hen again, it's what Alessandra, or Alex, is known for: Her blasé countenance, dry wit, and sometimes overly frank opinions have been well documented these past few years. So when Cosmo ask the 19-year-old if she feels pleased about being touted as one of her generation's better dramatic actresses, she raises her eyebrows and dryly says "Oo naman!"

She continues. "Alam mo, madami kaming artista, pero bihira lang 'yung nasasabihan na talagang aktres. Swerte na 'ko, 'di ba?" But despite the local and international acclaim that she has received for her craft (she won two major acting awards by the age of 17 and earned praise-and a Hollywood movie offer!-from international critics with her effortless performance as a rural teacher in the movie Mga Munting Tinig) Alex thinks that her success is mainly serendipitous: "Hindi ko alam kung talagang magaling ako. Baka nagkataon lang."

From fearful to fiery
Born in England on July 19, 1984, Alex Schiavone and her family stayed there until she was three. They then moved to Italy, where they stayed until she was seven. Then she, older sister Assunta and her mother moved to the Philippines while their father and two other sisters (Margherita, 14 and Isabel, 11) stayed behind. As a child, she was quiet and shy.

"Nung maliit kami ni Assunta, maldita ako sa kanya, kinukwento sa akin ng mommy ko," Alex dryly shares. But having been born to a Filipina mother and an Italian father, she was tease mercilessly for being different. The young star remembers being bullied by many people, both from school and showbiz. "Natatandaan ko mula grade school hanggang sa mga second year high school, tahimik at api talaga ako. Api-apihan. Tapos isang araw, nagising ako at sabi ko, 'Ayoko na.'" Alex laughs loudly. "Yuck, ang drama!'

She adds, "Madaming umaapi sa akin, kasi tahimik lang talaga ako. 'Tsaka hindi naman ako maganda. Ngayon lang talaga akong sobrang ganda." She laughs huskily at her own remark.

Looking at the lithe, olive-skinned beauty, it's hard to believe that Alessandra de Rossi even went through an ugly duckling phase. "Actually hindi talaga ako maganda noon. 'Pag nakita kong yung mga picture ko, ang pangit-pangit ko nga. Promise. Ngayon, kahit papaano… maganda na ako. Ngayon, sila naman ang takot."

She pauses to correct herself. "Mabait naman ako. Ayoko lang ng may inaapi." She punctuates her statement with a grin.

When Alex and her family moved here, friends immediately took noticed of their unique beauty. "Hoy and ganda-ganda ng mga anak mo, pwedeng mag-artista!" was the usual comment their mother received. Assunta was the first to try the luck, and Alex shortly followed.

Alex joined ABS-CBN as part of Star Circle Batch 6, but was lost in the fray for several years ("Frozen delight ako," Alex says wryly). Then in 1999, her noteworthy performance in Carlitos Siguion-Reyna's Azucena earned her a FAMAS Best Supporting Actress award at the Metro Manila Filmfest. Critics befan to sti up and take notice of the young dramatic actress, while showbiz reporters began to sit up and take notice of Alex's penchant for straight talking and brutally honest quips.

The young actress is well-known for being straightforward and blunt with her answer, especially when it comes to aspects of her personal life. When asked about her older sister Assunta, Alessandra is understandably less spontaneous, but nevertheless honest, in her replies. The two made showbiz headlines last year after Alex publicity aired her disapproval over Assunta's boyfriend Congressman Jules Ledesma (who could forget a tearful, vengeful Alessandra saying"… 'Yang Congressman Jules Ledesma na 'yan, kung tratuhin kami ay para kaming mga katulong-eh bahay naming 'yon!" during a taped interview in S-Files last year?)

Today the sisters are once again on speaking terms-though time and circumstances have irrevocably altered their relationship. It is safe to say that the two are no longer as close as they used to be. "Nagkikita minsan, pero hindi na kami nagtetext ng 'kamusta,' gano'n."

But Alex is confident that things will return to normal between them. "Tulad ngayong, hindi naman nadadagdagan yung mga pinagaawayan naming, aayos din yan. Pero 'pag may nadagdag, back to squareone. Ngayon, tahimik lang."

With such a frank disposition, doesn't she ever get tired of dealing with all the kaplastikan that showbusiness is notorious for? "Wala akong pakialam sa kanila, kung plastic sila o hindi. Basta alam nila totoo ako, wala na akong pakialam sa kanila."

The softer side of Alex
When it comes to love, Alex tries hard to maintain her nonchalant expression .But when slyly asked about how often she sees Oyo Boy Sotto, she breaks out into a grin. "Everyday. Araw-araw kaming nagkikita. I love him eh. "Then she hoots at her own sappy admission.

Just like her red-hot career, the relationship was something unexpected. Says Alex, "Kami ni Oyo, gulatan." Being close friends with Danica Sotto, a romance with her brother was the last thing on Alex's mind. Not to mention the fact that both were attached at the time-Oyo to Anne Curtis, and Alex to Polo Ravales. "Wala talaga aming pakialam sa isa't isa." According to Alex, Oyo found her even annoying first. "Kasi maingay daw ako kapag pumupunta ako sa bahay nila. Sasabihin niya sa mga pinsan nya, 'Diyos ko, nandiyan na naman si Alex, hassle.'"

Then one evening, Alex followed Danica and some other friends to Libis for a gimmick and found herself seated beside Oyo Boy. For some strange reason, people would come up to them at various times to complement them on being attractive couple. "'Bagay kayo ng boyfriend mo ha.' Tapos maya-maya may iba na naman lalapit: 'Okay bang pahiram muna ng boyfriend mo sandali?' Parang akala nilang lahat na parang ang tagal-tagal na naming magkasama. Tapos pag-uwi ko, tinetext niya ko." At this last statement, more hooting and cackling ensues. Then Alex shrugs and says that the relationship naturally developed from there.

The two have been seeing each other for five months now and according to Alex they share a feeling of strange familiarity, as if they've known each other for a long time. Does she believe in the concept of soulmates? "'Ma! Hindi ko alam! Sabi ganoon daw 'yon-kapag magkasama kayo, tuwang-tuwa 'yung mga tao sa inyo, feeling nila forever na kayo. Diba pag soulmates, hindi naman nagkakatuluyan? Minsan nagmemeet lang kayo, pero hindi nagkakatuluyan."

A month ago, Alex and Oyo Boy broke up after a huge fight, but she says that they've talked and made up since then. According to rumors that were flying thick and fast at the time, Oyo was supposedly eyeing ex-girlfriend Anne Curtis once again, after hearing news that Anne had broken up with her boyfriend Polo Ravales. Alex supposedly told Oyo's wandering eye, and she then confronted him with it-hence the fight.

But Alex firmly says that Anne had nothing to do with the rift, stating instead that the fight was borned out of the differences that naturally occurs between two young lovers. "Alam mo na 'pag bagets, hindi magkaintindihan, may kanya-kanyang points of view. Misunderstanding siguro. Nagkataon na pikon siya, at makulit ako, ganun."

Alex refuses to divulge the exact details of the break-up. She is adamant that at least one part of her life stay private and sacred. "Ayokong pag-usapan kung bakit kami nag-away," Alex stresses. "Basta ang importante, okay na kami ngayon. Inaayos na namin ito."

It's clear that Alex has a sensible hold on love and its entrapments. "Selosa ako," she admits, then mischievously adds "pero hindi ko pinapakita. Dapat kasi, hindi mo pinapakita yon eh."

"Hindi ko alam kung bakit ko sya love," She says frankly about Oyo, when asked what it was about the young Sotto that drew her to him. "Pero ganun dapat ang true love 'di ba? Kung alam mo ang rason kung bakit mo mahal ang isang tao, hindi 'yon true love. Ewan ko ba kung unconditional love ba talaga iyon o ano, pero kung mahal mo siya talaga, dapat hindi mo alam kung bakit. Dapat walang rason."

The future on hold
You finally realize that Alex has a curious mix of caution and brazen confidence. The spunky actress is game enough to try anything once, relishes the fruits of her hard work, but is careful when it comes to the future, her hopes, and all things untangible. She is wary of what she cannot hold. "Dati kasi, may plano ako sa buhay, pero nadidismaya ako. 'Pag hindi natutuloy, nasasaktan lang ako. Kaya huwag na lang. Kung ano na lang ang dumating. Bahala na si Lord."

The young actress has just emerged from a busy period in her career, having just wrapped up two movies in time for this month's film fest: Homecoming with Suki director Gil Portes, wherein she plays an overseas worker infected with SARS; and Mano Po II, where she plays the angst-ridden daughter of a Chinese businessman (Christopher de Leon) and his third wife (Lorna Tolentino). "Mabait na rebelde and role ko," Alex quips. She is also part of the cast of GMA's newest soap opera, which as of presstime is tentatively titled Hiling Ko. She's also herBench's latest underwear model, with no less than Ben Chan himself singing praises for the young star.

"Alex's beauty is more than skin deep," Ben says. "She's an award-winning actress with the figure of a model, and she has no qualms about baring herself under the scrutiny of the lens-definitely an ideal model for the herBench and teen underwear line."

Alex also has the distinct claim of being the only Filipina who has had the pleasure of turning Brad Pitt down (we can hear the angry shouts of Pinays everywhere.) Hollywood producers form Red Wagon Entertainment saw her performance in Mga Munting Tinig and immediately called her L.A. agent Rey Cuerdo to ask if Alex was interested in doing a movie with the Hollywood hunk in his next movie (to be se in the Philippines). The role, however, called for a 30-year-old woman, so when they saw her in person, they found the actress a tad too young. They asked her to audition for the role, and Alex declined. "Mataray ako," Alex chuckles. "Hindi ko pinatulan si Brad Pitt. Hayaan mo siya. Ayokong mag-audition eh!"

When asked about her dream role, Alex says that she would like to try all sorts of roles, having no particular preference. "Ayoko lang gumanap ng patay. Kasi hindi ako marunong magpatay-patayan. Ang tanga ko. Mamumura ako ng director. Kasi ang likot-likot ko eh! Hindi nga ako marunong magtulug-tulugan. Goodness."

She's pretty much happy where she is right now, although Alex has toyed-at one time or another-with the idea of becoming a pre-school teacher, photographer, and pilot. "Dati gusto ko maging lawyer!" She explains. "Kaya hindi ako nag-college eh, ang dami ko kasing gusto."

But what Alex really, really, really wants to be… is a mermaid. "Seryoso. Pero mukhang Malabo 'yun ano?" She comments wryly. "Bata pa lang ako, nagpe-pray talag ako na maging sirena ako kapag nabasa ako. Siyempre 'di ko alam na imposible pala 'yon." Then she brightens up a bit and wryly quips, "At least, sa movies, possible!"
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