Just when Roxanne Barcelo is beginning to get comfortable with being a sought-after character actress comes a lead role in a dream project with her real-life sweetheart, Will Devaughn.
“Will and I were actually working on a different project, an action film with Glaiza de Castro when ‘I Found My Heart in Santa Fe’ landed on our laps,” Roxanne told InterAksyon in a recent interview.
Not only did the light-hearted romantic comedy appeal to Roxanne and Will, the very idea of filming in scenic Santa Fe in Bantayan Island, Cebu was a no-brainer for the couple. They accepted the project and even decided to co-produce it as well.
In the film, Roxanne plays Jennifer, the cranky manager of a family-owned resort who encounters Viktor, a German tourist who is not only trying to get over a recent heartbreak but is also searching for the mother he never knew.
With its drone shots, the film is as much as a showcase for the tourist magnet that is Santa Fe as of Roxanne’s talent both as an actress and a singer.
While the role of Jennifer does not require her to sing, Roxanne did record songs for the film’s soundtrack, a cover of Jane Olivor’s hit ballad from the 1970s, “Morning, Noon and Nighttime,” and Roxanne’s own “Morena,” an original dance tune that she co-wrote.
“This is what I really want to happen, to marry music and cinema. It’s a big step for me not just to be part of a film’s main cast but also as its leading lady. At the same time, I also get to share a song that promotes morena beauty,” she enthused.
But even with a feel-good script and a breathtaking location, both Roxanne and Will discovered that working with each other is not a walk in the park. Roxanne admits that there were times when the stress got the better of them, resulting in what she calls “minor fights” between them.
“We didn’t get enough sleep, we were tired so sometimes it got to us. But throughout the shoot, we acted very professional and set aside our issues with each other. And after a while we were okay again. That’s what happens when the basis of one’s relationship is friendship,” she shared.
It certainly doesn’t hurt that Roxanne and Will have been together for four years and are not going to allow petty quarrels to ruin what they have. As a matter of fact, they already see themselves spending the rest of their lives with each other and are thinking of finally tying the knot in 2019.
But for now, the couple’s focus is their respective careers. For Roxanne, 2017 has been a particularly busy year. In addition to “I Found My Heart in Santa Fe,” the actress also wrapped up work for two films scheduled for international release.
One is Anthony Diaz V’s “The Way of the Cross” where she plays a pivotal role. The other is Victor Soberano’s “Blood Hunters: Rise of the Hybrids” where she plays another lead role.
And yes, Roxanne is also currently one of the most hated women on primetime television. In the ABS-CBN primetime teleserye “Wildflower,” Roxanne plays Natalie, one of the antagonists who make life difficult for lead star Maja Salvador.
“Whether it’s a lead or supporting role, I very much welcome the idea of playing a character that is not myself or far from who I really am,” she declared.
“My character in ‘Wildflower’ is not your usual kontrabida. I love playing her because she has different type of strength and confidence that I thought is empowering. She knows exactly what she wants, is very decisive, willing to do anything to achieve her goal.”
As for the feedback she gets for her portrayal, Roxanne says two kinds of reactions particularly stand out. “There are those who hate Natalie and there are those who want to be Natalie. I’m one of those who want to be like Natalie,” she added.
Wanting to be a strong woman is certainly not a bad thing at all. At this stage of her career, Roxanne is grabbing the bull by the horns. It’s about time, too.
Directed by Bona Fajardo who also co-wrote the story and screenplay with Erick Castro and Bianka Bernabe, “I Found My Heart in Santa Fe” is produced by BluArt Productions and is the first brand-new film under the Cine Lokal undertaking of the Film Development Council of the Philippines and SM Cinema.
The film is now showing at SM Cinemas in Megamall, North EDSA, Fairview, Southmall, Mall of Asia, Bacoor, Iloilo and Cebu.
