FEBRUARY 2013:LJ REYES

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This is a lot different from yourpakpak shoot in 2009—the first time you appeared on our cover. Were you surprised at how today’s photos turned out?
Actually, hindi—and oo. Confidentkasi ako with the team, and si Doc Marlon gusto ko talaga siyangphotographer. Pero hindi naman ako nag-expect na, uy, sobrang ganda pala yung kakalabasan ng photos. Every time I do a pictorial I’m pulled both ways, may kaba at excitement.

Did anyone tell you that you were going to be taking your panties off in the water, though?
Hindi! Ha ha ha! Naging spontaneouskasi ang lahat. Pinadalhan niyo naman ako ng pegs pero naging spontaneousyung shoot. Nung nasa water nga kami, sabi ni Eds [the stylist], “Ibaba ko ha?” Ako naman, “Okay.” “Baba ko pa kaunti.” “Okay.” “Baba ko pa…” “Okay.” Okay lang ako nang okay, kasi comfortable ako with the people around. Pero siguro kung iba yung mga tao, baka hindi rin ganoon yung kinalabasan.

The rest of the staff who didn’t need to go in the water were freezing from the Antipolo winds, so we can only imagine how you must’ve felt.
Cold! Lamig na lamig talaga ako dun! Pero mas malamig actually nung pinaahon na ako sa tubig at pinahiga sa ground sa tabi ng natural pool.

We think part of the reason we’re surprised at how much of adiyosa you ended up looking like in this shoot is because back in 2009 you were just 22.
Oo, bagets!

And now, motherhood and four years later they say mas blooming ka. Would you attribute this to maturity?
Well, feeling ko, like for example yung shoot kanina, it’s a mixture of maturity and familiarity, kaya mas komportable na akong gumalaw. Before kasi, pinapaalala nga ni Doc na sumisigaw pa ako bago yung shoot,pampawala ng kaba. Halos maiyak na ako sa kaba. Pero ngayon, wala lang. Naglalakad lang ako, tapos—ay, nakikitaan na pala ako! Ha ha! Parang wala na sa akin.

Unlike other artistas, we also can’t pin your “image” to a specific box, you even look so much different from when we saw you last.
Well, um… Bakit nga ba? Siguro dahil nagkaroon ako ng baby? I think more than that. When you grow older,yung experiences mo, things that you learn from different people that you meet, it molds you. So from my first cover in 2009 and then ngayon, yung experiences na yun, pinaghalo-halo mo, pinagsama-sama mo, as it accumulates, nagiging ganoon ka. Kaya right now, yung experiences ko has produced this, eto na ako ngayon.

You were saying earlier that you’ve never really had pa-tweetums roles to start with, but you aren’t also just the pa-sexy lang type. How would you want to be seen?
Siguro I just want to be an actress lang. As in, gusto ko marami akong magawang  magagandang films that I will be proud of, mga projects and TV shows, yung kaya kong mag-shift ng hitsura in an instant.

What kind of films will these be?
It will range from comedy, to drama, to action. Andami kong gustong i-try sobra. Sa sobrang dami kong gustong gawin, wala akong isang dream role lang. I want to try a lot of things, like gusto ko gumawa ngsomething like Shutter Island ni Leo DiCaprio. Gusto ko ring mag-rom-com. Andami kong gustong gawin, sobrang dami.

What projects are you busy with now?
I’m doing something with GMA, pero hindi siya teleserye. Ano siya, sa news, GMA News TV. Para siyang… you know how, yung HBO naglalabas sila ng originals nila—HBO original series? Yung GMA News and Current affairs mayroon silang gagawing similar in line with the elections. I don’t know if I’m allowed to say it na, pero basta yun, I’ll be part of it.

Last time we did the shoot was December, which was...
…my birth month! Yes.

And now it’s for February. Are you the type who celebrates Valentine’s?
Minsan kasi mahirap para sa schedule namin. Kailangang mag-adjust. Minsan lumilipas na yung holiday bago ma-celebrate, wala ng time. But of course, you will find time. Hindi ako mahilig mag-celebrate nang bonggang-bongga. Very simple akong tao. Simple celebration lang.

Mahirap ka bang i-date?
I-date? Hindi ’no! Fishball lang puwede na! Ha ha ha! Kasi ako naman, it’s not where you go, it’s what you do,yung buong experience, enjoying what you do with that person. Hindi ko gustong dalhin mo ako sa isang fancy restaurant and we have nothing to talk about, and I don’t laugh at your jokes. No, hindi ako mage-enjoy, ayoko nang ganung date.

How should our readers be taking their women out on Valentine’s?
Siyempre ang girls, iba-iba. So for me, just know what your girl likes and what she doesn’t. Ang bilis-bilis ma-please ng girls. We’re very sensitive and emotional. So i-touch mo lang yung likes niya, okay na yan. 

And in the bedroom?
I think, um… Ha ha ha! Nakakatawa ’to. Hindi naman grabeng adventurous, pero siguro…um, don’t be boring.