Actress Kristin Bauer once told Manila Standard that many actors in Hollywood are discovered only after 20 years of playing numerous roles. She was also referring to her career which started in 1994 but was only given a big break and became a household name when she became part of HBO’s hit vampire series, True Blood.
In case of Alessandra de Rossi, who started out in showbiz 20 years ago being part of the support cast in the fantasy film Magic Kingdom and as a member of the extended cast for paranormal TV drama Oka Tokat, her recent resurgence validated what Bauer described as an actor’s second coming in the entertainment business.
While many of today’s A-List stars have been in the business since they were fresh-faced teens, or, in the case of Alessandra, since she was a child actor, not every star got their start so early. In fact, some of the biggest names in showbiz only got to where they are after putting in years and years of struggle.
As one of the underrated actors in local showbiz, Alessandra has starred in around 50 television shows and over 40 films, has won 4 acting awards as a lead actress and 5 trophies as a supporting actress. And yet, people view her nothing more than a character actress who fades in the background when fans decided who should be in the limelight. Then came the surprise hit Kita Kita, the indie film that is now breaking local box office records.
The romantic flick, made with only a P10 million budget, took in P100 million after eight days, despite stiff competition from Hollywood offerings such as Spider-Man: Homecoming, Dunkirk, and Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.
Glowing reviews, with many noting the lead cast’s perfect chemistry as an unlikely couple, the film’s stunning locations, and the film’s simple nonlinear plot, had translated to a strong turnout, resulting in Kita Kita earning more and breaking its own record week on week.
As of this writing, the rom-com produced by Spring Films – spearheaded by Joyce Bernal, Erickson Raymundo, and Piolo Pascual– makers of the hit Kimmy Dora series and Relaks It’s Just Pag-ibig, has earned more than P 240 million and now holds the distinction as the highest grossing indie film putting TBA’s period war drama, Heneral Luna in second place.
Just like how John Arcilla became a pop icon after the success of Heneral Luna, Alessandra’s career seems to have been revitalized as she’s getting all the attention after Kita Kita’s commercial success. In fact, words are spreading that Spring Films is gearing up for another movie that will star the 33-year-old actress alongside her leading man Empoy Marquez.
“May naririnig akong chismis na Iceland ang next nating gagawin so sana, sana. Bakit naman hindi? Pero iyon nga ang maganda sa amin ganito lang kami masaya lang,” she said in a recent interview.