Nova Villa scores 1st lead role as movie actress
Actress finally gets her long overdue break
Veteran star Nova Villa was on cloud nine after seeing her debut movie as lead actress for the first time last Tuesday, August 5 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
The 67-year-old actress showed a range of emotions the way her character did in Real Florido’s “1st Ko Si 3rd” when she attended the gala screening at the jampacked Aurelio Tolentino Theater. She was nervous in the beginning, tearing up towards the end and on cloud nine after the audience loudly applauded her for a movie she can finally call her own.
“I can’t believe na gumawa ako ng solo,” she told Yahoo Philippines right after the screening. “Dati lagi lang akong leading lady.”
While the movie might’ve been 50 years overdue, Nova believes it’s never too late for a veteran like her to land a lead role.
"Oo, no? Sa ganitong edad ibinigay. I’m so happy. Hindi talaga ako makapaniwala."
‘Zero memory’
Attending the premiere of her first lead project is so surreal for Nova everything she did in the movie skipped her memory the moment she stepped on stage to thank the moviegoers.
"Tinapos ko ang pelikula, hindi ko matandaan kung ano ‘yung mga ginawa ko. Kaya wala akong natatandaan doon sa mga scenes not unless panoorin ko ngayon. Ganoon na lang ang nerbyos ko.”
'Chicks to Chicks’ fame
The said Cinemalaya new breed movie reprises her classic love team with Freddie Webb. The onscreen couple lasted almost 14 years on TV (1977 to 1991) via the sitcoms “Chicks to Chicks” and “Chika Chika Chicks.”
Nova and Freddie are not their famed TV characters Jimmy and Inez Capistrano in the movie though. “1st Ko Si 3rd” tells the story of Cory, a 65-year-old woman reunited with her first love, Third.
The former senator said the success of their reunion project is all because of Nova.
"She surpassed the expectations of a lot of people. She would show you the reality of being happy and the agony of sadness. Doon pinakita niya ‘yun sapagkat ang buhay niya ay isang roller coaster ride."
Captain ball and water boy
Freddie conceded that Nova stood out in the movie—she being the “captain ball," while he’s the “water boy."
“Nova is somebody I respect,” he said, sharing that his friendship with the actress remained beyond their hit TV show: "Dinala ni Nova ang pelikula.”
