Andrea Brillantes said she prayed hard before accepting her daring role in “Batang Quiapo,” in which she was showed engaging in an intimate scene with fellow actor Jake Cuenca.

Brillantes made headlines earlier this month after her character Fatima Benito was revealed to be more audacious than her previous roles. A teaser showed the actress engaging in an intimate scene with Cuenca who was 16 years her senior.

In a TV interview, Brillantes said accepting the mature role and doing the intimate scene was a personal decision that she reached upon consultation with her loved ones and after a deep, personal reflection.

“Mas daring siya compared sa iba kong mga roles. Mas level up siya. Mas mature siya. Hindi ko inakala actually na gagawin ko, or maiisipan kong gawin (It is more daring compared to my previous roles. It is a level-up. It is more mature. I didn’t expect that I would do this or I would think of doing this),” she told TV Patrol.

“Personal decision ko namang gawin ito. This is my first time doing something na physically intimate,” she said. “Kinausap ko ‘yung mom [and] friends ko. I asked for advice and I also prayed about it kasi this is a new path for me, a new journey, [and] alam ko naman maaalagaan ako sa ‘Batang Quiapo.’”

(It is my personal decision to do this. This is my first time doing something physically intimate. I talked to my mother and friends. I asked for advice and also prayed about it because this is a new path for me and a new journey. I know that I will be taken care of in “Batang Quiapo.”)

The actress’ “Batang Quiapo” stint is her first acting project since transferring to Shirley Kuan’s talent management.

Aside from Brillantes and Cuenca, Angel Aquino, Albert Martinez, Chanda Romero, and Celia Rodriguez were also announced as the newest cast members of “Batang Quiapo.”

The action drama, which stars co-director and creative director Coco Martin, is based on the 1986 film starring the late Fernando Poe Jr.