Direk Aya almost scolded everyone in T.G.I.S. except one, Anne Curtis!

Household TV director Aya Topacio has been used to handling newbies since she started her career.

In the mid-90s, she was an assistant director for the VIVA youth-oriented show T.G.I.S, which jumpstarted the careers of Angelu de Leon, Bobby Andrews, Sunshine Dizon, Dingdong Dantes, and Anne Curtis.

Working with directors Mark Reyes and Dominic Zapata, Direk Aya learned how to make the actors feel comfortable while being “medyo strict” to unleash their full potential.

She recalls, “Na-adapt ko yung working with Direk Mark Reyes on how he handles the cast, he was like a family kasi kaya lumabas doon yung relationship at saka galing ng artista.

“That goes with Direk Dominic Zapata, they were tandem kasi that time, I was there as an assistant director, sa kanila ko natutunan yung kailangan maging komportable yung artista sa set para mailabas mo sa kanila yung galing.

“Although that time medyo strict tayo pero tama naman yung magagalit ka or may limitation. Pero there’s a way of doing it at yun yung nakita kong effective kasi halos lahat sila, sumikat talaga, e.”

Direk Aya remembers scolding almost all the cast except for one!

She says, “Lahat sila. Everybody, even si Bobby, si Onemig [Bondoc], si Red [Sternberg], tapos si Polo [Ravales], Dino Guevarra.

“Si Anne kasi, hindi, e. Lovable kasi si Anne although yung language is a barrier.

“And yung mga ibang cast namin before, Jason Aguilar, di ba? He was part of T.G.I.S., yung second. So, talagang dati, Chubi del Rosario, yun talaga, very strict kami ni Direk Dom. Pero we let them feel na it’s work kasi pagkatapos ng trabaho, we explain bakit nangyayari.”

We then asked if there is one distinct memory that stuck with her about getting mad at a T.G.I.S. cast member.

She shares, “Hindi ko na lang papangalanan, ha. It was in one of those shows, napagalitan siya kasi pinilosopo niya yung direktor na kasama ko, the director was giving instructions.

“Siguro,. playful siya, sobrang playful nitong actor na ito, so biniro-biro niya si Direk. E, yung sa akin, pagdating
sa ganung biro na seryoso na yung trabaho, medyo foul na yun, e, at nag-uumpisa siya.

“So, yan yung time na galit na galit ako tapos ang dami kong sinabi sa kanya. So that was one of the experiences. Naging okay naman.

“Actually, lahat naman sila, naging okay. Even Dingdong and everybody, alam nila yun, e. Istrikto ako, yung
ginagalaw ko yung [mukha nila]. ‘Ito lang titignan mo, hanggang dito ka lang, marker yan.’ Ganun namin kasi
ginagawa noong araw.”