“Darna: The TV Series” has finally found its Valentina, and she is going to be played by Janella Salvador!
Janella was formally introduced last Friday, November 19, as the nemesis of the superheroine through a live-streamed event on ABS-CBN Entertainment’s YouTube channel and Facebook page. Janella’s character will be named Regina who is a lawyer and a vlogger who will then be cursed with venomous snakes for her hair and transform into the villain Valentina.
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“Sabi nga nila, walang magaling na bida kung walang worthy na hahamon sa kanyang kakayahan. Today, I am proud to say na may napili na tayong babaeng magbibigay kulay at pasakit sa buhay ni Darna. Ang pinakahihintay ng lahat, one of the Philippines most infamous nemesis: Valentina,” Jane De Leon, the actress who will be portraying Darna, said during the online event.
Janella proceeded to thank director Chito S. Roño and ABS-CBN executives for choosing her among all those who auditioned for the role. This will also be Janella’s first time to play a villain role in any television series. “It’s a very exciting thing for me kasi it’s a gray role. It’s more of a dark character. Sobra akong excited na laruin siya and to get to know who she really is,” she shared.
Describing Valentina as a character, Janella said, “I like her because she’s smart, she’s an intellectual. Kaya na-in love ako sa role na ito because she actually does have a good heart, hindi lang nagagamit sa tamang paraan.”
“Mapapamahal din kayo kay Valentina. Hindi niyo ini-expect pero mapapamahal kayo sa kanya. Like I said she has a good heart. Tama ‘yung pinaglalaban niya sa buhay. Pero siyempre may pitik din tayo minsan. So abangan niyo ‘yon,” she added.
Previous actresses who played Valentina were Pilar Pilapil, Pilita Corrales, Iwa Moto, and Alessandra de Rossi, among many others.
Janella’s last TV show was “The Killer Bride” before taking a break from showbiz to give birth to her son, Jude, last October in the United Kingdom. She only returned to the Philippines in February of this year with her baby and partner Markus Paterson.
(ALSO READ: Janella Salvador Reveals Getting Liposuction to Slim Back Down After Giving Birth)
Do you think Janella is a good fit for the role? Let us know in the comments below!
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