Alyssa Muhlach says being cast in horror thriller ‘Clarita’ was a big surprise to her

Wilbur F. Hernandez

When an actress possesses a lovely doll-like face like Alyssa Muhlach, it can be expected she is likely fit for romantic comedies or romantic melodramas. Not that she herself expects these to happen. But with her first major movie Clarita–a horror film– the daughter of actress Almira Muhlach and former basketball player Paul Alvarez, even surprised herself.“Even myself po, I am surprised thinking that I am cast in a horror thriller.” Clarita stars Jodi Sta. Maria who plays the titular character. Alyssa became interested in understanding her role as an investigator with a heavy guilt-ridden past. “I don’t watch horror movies movies at all, I don’t,” she said flashing a smile of seriousness. “Not that they scare me easily but I am just not into horror films.”But why did she accept the offer? “Because I can already see the material, the story to be very intriguing, the movie can be really good. Tapos po the challenge is big. But importantly also the role I will play is not a typical girl-next-door person. She has this baggage she cannot move on from. May hidden skeletons siya eh. A character like that is interesting for me.”Revealing the preparations she did for the role—like knowing where her character is coming from, the correct expressions she must show on screen, discussing with the director what is needed from her in a scene during the shooting period of Clarita, Alyssa also anchored her performance from what her mother Almira initially helped her with in her earlier years, initially even before getting into the movies.“My parents particularly my Mom encouraged me to have some trainings that are very physical. She reminded us always na we should be able to protect ourselves, kasi at least we will know na we can arm ourselves in any way. But we are not taught to be expecting there can be violence anywhere. We simply need to ready ourselves.”Alyssa also revealed her less girly interests while she was in her pre-teens. “Well I am also the kind of girl who enjoyed playing boys’ games but I did not have any tomboyish attitude. So these are like trainings na rin for me now that I am in the movie industry.”“I trained in Karate, Tae Kwon Do, and right now I am doing kick-boxing. The training is talagang tiring po, mahirap din talga, pero when you concentrate and you train seriously, you will really benefit physically and mentally,” she said

Revealing the preparations she did for the role—like knowing where her character is coming from, the correct expressions she must show on screen, discussing with the director what is needed from her in a scene during the shooting period of Clarita, Alyssa also anchored her performance from what her mother Almira initially helped her with in her earlier years, initially even before getting into the movies.“My parents particularly my Mom encouraged me to have some trainings that are very physical. She reminded us always na we should be able to protect ourselves, kasi at least we will know na we can arm ourselves in any way. But we are not taught to be expecting there can be violence anywhere. We simply need to ready ourselves.”Alyssa also revealed her less girly interests while she was in her pre-teens. “Well I am also the kind of girl who enjoyed playing boys’ games but I did not have any tomboyish attitude. So these are like trainings na rin for me now that I am in the movie industry.”“I trained in Karate, Tae Kwon Do, and right now I am doing kick-boxing. The training is talagang tiring po, mahirap din talga, pero when you concentrate and you train seriously, you will really benefit physically and mentally,” she said

When an actress possesses a lovely doll-like face like Alyssa Muhlach, it can be expected she is likely fit for romantic comedies or romantic melodramas. Not that she herself expects these to happen. But with her first major movie Clarita–a horror film– the daughter of actress Almira Muhlach and former basketball player Paul Alvarez, even surprised herself.“Even myself po, I am surprised thinking that I am cast in a horror thriller.” Clarita stars Jodi Sta. Maria who plays the titular character. Alyssa became interested in understanding her role as an investigator with a heavy guilt-ridden past. “I don’t watch horror movies movies at all, I don’t,” she said flashing a smile of seriousness. “Not that they scare me easily but I am just not into horror films.”But why did she accept the offer? “Because I can already see the material, the story to be very intriguing, the movie can be really good. Tapos po the challenge is big. But importantly also the role I will play is not a typical girl-next-door person. She has this baggage she cannot move on from. May hidden skeletons siya eh. A character like that is interesting for me.”

Alyssa Muhlach says the training she underwent as a child are helping her with her acting now.

Alyssa Muhlach says being cast in horror thriller ‘Clarita’ was a big surprise to her | PUSH.COM.PH