Barbie Forteza, Alden Richards say difficult to shake off characters' trauma in 'Pulang Araw'

MANILA, Philippines — Barbie Forteza and Alden Richards confessed that they had a hard time letting go of their characters after the cameras stopped rolling while filming for their upcoming historical fiction drama "Pulang Araw." 

Barbie and Alden play siblings Adelina and Eduardo who lived during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines during World War II. 

With the series set in a tumultuous time in the Philippines and a war ravaging the whole archipelago, torture scenes and deaths, as written in history books, are expected to be seen in the upcoming drama. 

Alden's character, Eduardo, becomes a guerilla who fights against the invading forces. Barbie's Adelina, meanwhile, is a Bodabil artist who performs on stage to entertain the public amid a raging war. 

Bodabil is the indigenized version of the French performing art Vaudeville, which grew in popularity in France during the latter part of the 19th century. Bodabil actors engage the public with magic acts, comedy and drama all while dancing and singing. 

These are the context that made actors Alden and Barbie so immersed in their characters, aided by real locations and realistic set designs. 

Alden disclosed that as actors, they go through a process before filming a scene, but with "Pulang Araw," he found himself finding it hard to separate his real-life versus make-believe life. 

"For someone reason po kasi, when it comes to the torture scenes na ginawa namin ni Mikoy (Morales), and sa part nina Sanya, which is sa side ng comfort women, kami kasi tinorture sa concetration camp sa Fort Santiago," Alden began. 

Sanya plays Teresita, a girl from an affluent family who aspires to be a Bodabil artist.

Later in the story as seen in the show's primer, Teresita will face a traumatic change in her life as she falls victim to the sinful desires of the invading troops. She meets the same fate as the characters of Rochelle Pangilinan and Ashley Ortega, the latter a nun, who are turned into comfort women. 

"Meron kasing reality aspect 'yung 'Pulang Araw' e. Nangyari talaga e. Ang mahirap sa akin during that time is paano kumalas doon sa trauma. Usually kasi on and off ako e. Hindi ako nagdadala ng character after a