No pulling punches: Beauty Gonzalez gets real about sampalan scenes

For Beauty Gonzalez, realism on screen often demands more than memorized lines and camera angles—especially when a scene calls for raw emotion and physical confrontation. In her work on House of Lies, the actress spoke candidly about the challenge of doing sampalan scenes honestly, without shortcuts, while still respecting her co-actors.

“I always ask permission naman, ‘Is it okay?’ I mean, I’m sorry but hindi ako nandadaya. It’s hard for me mandaya,” Gonzalez shared. (“I always ask permission, ‘Is it okay?’ I mean, I’m sorry, but I don’t fake it. It’s hard for me to fake it.”) She stressed that consent always comes first before any physically demanding scene. For her, authenticity matters—but never at the expense of professionalism or safety.

She recalled working closely with Kris Bernal and admitted that the physical contrast between them made her extra cautious. “Sabi niya, okay naman daw. Pero ang liit niya, Tito Boy! Puwede ko lang siyang ganunin isang kamay! Jusko! Isang gano’n ko lang ng sipa ko lilipad na siya!” she said. (“She said it was okay. But she’s so small, Tito Boy! I could handle her with just one hand! My gosh! If I even slapped like that once, she’d fly.”)

Despite the intensity required, Gonzalez said she often feels conflicted. “So parang I don’t wanna hurt also but at the same time, parang ayoko rin mandaya,” she explained. (“So I don’t want to hurt anyone, but at the same time, I don’t want to fake it either.”) The balance between realism and restraint, she said, is one of the hardest parts of such scenes.

In the end, trust made all the difference. “But well, I’m so thankful na game siya and we want to give our best so it’s easier for me,” Gonzalez added. (“I’m really thankful she was game, and we both wanted to give our best, so it became easier for me.”)

For Beauty Gonzalez, sampalan scenes are not about shock value. They are about consent, collaboration, and a shared commitment to performances that feel honest, convincing, and grounded in mutual respect.