MANILA, Philippines?Award-winning veteran actress Anita Linda is still looking out for that dream role.

At 83, she has done it all ? madwoman, tormented mother, anti-heroine...

?It would be interesting to play an alcoholic all the way through. I?ve done roles that just required me to act drunk in some sequences. There should be a good back story, though, to explain the character,? she told Inquirer Entertainment on the set of ?Adela,? the latest film by Adolf Alix Jr.

Working with her earlier in ?Tambolista,? Alix said he had been impressed with Anita?s discipline: ?She would arrive on the set prepared. She knew even the lines of her co-actors.?

How did the shoot go?

Everything went smoothly. We finished as scheduled.

How did you prepare for this one?

I made sure to get the script three days before the shoot. I read it from beginning to end. I memorized all my lines.

What can you say about the younger cast members?

I?m impressed. They all arrived on time. They all knew their lines.

What advice did you give them, if any?
I just told them to prioritize their work, love it, respect it. [Speaking of respect...] I said they also have to be respectable at all times, hindi ?yung lalabas na kung anu-ano lang ang suot. And they should be well-behaved, para igalang ng ibang tao ang profession namin. At dapat marunong silang makisama.

What?s the movie about?

It?s about an old woman with three kids?one, a contract worker in Qatar; the other, played by Ricky Davao, is a drug addict and in jail. The third child works as a housemaid in Makati. On my 80th birthday, I decide to celebrate. Nobody shows up, so I give away to my neighbors all the food that I cooked...

There?s a sense of emptiness in your character. Have you felt that way in real life?

Never. I have good children and I am surrounded by good people. That?s one thing I?m thankful for?the people around me are wonderful to me. When I first learned about this film, I couldn?t believe it. Mayroon pa palang nagtitiwala pa rin. I?m grateful to Adolf. I hope it does well at the box office.

How did you feel when you read the script for the first time?

I liked it immediately. In real life, I don?t blame my kids when they don?t visit me on my birthday. At least they send me birthday cards or give me a call. But I feel sad for Adela, who cooked for her kids and grandchildren on her birthday, hoping they would come.

(Email mcruz@inquirer.com.ph)