'LAVENDER FIELDS' STARS OPEN UP ABOUT FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS

THE LEAD STARS OF THE upcoming series “Lavender Fields” recently opened up about their family relationships — their parents in particular — revealing the extent of their influence on their lives and careers.

- NATHALIE TOMADA

An upcoming action-drama from ABS-CBN’s Dreamscape Entertainment, “Lavender Fields” itself delves into some very complex relationships in a storyline tackling such themes as revenge and redemption, love and loyalty.

Though their personal lives might not be as entangled as their characters’ stories, these stars still glean important lessons from their experiences and their real-life relationships.

Janine Gutierrez, who plays for the first time an antagonist role as Iris Buenavidez, expressed her heartfelt appreciation for her mother, veteran actress Lotlot de Leon, for being empowering and not unobtrusive when she decided to embark on a showbiz career.

“I’m so grateful to my mom because malaki talaga tiwala niya sa akin,” she began in an interview with broadsheet editors, The STAR included, during a recent media junket for her upcoming series. “And ever since I started acting, she told me that whenever you decide to enter the industry, hands-off na ako diyan.”

The actress acknowledged that while her mother, Lotlot, played a very crucial role in her career, especially in the early stages when she served as her manager, she mainly stepped back and trusted her daughter’s judgment.

After all, Janine was already an adult and done with school when she entered the industry. “I started in showbiz a bit late, around 21 or 22. By the time I had my first teleserye, I was 23. I appreciate that she was never a stage mother. Any advice she had, she gave it off camera,” she said.

“When it comes to finances, she’s also hands-off because I guess, when I started, I was already an adult. But she was my manager before so I owe a lot to her.”

Nevertheless, Janine pointed out the challenges of mixing business with family.