EVEN a damn good actress gets overwhelmed by insecurities and self-doubt.
Snooky Serna shared this, holding no punches, when she confessed she underestimated herself for what would have been a landmark role in a TV series.
Snooky was referring to the Madam Claudia role, which she let slip through her fingers in the iconic series “Pangako Sa Iyo,” which aired on ABS-CBN many years back.
Truth be told, she was the unanimous choice for the meaty part — an assignment she prepared for until she passed the look test.
“But I sort of had cold feet. Repeatedly, I was asking myself, ‘Could I do it? I honestly felt I was wanting,” Snooky recalled.
Then came the first taping day. Snooky was a no-show. The network’s creatives felt terrible that they had to find a replacement for her on the spot.
It was Jean Garcia who finally got the part.
Of course, Snooky felt sorry about what happened — not because it catapulted Jean to instant fame instead of her. In fact, she was genuinely happy for Jean, who — to this day — remains grateful to her.
“Thank you, Snooks, if it were not for you, I would still have been a nobody,” Snooky would quote Jean every time they would bump into each other.
Years earlier, Snooky had actually seen an eternally grateful Jean Garcia in herself.
It was in 1986 that she scaled greater heights in her movie career after starring in Seiko Films’ “Blusang Itim.” In an instant, things turned around for Snooky beyond her expectations.
“I got the role, but did you know that I wasn’t the first choice to play Jessa Escrito,” referring to the ugly woman who’d instantly turn into a smashingly beautiful lass the moment she wears the magical black ruffled top bought from an antique shop.
Snooky reveals, “It was first offered to Alma Moreno. Back then, Alma was doing one movie after another; she couldn’t find time for the film shoot.”
Very much like Jean, Snooky never missed expressing her profound gratitude to Alma whenever their paths crossed.
Having begun her showbiz career as a child actress, Snooky is interminably thankful that she never runs out of offers, especially on TV, to this day.
Take note: she gets inundated with roles she can really sink her teeth into. As Snooky puts it, it’s her lasting legacy for her audience to remember her by.
