For Francine Diaz, her role of Joy in “Huwag Kang Mangamba” proved tougher to portray than her previous role of Cassie in “Kadenang Ginto.”

Diaz admitted she went through a struggle in playing Joy who was initially rebellious.

“Mas nahirapan ako kay Joy. Kumbaga, isa na ‘yung personality niya na mabait siya, palaban siya pero hindi siya sobrang palaban,” Diaz said when asked which role she enjoyed better, during the online press conference for the finale of the ABS-CBN series “Huwag Kang Mangamba,” Oct. 25.

(I find Joy harder to play. That is, her personality is one thing, she’s kind, she’s a fighter, but she’s not that intense.)

She recalled that Cassie, in her previous ABS-CBN series “Kadenang Ginto,” was very angry in one scene, but she should not appear too angry. It highly contrasts with her “Huwag Kang Mangamba” character Joy, indeed, because Joy can shift from being kind to rebellious, she said. Diaz then recalled one time that Joy cried the whole cycle in the show.

“One time, noong medyo patapos na ‘yung lock-in namin, parang isang buong cycle namin ay umiiyak lang si Joy as in umaga hanggang gabi ay umiiyak lang siya. Nahihirapan ako doon kasi minsan nauubusan na ako ng luha, nauubusan na ako ng paghuhugutan kasi paulit-ulit na lang, eh. Na-drain ako sa kanya nang sobra,” she recalled.

(One time, as our lock-in was about to end, it’s like we had one whole cycle where Joy was just crying, as in from morning until night, she was just crying. I found it hard because I ran out of tears, I was running out of places where to pull out my emotions, because it’s just the same thing over and over. I was so drained by her.)

francine diaz — Image: Instagram/@francinediaz

“Medyo nahirapan akong bitawan si Joy. Masyado siyang na-attach sa akin,” she said of her Joy role. (I found it difficult to let go of Joy. She got too attached to me.)

But she admits that she learned many things from her Joy character. One of these is to trust the Lord and never to doubt Him. At the same time, she worries that her fans might imitate what her character does.

“Kasi may mga gawain si Joy na hindi niya na-re-realize na hindi na tama. Natakot ako na baka magaya iyon ng mga bata,” the actress said. (Joy does things she doesn’t realize to be wrong. I’m concerned that kids might imitate them.)

“Huwag Kang Mangamba” is airing its last three weeks via Kapamilya Channel, A2Z, TV5, TFC, Kapamilya Online Live, iWant TFC, WeTV and iFlix. It also stars Diaz’s fellow “Kadenang Ginto” alum, Andrea Brillantes. JB

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