Horror seems to be a genre that Phoebe Walker thrives in.
After making her big screen debut as a mysterious woman in Cesar Hernando’s “Gayuma” in 2015, she followed it up with another memorable turn in Erik Matti’s “Seklusyon,” where her portrayal of the evil nun Madre Cecilia won her Best Supporting Actress in last year’s Metro Manila Film Festival.
Following a brief flirtation with action in Toto Natividad’s “Double Barrel,” Phoebe is once again back in scary mode, playing a seductive aswang in the horror mini-series, “Tabi Po” which airs every Friday at 8PM on Cignal TV’s Sari-Sari Channel with primetime replays on Tuesday (11PM), Thursday (9PM) and Sunday (9PM).
Directed by Paul Basinillo and based on Mervin Malonzo’s bestselling graphic novel, “Tabi Po” is set in the country’s Spanish colonial era. Phoebe plays Sabel, one of two aswangs (the other being Tasyo played by Adrian Alandy) who takes a reluctant neophyte named Elias (AJ Muhlach) under their wing.
Asked how Sabel compares to her “Seklusyon” character Madre Cecilia, Phoebe says that while both are “pure evil,” Sabel has the more intriguing persona.
“Compared to Madre Cecilia, she’s more in control of her power and is thus more aggressive. She is animalistic and uses her charm to attract her prey. I enjoyed playing Sabel because she has no boundaries and almost felt like an alter ego at times,” Phoebe told InterAksyon.
For Phoebe, “Tabi Po” is a special project made even more memorable by her interaction with co-stars Adrian, AJ and Jourdanne Castillo, whom she considers a friend.
“Jourdanne and I did not have many scenes together, though. AJ and I already built a rapport from our last movie, ‘Double Barrel’ and the respective workshops we took so it was easy for me to work with him. I never met Adrian before “Tabi Po” but I already trusted him even when we were still doing our workshops because I know he’s a seasoned actor and I know I’ll learn a lot from him. True enough, I was able to pick up a few things I observed during our scenes together,” the actress shared.
Even after principal photography for “Tabi Po” has been concluded, Phoebe felt part of something special as she and the rest of the cast embarked on numerous promotional activities for the series.
“Unfortunately, I wasn’t present during the Comic Con we had in Manila. But the press events we’ve had for Cignal TV were overwhelming, both in magnitude and expectation. It’s a constant reminder to me that I was given this privilege that I can’t take for granted,” she noted.
Although Phoebe is still open to doing other genres, she doesn’t mind being cast in more horror projects not only because she enjoys doing it but also because she’s a big fan of thrillers and crime movies.
“I hope I can be part of a really good crime movie like “Gone Girl or “A Perfect Murder.” I’d like to do something like that soon,” she said.
For now, Phoebe said she’s very pleased with the steady, upward trajectory of her career. 2017 has been quite an eventful year for her that she began with a memorable cover shoot for FHM Philippines magazine last summer.
This month, she will headline an episode of ABS-CBN’s weekend drama anthology, “Ipaglaban Mo” together with Rayver Cruz.
“That’s my first acting lead in the network so it’s a different kind of pressure for me,” she quipped.
And yes, she will again be part of this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival.
“I just finished shooting for ‘Ang Panday’ with Direk Coco Martin where I played one of the minions of Jake Cuenca. It’s a small participation but am still happy to be part of the 80-plus cast members in the film.”
