Playing Gabriel Villarosa in “Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin” presented some difficulties for Sam Milby. Sandwiched in a fight between two women, his wife Ellice Ceñidoza-Villarosa played by Iza Calzado and his lover Marissa Pineda played by Jodi Sta. Maria, Milby found his character’s situation complex.

“It was a challenge, I have to admit,” Milby said during the online press conference, March 5, for the finale week of the TV series. “Mas lalo sa umpisa (More so at the start). Making that decision fighting for his love but also nagkamali nga siya (he did make a mistake) with another woman [who is the] best friend [of his wife]. It was quite a challenge in trying to deliver the role.”

Another challenge is the long break after lock-in tapings.

“I have to admit, because of the new normal, hindi dire-diretso ang taping namin so ‘yung mga lock-ins namin, three weeks, one month and then mahaba ‘yung break namin,” he explained. “Sa mahahabang break, it’s hard to get back into the role kapag nag-start uli ng taping. That’s another challenge that I did have.”

(Our tapings were not done in straight days so our lock-ins were three weeks or one month and then we have a long break. [After] the long breaks, it’s hard to get back into the role when the taping starts again.)

The last taping was the ultimate challenge for the actor because after they came back from their break, most scenes were heavy.

“It’s so hard to shoot. ‘Saan galing ‘yung character ko? Kapag dire-diretso ang taping, it’s so much easier kasi you’re going straight through,” Milby added. (Where did my character come from? When the taping is done straight, it’s so much easier because you’re going straight through.)

sam milby ig — Image: Instagram/@samuelmilby

Ultimately, Milby realized that this encourages actors “to really take the time to study and to get back into the character.”

“Ang Sa Iyo Ay Akin,” created by Julie Anne Benitez and Dindo C. Perez, airs Mondays to Fridays at 8:40 p.m. on A2Z channel and TV5. Digital TV box users can scan and look for A2Z channel in Metro Manila and in some parts of Cavite, Laguna, Quezon, Rizal, Bataan, Batangas, Bulacan and Pampanga. JB

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