Ever since Iwa Moto joined ‘StarStruck,’ she’s been branded as a sexy and daring young lady. Unfortunately, because of this, she became the target of all sorts of intrigues for the longest time. But her home network, GMA-7, turned the bad into the good—and found a way to take her sexy image to the next artistic level.
In the top-rating Sine Novela Magdusa Ka, Iwa showcases her maturity as an actress by effectively portraying a kontrabida role. Definitely a bold move, she now strives to replace Katrina Halili as the antagonist in more of GMA’s soap operas and Sine Novelas.
As Millet, Iwa is thankful that the Kapuso Network has entrusted her with this big role. Playing opposite Katrina Halili in the show, Iwa’s acting is now being put to the test.
Bad girl
With Iwa playing a conniving and manipulative girl in the story, viewers can’t help but compare her to Katrina—the protagonist who used to be a kontrabida herself.
“I’m not Katrina," she says. “And I’ll never be like her. But I’ll try to make na, yung image ko na sa sarili ko lang. Siyempre, they saw Katrina na nag-kontrabida, so parang nape-pressure ako kasi kino-compare nila."
The two were even rumored to have had a rift because of this project but Iwa is quick to refute this in all her interviews: “Nag-uusap kami ni Kat nang sarili. We text each other, usap kami, normal na usap. Kasi nga si Tatay Rommel is her manager. Eh ako, anak-anakan ni Tatay. So ’yun, para kaming magkapatid na iisang tatay namin."
And to prove her claim even further, she says that Katrina is also giving her pointers on how to become an effective antagonist. “Lagi niyang sinasabi sa akin, 'O, just feel beautiful. Isipin mo na lang ikaw pinakamagandang babae para hindi ka ma-insecure,’" she relates.
Her sexy ways
Being a kontrabida doesn’t end at being bad. Knowing this, Iwa capitalizes on her sexy image to make her character more intimidating. She dons on revealing clothes and has even consented to doing kissing and bed scenes with her partner in the show, Gabby Eigenmann.
“It’s part of the job," Iwa says matter-of-factly. “Lahat tatanggapin mo." But she assures us that her being a sexy kontrabida is just a role and that she wouldn’t go beyond wearing two-piece bikinis.
“Parang it’s not worth it. ‘Yung na lang ‘yung respeto ko sa sarili ko. Kasi hindi ko na narerespeto ‘yung sarili ko, na kahit may sakit ako nagtratrabaho ako," she says.
She also adds that she can support herself and her family without going nude and losing herself in the process—even if she was offered huge amounts of money and a starring role in a movie.
There’s no doubt that this lady has matured in the few years that she’s been in the business. Gone is the childish and reckless lass who used to be the subject of nasty rumors. Now, Iwa Moto has stepped up and learned to use her aura of sexiness to her advantage. - iGMA.tv
