Eugene Domingo: Today I'm 60% Dora.

Living proof that sheer talent can still take you places in Philippine showbiz, Eugene Domingo’s career started in 1992 with a steady stream of cameos and supporting roles in various soap operas, comedy shows and indie films. A Best Supporting Actress Award veteran, she has cinched the acting title for films like Bahay Kubo in 2007, Foster Child and Pisay in 2008 and 100, an entry in last year’s Cinemalaya Film Festival.

This year, she takes the lead role as both Kimmy and Dora Go Dong Hae, twins who sit on opposite sides of the personality spectrum. With too-hard-to-ignore, fall-off-your-chair, laugh-a-minute comedy antics, a steamy swimming pool scene with killer lines like, “I’m just a girl floating in front of a boy, asking him to love her,” and a gorgeous leading man in Dingdong Dantes, Eugene goes head-to-head with Sacha Baron Cohen when Kimmy Dora opens in cinemas next week the same time as Bruno.

Eugene dazzles us her wit, shares her need for sleep and how she’s praying that no typhoon will bar anyone from watching her upcoming comedy film, Kimmy Dora, next week:

When you started acting on stage for Dulaang UP, did you know that you were going to be a comedienne?

All I knew was that I was interested in playing different roles. And that is still what I want to do, to play character roles, not necessarily laging komedyante. Kung tatanungin mo ko, isang malaking karangalan ang magpasaya ng tao. Not all my films were comedy, I did Pisay, Foster Child, and soap operas, hindi naman sila laging nakakatawa.

Domingo also plays Kimmy, Dora's evil twin.

At what exact moment did you discover you were funny, that you could do comedy?

Di ko talaga sinasadya na magpatawa, mahilig lang talaga ‘kong maki-sagutan, nararamdaman ko lang na nakakatawa to, kasi nakikiliti ako. Mahilig akong manggaya, di ko naman alam na nakakatawa na pala yon.

Which local actresses you admire most?

Ai-ai delas Alas is really funny, my God, tumutulo ang luha ko sa kanya. Pokwang is also funny. Veteran comedians like Chichay, Nova Villa, Mitch Valdes, and Nanette Inventor. Lahat sila nakakatawa, iba’t-ibang flavors.