MANILA, Philippines?Comic Tessie Tomas is puzzled that she often gets offers for drama roles from independent filmmakers.

?And I find it fulfilling that I?m seen not as a Whoopi Goldberg, but as a Meryl Streep,? she jests.

As bonus, she has been nominated for her work in Connie Macatuno?s ?Rome and Juliet? and Chris Martinez?s ?100.? She even won Best Supporting Actress in this year?s Cinemalaya festival, for Milo Sogueco?s ?Sanglaan.?

Teysi jokes that she kisses her Cinemalaya trophy every time she sees it at home. ?It?s as if I?ve gone full circle. It?s good that I?m not typecast.?

At last count, she has done nine indie films, including Milo Alto-Paz?s ?Taxi ni Pilo? in 2001.

She sums up her indie work as rewarding. ?I don?t do it for the money, but for the material,? she explains. ?I?ve realized how important it is to be open to young filmmakers. Even if I don?t know them, personally, for as long as the script is promising, I will work with them. I feel strongly about being part of a new director?s journey, too.?

Teysi, who is celebrating her 28th anniversary in show biz this month, went to Pusan last year? her first international film festival? for ?100.?

She says it was ?refreshing? to be interviewed by foreign journalists who knew nothing about her career, ?but openly showed their appreciation? for her work.

She also met filmmakers from all over the world, including Thailand?s Nonzee Nimibutr. ?We saw his film ?Queens of Langkasuka,?? recalls Teysi.

When ?100? won the Audience prize in Pusan, she experienced walking on the red carpet with Martinez.

Dream

Her dream, she says, is to write, produce and act in her own indie project.

Why not direct it, too?

?I?m not that big a multi-tasker yet,? she admits.

Apart from being a regular on ABS-CBN shows ?George and Cecile? and ?Tonyong Bayawak,? she?s also in the cast of the Unitel film ?2,999? where she plays a fortune-teller who impersonates Imelda Marcos.