Sharon Cuneta reveals losing Hollywood project due to ‘false positive’ COVID-19 test

After much speculation, Sharon Cuneta said that she flew to the United States earlier this month for her first Hollywood movie project. However, she had to let go of the opportunity after she received a “false positive” from her COVID-19 test results. 

In an Instagram live session with her husband Sen. Kiko Pangilinan on Friday, May 28, the Megastar said that she was supposed to be part of a Hollywood film starring 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. The Hollywood film will be headlined by Filipino-American standup comedian Jo Koy and produced by Dan Lin and Steven Spielberg. 

“I was so honored to be chosen to be part of it,” Sharon said. She added that she was supposed to play Jo Koy’s aunt in the film, recalling that she already had several zoom meetings and line reading sessions with the casting directors. 

Sharon relayed that she was already all set for the filming – she 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 began. 

The Megastar recounted that on May 17, just minutes after her online meeting with the film’s travel coordinator, she was told by her assistant that her test result came back positive.

“It was heart-wrenching and heartbreaking for me. Literally, nanlambot ako, para akong natunaw (I got so weak),” she said. Sharon added that she immediately scheduled several laboratory tests after to confirm the results. 

However, all the succeeding tests came back negative. “It was a total of seven tests after that first supposedly positive test. All the seven different labs tested me negative. That’s why I was so depressed. It was false positive and seven trusted labs tested me negative,” she said. 

Sharon said she can’t help but feel emotional for missing such a huge opportunity. “Nawalan ako ng malaking oportunidad na hindi na mababalik sa akin. Kahit gusto nila Jo Koy at director na nandoon pa rin ako, wala silang choice kundi ituloy ‘yung movie.”

(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 that her role was given to Tia Carrere, the Filipino-American actress who starred in the series General Hospital and was the voice behind Nani from Lilo and Stitch. 

“When I couldn’t make it, she got the other lead role. It broke my heart. It really did because it was such an honor to be part of the very first all-Filipino production in Hollywood backed by a producer as big as Steven Spielberg,” Sharon said. 

She added that she was thankful for her husband Kiko who let her mourn the loss. “I needed to go to America and just leave the country and make myself productive so I licked my wounds here,” she explained. 

“Hindi na maibabalik sa akin ‘yung oportunidad dahil lang sa isang pagkakamali sa COVID test kasi seven labs against one. Siguro naman tama ‘yung seven.” (I can’t get that opportunity back just because of one wrong COVID test. It was seven laboratories against one. Hopefully, it was the seven results that were correct.)  

Despite this, Sharon is still hopeful that she would get another opportunity like this. She added that she’s still staying in the US to go to multiple auditions. 

“The good news is my manager hasn’t stopped. I have Zoom meetings left and right, auditions left and right. That’s why I’m here because now people here know that I am accessible and I am available,” she said. 

Sharon also added that she still has plans to go back to the Philippines for her other commitments. She is currently a judge in the ABS-CBN celebrity competition Your Face Sounds Familiar.

Sharon has also been vocal about her plans to “semi-retire” from showbiz. – Rappler.com