Barbie Forteza shared her secret technique for delivering effective characterization when working on multiple projects simultaneously, such as the hit soap opera Pulang Araw and the currently showing horror flick P77.
“I use different perfumes for different projects,” she said. “It depends on my character. Like for P77, I used Éclat d’Arpège by Lanvin. The one with a wood note is one of my favorite scents.
“I like the smell of wood or trees. It simply helps me a lot in internalizing my role. It’s like there’s so much character in that particular scent.”
It’s not common for an actor to use perfume as a technique for bringing a character to life.
“I know! But I discovered it when I did the soap Maging Sino Ka Man opposite David (Licauco). Usually, my perfumes are sweet or fresh-scented. If you remember, in that show, I played a male character.
“When I started the role, I had difficulty. I was using a sweet-scented perfume. I was playing the role of a man, and what I smelled was a lady. So that’s when I started exploring other scents.”
Does it help with her characterization?
“Oh, yes it does! Like in that case, at least I didn’t smell anything feminine!”
Interestingly, does she really like perfumes in real life?
“Of course, and nice-smelling people as well!”
Speaking of David, how did she feel headlining a project like P77 without her perennial screen partner?
“I can say it’s fulfilling, knowing all the effort the cast put in just to make it a must-see. I was confident that the outcome would be great—especially now when there’s a challenge in bringing audiences back to theaters.
“I think that’s the strength of our offering. Horror is a more special experience when you watch it in movie houses, since you get to share the scare and everything with other viewers. It’s nice to be part of that experience!”
The award-winning actress admitted that among all the genres she excels in, she finds horror the most difficult.
“That’s right! My last horror project was the potboiler The Road in 2011. It’s a fact that when you’re not doing a certain genre that often, it becomes difficult. The challenge is there. So with P77, it’s pressuring and challenging, but at the same time fulfilling as an artist,” Barbie said.
