‘Call My Manager’ actress Christiana Zaleta shares how Judy Ann Santos helped her grow

MANILA — Actress Christiana Zaleta credited her “Call My Manager” co-star Judy Ann Santos for helping her grow not only as an actress but also as a person.

“Mahal na mahal ko siya… Tinulungan niya ako maghanap ng life coach. Tinulungan ako maghanap ng retreat sa mga taong need mag heal. Siya bridge sakin maging better not just an actress but as a person,” Zaleta said Wednesday in Quezon City.

In “Call My Manager,” Zaleta plays Camille Vergara, a newcomer to the talent agency wherein Andrea Manuel (Santos) serves as a senior manager.

Zaleta said she only learned midway through the taping of “Call My Manager” that Santos had been good friends with her mother, Jane Zaleta.

“In the middle of taping na kami noong nalaman ko for ‘Esperanza,’ mag best friend na sila ng mommy ko noon. It was overwhelming for me to find out second generation na ako to work with Judy Ann Santos. Ganon siya ka haligi sa industriya. Ganon siya ka-superstar,” she said.

Zaleta shared their conversations eventually went beyond work, with Santos becoming someone she could open up to about her personal struggles.

“And everytime I get alone time with her, nakwekwento ko mga pinagdadaanan ko, bubog ko sa buhay. And since siguro anak ako ng dating best friend niya, may maternal instinct sa akin,” she said.

Despite Santos’ stature in the industry, Zaleta said the veteran actress treated her and their co-stars like family throughout their 10 months of taping.

“The whole time we were trinato niya kami parang pamilya and parang mga anak. Tita Mommy Juday tawag ko sa kanya kasi she helped me through get so much,” she recalled.

“Magkasama kami ng ten months. Everytime may taping, Tita Juday would tell us to go to her dressing room. Lagi siya nagpapakain.”

According to Zaleta, her experience on the set of “Call My Manager” convinced her to further pursue her dream in the entertainment industry. 

“Malaking [impact.] 95 percent mas na-push ako. I’m very blessed my first project was with genuinely good people. Wala ako naging problema kahit kanino. And it was a very overwhelming and humbling experience. Sobrang loving nila na tao. I was just happy doing what I was doing. It gave me the same joy and purpose as my first love—basketball. It gave the same feeling of home,” she said.