Elisse Joson took viewers by surprise with her unexpected appearance as the young Tindeng in "FPJ’s Batang Quiapo." For weeks, fans had been buzzing with theories about who would portray the younger version of Charo Santos’ beloved character after the series teased Tindeng’s backstory in its latest chapter. But no one expected Elisse to step into the role, making her apperance a trending topic among viewers.

And she proved that she was more than deserving of the assignment, as she delievered an intense and heartbreaking performance in her very first scene, where a young Tindeng, who works as an office staff member, endures abuse at the hands of then-Mayor Gustavo (played by Jhong Hilario, whose surprise appearance left viewers stunned as well).

ABS-CBN Studios caught up with Elisse, who was then sitting gracefully in the makeup chair, looking as beutiful as ever. Asked about her experience with "FPJ's Batang Quiapo," she called it nerve-wracking.  "Siyempre nakakakaba to play a young Ma'am Charo Santos," she smiled.

From the very start, she understood the weight of portraying Tindeng, a character who inspires many viewers with her female strength. Tindeng knows when to fight and when to step back. But what makes her story even more compelling is the painful truth that even the strongest women can fall victim to abuse. This layered complexity makes the role even more challenging yet exciting for Elisse, as she has to capture both Tindeng’sstrength and vulnerability. "I just hope I've given it justice," Elisse said, before hinting that there’s still more to uncover in Tindeng’s backstory.

Connecting with Tindeng’s character wasn’t too difficult for Elisse, though, thanks to her being an avid viewer of "FPJ’s Batang Quiapo" (of coure, she’s also been keeping up with the show to support her partner, McCoy de Leon, who plays the widely hated David in the series). She's followed Tindeng’sjourney closely, so she already had a deep understanding of the character she'd be portraying.

"Since alam ko na 'yung present niya, it helps a lot na alam ko kung nasaan na ang future Tindeng—'yung future ng character ko," she explained. So insted of figuring out everything from scratch, her preparation focused more on studying Tindeng’s nuances to really make it feel like she's her younger version.

"Prior to shooting, nanood ako ng mga previous episodes that showed 'yung mga distinct emotions ni Tindeng, kung kailansiya masaya, paano siya 'pag galit, paano 'yung kilig, meron din kasing slight love story si Tindeng," shared Elisse. 'Yun ang mga inaral ko... pinanood ko." 

Elisse also shared that the whole team was very cautious during the filming process. Her scene partner, Jhong, made sure to look after her, "He was very careful. Nakakatuwa lang kasi, on screen, it looks parang grabe pero while doing it, everything was done na lahat naging careful sa isa't isa."

She was supposed to have a double for the delicate scenes, but she got so caught up in the moment that the momentum just carried her through. The take continued smoothly, and she ended up doing the intense scenes herself. "Pagkatapos, para akong nag-workout sa sobrang pagod," she quipped.

Like many actors, joining the cast of "FPJ's Batang Quiapo" was a dream come true for Elisse.