring the idea of having a talk show.
I’m ready to be more open to different things. What I have realized during the pandemic is to take on new possibilities and challenges.
