Actress Lovi Poe was blooming in pink and was a vision of happiness and contentment when she entered the room at Club Filipino where Regal Entertainment’s Roselle Monteverde, her manager Leo Dominguez, and some select members of the entertainment press were waiting for her to arrive. She signed a fresh contract with Regal, the film company that she considers her first home.
“You will receive a thousand ‘nos,’ but it’s always the first ‘yes’ that matters. Regal paved the way for me in show business and until now, I just feel the love from them. Am grateful to be part of this family,” Lovi said of her ties with the film outfit.
As she signs a new movie contract with Regal, Lovi felt like it was going back to her roots. It was Mother Lily Monteverde and her daughter Roselle who were among the very first who believed in Lovi’s potential to become a star. It was also with Regal that Lovi was able to hone her dramatic talent. She lists Jerrold Tarog’s Aswang, Cris Martinez’s adaptation of Temptation Island, Jun Lana’s My Neighbor’s Wife, and her team up with Derek Ramsay in The Escort and with Vhong Navarro in Woke up like this as some of her memorable films.
“I’m grateful to Mother Lily and to Ms. Roselle for their trust and confidence in me, and another thing that I am thankful for is that they help me grow as an artist,” Lovi stated adding that as a sign of Regal’s unparalleled support to her career, the film outfit has developed her story concept into a full-length movie.
The forthcoming project is entitled Seasons, which marks her first team-up with actor Carlo Aquino. Shot entirely in Ilocos and directed by Easy Ferrer, Lovi is equally excited about the plans of the film being turned into a limited series, too.
“It was from my idea, and I worked with Ms. Roselle closely to develop it. Regal is very open to collaborating with me, as Seasons is my very first story that was made into a film,” she said.
“When our director sent me the OBB (opening billboard) and I saw there ‘Concept by Lovi Poe,’ I felt kilig. I think it’s the start, I’ve always dreamed of writing my own script but I’m really scared to do it. I basically have a notebook of my concepts, scenes of movies that I wanted to do and I’m just waiting for that push that Regal did. So, I guess there’s more to come,” she added.
Since transferring networks in 2021, the actress has become occupied with numerous projects including an international film with Hollywood actor Alex Pettyfer, The Chelsea Cowboy, which started shooting late last year, and a television project with Piolo Pascual, the forthcoming series, Flower of Evil, an adaptation of a Korean drama.
“There’s just so much growth. It’s been a crazy ride for me because I have been making decisions that make me push myself even more, make me learn. Stepping out of my conform zone is a big thing and transition is not an easy process, but I guess I would like to give myself a pat on the back for making myself happy where I am at right now,” she ended.