White is might in Philippine entertainment. Almost 90% of local actors and actresses are fair-skinned.
From time to time though, talents with dusky complexion make it to the big league. There was Leopoldo Salcedo who became one of the top leading men before and after the war. Despite being dark-skinned, female fans swooned over him because of his Adonis-like features. He was, after all, the Great Profile.
Of course, there was Nora Aunor who changed the standards for leading ladies starting in the late 1960s. Later, there was Richard Gomez, another brown Grecian god-like figure on Philippine cinema.
Among the sex symbols, there was Tetchie Agbayani, who became the first Filipina Playboy centerfold (German edition). Although there was a public outcry about her Playboy stint, she did prove to the world that brown is beautiful.
All those beautiful brown people made it easier for the succeeding generation of Pinoy-looking movie stars to penetrate show business. One of them was Lara Morena.
Launched by OctoArts Films in the mid-1990s, Lara was actually true star material. Sporting long black hair, she also has beautiful facial features. And then, of course, there’s her delectable brown complexion that makes her ooze with sex appeal.
Some 10 or so years ago, Lara almost got me into trouble with the Movie, Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB). I was then interviewing her for Startalk when she suddenly blurted out an expression not suitable for television.
I thought that was the end of my showbiz career. Mercifully, I managed to salvage the situation by quick-thinking on the spot. It also helped that Lara was humble enough to apologize to televiewers. Everything ended well and I had a good interview with her that did well in the ratings.
Last week, I had a reunion with Lara Morena through this online site’s talk show, This is Showbiz. She hardly changed. She still has that long black hair that makes her very sexy.
Of course, the beautiful dusky skin is there and that was how I was able to spot her at once as she approached our meeting place – in a coffee shop along Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong. More importantly, she hasn’t changed in her ways. She’s still as friendly as ever.
Our conversation was more relaxed this time because we had an hour or so to talk before her meeting with Viva big boss Vic del Rosario. Yes, Lara is presently swamped with projects for Viva Entertainment, mostly for the highly-successful Vivamax.
Since the interview was free flowing, I managed to ask her about her life story, which she seldom shares with the public. She was game about it and openly shared with the viewers of this program everything there is to know about her.
Lara was born Mylene Sanchez. She has Spaniards for ancestors and grew up in Mexico – in Pampanga.
Like most products of broken marriages, she had a difficult childhood. She was poor as poor can be. But she never starved – being Kapampangan. (They know how to whip up miracles in the kitchen.)
And neither did she lack in parental love. It also helped that she was raised by a loving and affectionate grandmother, who – sadly – didn’t live long enough to savor the material rewards showbiz brought her.
Schooling though was quite a challenge due to physical distance: She had to pass through rice paddies every day just to get an education. One rainy season, she almost drowned – and died – after she fell into a ditch.
Lara was already pretty even as a child. Her good looks was what brought her comfort early in life. At 15, she was already modeling for known designers. Movie offers came soon after.
At the start of her film career, she had been told that she was going to show some skin. No problem. As a model, she had done some breast exposure – as demanded by her work.
I also reminded her that models often just wear pantyhose underneath their clothes. “No panties most of the time,” she shoots back, laughing.
Looking back, whatever sexy roles she did in those days would pale in comparison given how daring the young stars of Vivamax are these days. Incidentally, three of Vivamax’s newest talents are her nieces: Angela Morena and Stephanie and Micaela Raz.
At a certain point in her career, Lara shifted to comedy on television. She initially did Tropang Trumpo, which is the precursor of Bubble Gang. In time, Home Along the Riles absorbed her and that gave her the chance to work with comedy king Dolphy.
After more than two decades in show business, Lara is still aching for more challenges. At the time of our interview, she had just returned from two locked-in shoots. One was for The Wedding Dress, which was filmed in Baguio under the helm of Dado Lumibao. She went through a more difficult shoot in Sagada for Richard Somes’ Under the Velvet Sky (tentative title).
Even her personal life is packed with activities – her primary role being co-parent to a foster daughter she is currently raising with the help of partner Paolo Bediones. Yes, the esteemed broadcaster Paolo Bediones.
Although the couple share happy moments on the internet, not too many people are aware that they had been together for quite some time now. Not even our cameraman, Melo Balingit, was aware of the romance. To think that Melo had covered the entertainment beat for the longest time and has a nose for showbiz news.
But it’s a happy union that they have – that much I can assure you. After the interview, they kept having video calls between them – simply checking on each other.
Oh, the route of their love story was rather circuitous. It began 15 years ago and in between each had different partners. Lara has, in fact, two kids from a previous relationship.
I’m glad though that they are now together – happy and content. I’ve always considered Paolo a friend and an amiable colleague in the profession. In the case of Lara, she had always been among the friendliest actresses I’ve met in the business – forever accommodating and approachable.
They plan to legalize their union soon and I can’t wait to see two of my most favorite people in showbiz find true happiness at long last.
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