Sparkle star Cheska Fausto is officially entering her kontrabida era in a major, major way and she’s embracing the darkness with open arms! In an interview at the recent grand mediacon for the upcoming series, ‘Hating Kapatid,’ the actress opened up about the personal significance of her major role, the pressures of playing the villain, and the instant chemistry with her on-screen kambal.

Fausto, looking absolutely radiant in a mint green off-the-shoulder dress, confessed that bagging this “big role” comes as an answer to a recent personal query. “Earlier this year,” she shared, “I got to a point where I was thinking to myself, ‘Will the roles I portray as an actress ever level up?'” While passionately noting that “there are no small roles, only small actors.”

Fausto acknowledged that the scale of this project and her character, Talia Dizon, marks a significant career milestone. She revealed a long-held ambition: “Even back during Sparkada days, I really said I wanted to take the kontrabida path.”

Fausto’s enthusiasm for the antagonistic role is palpable. She admitted that as soon as the role was announced, she immediately went to work, preparing her notebook and pen to flesh out Talia’s entire backstory, even before receiving the full script.

But what about the pressure? Fausto views it simply: “The pressure comes from how the audience will take the story, how they will take the characters. Those are the things you can’t control.” Her ultimate goal as an actress for the show is beautifully simple: “I pray that people, our audiences, would get to hate Talia Dizon, but love Cheska Fausto as an actress.” This is the mark of a true performer ready to commit to her craft!

Fausto also touched on her relationship with her on-screen “twin,” Mavy Legaspi, noting the inevitable closeness that develops among the cast. “It’s inevitable that we will become close, or have a closeness, a bond, friendship. It’s everyone, not just with Mavy,” she explained, emphasizing that with the intense, week-to-week taping schedule, true friendships naturally bloom. Ultimately, whether their on-screen bond is fraught with conflict or not, the cast is united by a singular goal: “to make this a really successful one and hopefully inspire all of our viewers.”

Cheska Fausto is clearly ready to make her mark on the afternoon prime. We’re ready to get hooked!