Denise Esteban is clearly not complaining about landing a role in “Love Forbids,” a 50-episode Viva Movie Box microdrama series directed by Aya Topacio.
Aside from adding another title to her résumé, Denise says the project gave her something even juicier: fresh acting lessons.
“Ganun naman kasi gusto mo sana, di ba? To keep on learning para maging mas magaling ka sa craft mo,” she shared.
Indeed, why stop leveling up when you’re already turning heads?
So what’s new in Acting 101: Vertical Edition?
“Ibang-iba ang atake,” Denise explained. “Kailangan mas exaggerated than usual yung acting mo. Tapos dahil maliit ang screen, kailangan alert ka sa blocking—may adjustments talaga.”
In “Love Forbids,” Denise plays Alyssa, a married woman whose carefully managed life gets deliciously complicated when she literally bumps into her ex.
Yes, sparks fly. Yes, things get steamy. But before anyone hyperventilates—Denise is quick to clarify that this isn’t full-throttle VMX mode.
“Iba ang audience dito, so toned down ang sexy scenes,” she said.
Alyssa, emotionally exhausted by her inability to conceive, is struggling to keep her marriage afloat. Her husband Richard (Akihiro Blanco), determined to fix things, introduces her to their new OB-Gyne—who just happens to be Neil (Alex Medina), Alyssa’s former flame.
Awkward? Very.
Neil, now married to Isabelle (Apple Dy) and father to six-year-old Lily (Zoe Viterbo), may have built a respectable family life, but some fires refuse to stay extinguished. Seeing Alyssa again reminds him that old love doesn’t always age quietly.
What follows is an affair nobody asked for but everyone can’t look away from—except for two people who strongly disapprove: Katrina (Andrea Babierra), Alyssa’s best friend with a moral compass that still works, and Vince (Pat Sugui), Neil’s best friend who’s tired of being used as a walking alibi.
Packed with secrets, lies, longing, and love that refuses to behave, “Love Forbids” asks the ultimate question: when desire knocks again, will you answer?
Find out by downloading Viva Movie Box on Google Play Store, App Store, or Huawei App Gallery.
For more details, visit vivamoviebox.com.
