Mercedes Cabral is making waves, thanks to her character in "FPJ's Batang Quiapo." Playing Lena marks a significant turning point in her career, as she sees it as her most important role to date. Although she’s portrayed antagonists in other projects before, none of those roles gained as much attention as Lena. “Ito ‘yung nagbigay din talaga sa akin ng break pagdating sa mainstream,” she smiled.

In an episode of Kapamilya Chat, Mercedes shared how she landed her role in "FPJ's Batang Quiapo." At that time, she was without work, with no movies or TV series lined up. She decided to reach out to Coco Martin, asking if he could place her in any upcoming projects, even if it was just a small or brief role.

“Natuwa ako kasi sumagot agad siya. Sabi niya, ‘May niluluto ako ngayon, buti nag-message ka. Sa tingin ko may bagay sa’yo na role’,” she looked back, adding that the offer was ideal because she genuinely enjoys playing antagonists.

“Masarap kasi maging salbahe, eh,” she laughed. “Lahat naman ng tao, may mga dark side, maldita side, pilyo na side. Part ‘yan of being a human being and it’s okay. Siguro sanay lang tayo na itago ‘yun.”

For Mercedes, playing the kontrabida is more than just a role; it’s a deep dive into the complexities of the human psyche. “’Pag nababasa ko ‘yung script, may mga times na hindi ko rin gusto ‘yung ginagawa ni Lena. Tapos natatawa na lang ako. Alam mo, sobrang walking red flag si Lena. Hindi ko kakaibiganin ‘to.” Despite her personal feelings, Mercedes knows she must root for her character to bring Lena to life authentically. “’Yung challenge is may mga ginagawa si Lena na hindi ko gagawin in real life talaga. Tapos nahihirapan akong hanapan ng rason para gawin ‘to nang maayos for Lena… So kailangan ko ng pag-intindi.”

“Mahirap siya pero na-e-enjoy ko siyang gawin.”

After embodying Lena for a whole year, Mercedes has seamlessly woven the character into her own flesh, of course, with the help of her directors who never gets tired of answering her questions and guiding her about Lena’s journey. On set, especially under Direk Coco’s unit, scripts often arrive on the spot—or sometimes not at all.

“You have to think fast and kailangan focused ka talaga. So, babasahin ko lang [‘yung script] or makikinig lang ako, tapos iisipin ko lang lagi kung ano ‘yung gagawin ni Lena sa sitwasyon na ‘to.” She added, “Siguro sa tagal ko na rin dito, parang, nagiging automatic na na ‘pag nasa set na, ‘pag naramdaman ko na ‘yung script sa kamay ko, or nafe-feel ko na nasa set na, parang pumapasok na ako [sa karakter] unti-unti.”

Of course, she would love to have a physical script in hand at least the night before to allow for more preparation time. However, as a seasoned professional, she adapts to the different processes on various sets. Her extensive film background, including her work with director Brillante Mendoza, has been invaluable, especially since Direk Brillante shares a similar improvisational style with Direk Coco.

The challenge with her character feeling like second skin is that once an intense scene wraps up, it’s hard to shake off the emotional weight. Take, for example, that fierce confrontation where Tindeng (Charo Santos) faces Lena—preparing for such scenes requires significant effort. Mercedes and her co-actors discussed how to approach the scene, ensuring precise choreography and blocking. In such moments, it's crucial for her body to align with what her mind is thinking.

She appreciated that Charo Santos offered a comforting hug after the take, and they both apologized in case of any accidental hurts. To decompress from her character’s emotional load, Mercedes also spends time with friends, reminding herself that the scenes she just did weren’t real.

If social media trends and memes are any indication of an actress’ impact, Mercedes has undoubtedly achieved ‘pop icon’ status thanks to the buzz surrounding her portrayal of Lena. “Natutuwa ako, kasi, siyempre part na rin ‘yun ng success ng ‘Batang Quiapo’ and vice versa. Sa success ng ‘Batang Quiapo,’ nasasama kaming actors. Nare-recognize rin kami, not just the main actors, kundi ‘yung mga co-actors ko rin na nagsisimula pa lang at mga co-actors ko na mas active sa paggawa ng pelikula. So, parang nagiging pantay-pantay,” she shared.

She has noticed more and more people recognizing her in public, sometimes even calling her 'Lena.' She had an interesting encounter in Bicol where a woman glared at her with apparent anger over her on-screen persona. “Dapat ba akong kabahan? Kasi baka saktan ako nito,” she quipped.

But, as far as Mercedes is concerned, bring on the hate—she sees it as a testament to her success. “Compliment ‘yun sa akin for me. Kasi big sabihin effective ‘yung ginagawa ko kasi naiinis ka sa akin.”

Mercedes attributes much of her success to the collaborative spirit behind the scenes. Her favorite part of each taping day is the morning huddle when they first arrive, fresh and full of energy. The cast gathers to chat and discuss the day’s plans, adding their own input to the scenes. The magic we see on TV isn’t just from the script or the creatives’ ideas; it’s shaped by all of the cast members as well. Seeing their teamwork come together to create something special on screen makes her even more appreciative of the talented actors she works with, from whom she continually learns and grows.

Watch “FPJ's Batang Quiapo,” weeknights at 8 PM on Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, A2Z, TV5 and iWantTFC,