Veteran actress Tessie Tomas, known for her role as Doña Cielo in the TV series “Dirty Linen,” recently shared her experience preparing for a difficult scene on the show. During the finale mediacon for “Dirty Linen,” Tomas revealed that director Onat Diaz asked her to prepare for a scene where her character confronts her rapist, played by actor Soliman Cruz. Tomas admitted feeling uneasy about the scene and struggled to find the right emotions to portray.
In the scene, the director wanted Tomas to convey a range of emotions, including pain and anger towards her character’s betrayer. Despite having years of experience in acting, Tomas found it challenging to enact a rape scene, a concept foreign to her. She also had limited time to prepare for the scene due to the tight production schedule.
To tap into the required emotions, Tomas drew from a past heartbreak with an ex-boyfriend. She recalled how he told her he was leaving but would return soon, leaving her feeling hurt and betrayed. Tomas revealed that she even attempted to push him down the stairs during that heated moment. She likened the pain from that experience to the intensity of a rape, using it for inspiration in the scene.
Tomas wanted to share her technique with other actors, hoping they could learn from her approach. She acknowledged the difficulty of portraying such emotional scenes and the importance of tapping into personal experiences to enhance performances.
“Dirty Linen” also stars Janine Gutierrez, Zanjoe Marudo, Dolly de Leon, John Arcilla, Epy Quizon, Angel Aquino, Francine Diaz, and Seth Fedelin.
