Those who have been following local show business in the 2000s are surely familiar with Katherine Luna, one of the prominent award-winning indie actresses of her generation. Thus, many are truly pleased to see her return to acting after around a decade away from the limelight, this time as NCIA Agent Pia Catacutan, the tough, domineering, and spiteful character in "Coco Martin’s Sigabo."
Two months after the well-loved primetime series premiered, CCM Film Productions caught up with Katherine for this exclusive behind-the-scenes interview.
When asked about the things she'd learned so far from their directors, which include lead star Coco Martin, she related, "Hindi ko rin naman magagawa 'to kung hindi dahil sa kanila. Kasi ginu-guide din talaga nila ako nang husto and ang dami rin nilang mga advice [at] suggestion na sinasabi or shinashare sa akin. Kaya 'yon, sobra-sobra akong thankful."
Then she added, "Noong simula, akala ko talaga mahihirapan ako dahil ilang taon din akong hindi umarte tapos kontrabida role pa agad! Eh first time kong ginawa 'tong kontrabida role. Hindi ko talaga akalain na magugustuhan ng mga tao. Salamat talaga sa mga direktor ko. Maraming, maraming salamat talaga."
Since Pia is her first-ever antagonist role, she was asked about the preparations she had made for the character. Katherine remarked that it actually depends on the character, sharing that among the things she did was watch series and/or movies featuring characters who were either similar to Pia or closely resembled her, using them as pegs for her portrayal.
Although she had been away from showbiz for quite some time, and it was her first time acting on television again—not to mention playing a kontrabida—Katherine confessed that she finds it amazing how acting still comes naturally to her, as she automatically gets into character the moment their unit director says "Action!" She admitted that there are actually instances when she feels like she isn't getting it right. But once the finished scene was viewed, she receives positive and encouraging feedback, yet she still can't believe that she was able to pull it off.
With regard to where she draws inspiration and strength as an actor, Katherine said that it comes from none other than her beloved children. She conveyed, "Humuhugot ako, syempre, sa mga anak ko, na kakayanin ko lahat. Ibibigay ko 'yong best ko para sa future nila."
Katherine wrapped up the interview by expressing gratitude to everyone who has been showing their support to her. "Sa lahat ng patuloy na sumusuporta sa akin, taos-puso po akong nagpapasalamat sa inyo. Napakalaking tulong, napakalaking bagay 'yong ginagawa n'yo para sa akin," she enthusiastically conveyed.
Aside from her interview, this exclusive video from CCM Film Productions also includes off-cam clips of some of her scenes, such as Pia’s heated spat with Sam (Julia Montes) and Pia’s covert conspiracy with Victor "Tigre" Zafra (JM de Guzman).
Watch out for Katherine Luna as Pia Catacutan in the upcoming episodes of "Coco Martin’s Sigabo," weeknights at 8:00 PM on ABS-CBN sa ALLTV2, Kapamilya Channel, TV5, A2Z, and Kapamilya Online Live (KOL), or stream it anytime on iWant!
Sigabo: Pia, sinimulan nang hamunin sa trabaho si Sam | Episode 8
Sigabo: Sam, pormal nang pinatawan ng suspensyon sa NCIA | Episode 29
Sigabo: Gabo at Sam, determinadong mahanap si Tigre | Episode 12