Veteran actress Susan Africa is putting her viral “star for all ubo” image to the test, saying she does not remember having a coughing scene in any teleserye role she played.
In a recent statement, Susan said she believes the public’s association of her characters with coughing may be a case of the Mandela Effect, a phenomenon where many people share the same false memory.
“Yung mga sinasabi kong ‘ubo-ubo,’ ang interpretation ko dyan ay it’s a Mandela Effect. Kasi kung pag-aaralan mo yun, hindi naman ako umuubo sa mga roles ko. I don’t remember any teleserye na umubo ako,” Susan said in an interview with reporters, posted by Kapamilya Online World.
The veteran actress recalled some of her well-known roles, saying that while her characters experienced illnesses or hardships, she did not remember portraying a character who coughed.
“Sa ‘Mara Clara’ nagkaroon ako ng stroke, nagkaroon ako ng sakit pero never akong umubo. Uhm, Siguro ang naaalala ko lang ay yung sa ‘The Mall, The Merrier’ ni Vice Ganda, yung pina-ubo niya ako talaga pero the rest hindi talaga ako umuubo,” she said, referring to the 2019 Metro Manila Film Festival entry of Star Cinema.
Susan then challenged the public to provide proof of a teleserye scene where she was shown coughing.
“Pakitaan niyo ako ng video na umuubo ako sa isang teleserye and I will give you P5000. Not ‘The Mall, The Merrier ha,” she said.
The actress’ statement comes after she became widely associated online with the phrase “star for all ubo” following her endorsement of cough medicine brand Lagundex last year.
The running joke continued when Susan was featured as a doctor in the series “Blood Vs Duty” in April, with a showbiz-oriented page posting:
“THE STAR FOR ALL UBO is now officially a doctor! 🩺🥹
Congratulations, Miss Susan Africa! Ikaw na ang magpapagaling sa mga may ubo!”
The actress has also previously become the subject of online memes because of her memorable portrayals of struggling mothers and difficult-life roles.
READ: ‘Hindi na mahirap’: Susan Africa gains traction in ‘Batang Quiapo’ new chapter trailer | Susan Africa responds to ‘hindi na mahirap’ memes about her
After her Mandela Effect challenge circulated online, Filipinos shared mixed reactions, with some saying they also remembered seeing her cough on screen while others agreed that the memory may have come from her commercial.
“Gusto ko yung sineryoso tayo ni mader hahaha Long live mader Susan africa!” an X user said.
“I remember she made a commercial about ubo… baka yun ang naaalala ng mga tao. :)” another commented.
Others called on online archivists to search old clips and verify the claim.
“I nominate @phtv_nocontext and other archivists for this challenge hahahaha pls prove us right,” an X user posted.
Some viewers also suggested that the memory may have been influenced by her recurring roles as a struggling mother.
“I’m not sure kung teleserye o movie ‘yun basta meron syang eksena na inuubo sya kaya din nabranding na siya ng tao na mahirap na nanay na may ubo,” an X user said.
Another commenter agreed with Susan’s theory:
“I think mga nagko-comment just proves that it is really a Mandela effect. Give us a clip of from her old serye or movie coughing. The one I only genuinely see is that commercial,” the online user wrote.
Whether the famous “ubo” scenes exist or not, Africa’s challenge has once again brought attention to the actress’ long-running connection with Filipino pop culture and the internet’s collective memory of her iconic roles.