VETERAN actors Dexter Doria and Tessie Tomas are still at the top of their game, attracting more fans and followers with each new role that they take on, in every new show and project that they commit themselves to. Doria is Susan Burgos, the well-loved and widely-followed character in Abot Kamay ang Pangarap, the highest-rating afternoon series of GMA for many months now. She gives many layers to her role as the doting grandmother to Jillian Ward, and as the assertive mother to Carmina Villaroel, and Doria shifts from tough to tenacious to tender with so much ease and natural grace.
“I am having a grand time on the set of our series. I am grateful that I continue to get wonderful roles that challenge me. I admire the pool of creative GMA talents who continue to come up with well-developed characters and well-written scripts. You know what, I always get excited to go to the set, and I notice that I feel stronger physically and mentally, perhaps because I am productive and because I am happy with this role that was entrusted to me,” she told us during a recent dinner get-together.
Doria has been on a roll after the pandemic, even winning accolades for her outstanding work on film. She scored big wins from many award-giving organizations including her first Gawad Urian trophy last year.
“Acting energizes me. Taking on good roles sharpens my mind and skills, and makes me crave for more. I believe that age should not be a deterrent to what an actor can do, because real life presents us with so many interesting characters for my age group.”
LIKE EXQUISITE WINE
IN Dreamscape’s Dirty Linen, Tessie Tomas fearlessly stepped into the shoes of Doña Cielo Fiero, the matriarch of a dysfunctional family that has amassed so much wealth and hidden truths over the years. The 72-year-old Tomas has been getting rave reviews for her authentic portrayal that encompasses all the qualities that have drawn the audience to her—passion, fierceness, vulnerability and extraordinary depth.
“I treat the character of Doña Cielo as a work in progress. She is such an interesting woman who is not afraid to show her dark and bright sides, and I love that as an actor. I needed to come into the series with a completely new persona, looks and all, to achieve how I see my character and how she will evolve throughout the series,“ Tomas shared.
Angel Aquino, who plays Tomas’s daughter in the series, compared her to good wine. “Tita Tessie’s intensity and commitment as an actress is getting to be rare nowadays. She studies her role and comes prepared. She is also collaborative. She is like exquisite wine that becomes better and pricier when it reaches a certain age. Tita Tessie is such an inspiration.”
Tomas is often labeled in the industry as an icon. Her live performances as a stand-up comedienne are almost always sold-out. She acts, she sings, she hosts, she writes—Tomas does a lot of things, and puts her heart and soul to every undertaking.
Not too long ago, Tomas decided to move to the Isle of Man with her British husband Roger, but she made a promise to herself to fly back to the Philippines once or twice a year to quench her thirst as an artist.
With each new role, thespians like Dexter Doria and Tessie Tomas continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible. The many characters they give life to on the big and small screens remind us of their enduring power as esteemed, first-rate actors that defy time and age, even science and technology.