Sharon Cuneta missed Hollywood chance due to COVID issue
31 May – Sharon Cuneta recently revealed that she had missed a film opportunity in Hollywood due to a COVID-19 testing gone wrong.
In an Instagram Live session with husband Kiko Pangilinan last week, Cuneta revealed that she actually flew to the United States to film a movie that will star an all-Filipino cast.
"My big surprise was that I was coming to Hollywood to do my first Hollywood film, not for any platform, not for Netflix, but for a cinematic release with premieres all over," she said.
Produced by Steven Spielberg and Dan Lin, Sharon revealed that the Hollywood movie will be headlined by Filipino-American standup comedian Jo Koy, and that she was supposed to play the role of the comedian's aunt.
Said the actress, she was set for filming and was scheduled to fly to Los Angeles, California on May 18 and travel the next day to Canada to start shooting.
"What happened was that before you get on a flight, you need to get a PCR test, a COVID test at least three days before your flight... On May 16, I got swabbed by one laboratory that I cannot find in my heart to forgive," she said.
Just minutes after her online meeting with the film's travel coordinator, the actress said that she was heartbroken after being told by her assistant that her test result came back positive.
She immediately scheduled several other laboratory tests afterwards, which all came back negative. However, it was no use as she could not do the movie anymore due to the first test.
"I lost a huge opportunity that can't be given back to me. Even if Jo Koy and the director wanted me to be part of the film, they didn't have any other choice but to continue with the movie production," she said.
The role had since been given to "General Hospital" actress, Tia Carrere.
"It broke my heart. It really did because it was such an honour to be part of the very first all-Filipino production in Hollywood backed by a producer as big as Steven Spielberg," Sharon said.
Nonetheless, Sharon stated that she is still hopeful that she will get another opportunity in the future, adding that she is still in the US and is going to multiple auditions.
(Photo Source: Sharon Cuneta Instagram)
