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'Every role is a learning experience'

as Wendy Valdez’s mentor and friend in Margarita.

In Margarita, Keanna plays an aging bar dancer who takes Wendy under her wing and teaches her the ropes after the latter desperately searches for a way to help support her family.

Keanna says she didn’t have any second thoughts about accepting the role even if she had already played the lead in a sitcom, Aalog-Alog, and in a movie (Viva Films’ Reyna, where she starred as a frustrated beauty queen). She also didn’t mind playing second fiddle to Wendy, even if Wendy was only the third placer in the second season of Pinoy Big Brother.

“We can’t always be the star of every show that we’re in,” reasons Keanna, speaking in Tagalog. “As long as it’s a good role and challenges me as an actress, I have no problems accepting it. Besides, I also came from playing supporting roles before Pinoy Big Brother. Why should I be afraid of going back there? Why should I refuse? Every role is a learning experience.”

Most of all, says Keanna, even veteran stars with more experience than her don’t mind playing support to the newer stars. In Margarita, veteran actresses Elizabeth Oropesa and Rio Locsin and veteran actor Dick Israel are also in the cast, playing support to Wendy. Dick, who was last seen playing John Lloyd Cruz’s adoptive father in the mega-hit Maging Sino Ka Man, plays Wendy’s father in Margarita. “If they can do it, why can’t I?” asks Keanna. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with supporting someone.”

She adds that being an actress, playing a role is her job — whether that role is a lead role or a supporting one. “Sometimes, the supporting roles, the character roles, those are the more interesting ones,” explains Keanna. “The more roles I get to play, the more it will help me as an actress, because I get to exercise my talent in many different ways. So who benefits, but me?”

Besides, it’s more important to her to keep working, since she also has kids to support.