After playing the role of Manuela Apolonio in "Pulang Araw," Sparkle artist Ashley Ortega is taking her characters to a whole new level.

Playing the role of Angel in her upcoming series, ''Apoy Sa Dugo'', Ashley shared that she had to undergo physical changes to look unstable.

"First time ko rin talaga mag-prepare ng may changes physically. Usually, ang ginagawa ko lang before is yung kailangan mag-diet. Pero dito kasi yung whole vibe and look even yung hair ko kasi I wanted na maging unstable yung look ni Angel sa series (It's also my first time preparing for something that involves physical changes, usually the only thing I do before is dieting. But this is where the whole vibe and look even with my hair, because I wanted Angel's look to be unstable in the series)," Ashley shared during the media conference.

According to Ashley, saying yes to the project opened the door for her to step out of her usual "sweet girl" persona.

"Actually ayun talaga yung gusto ko, kinausap ako ng manager ko after PBB kung ano gusto ko gawin, sabi ko gusto ko muna maging kontrabida sa isang show kasi magkaroon ng ibang atake ngayon kasi kung yung old ashley pa-sweet girl gusto ko medyo matanggal muna sa mga tao (Actually, that’s really what I want. After PBB, my manager asked me what I wanted to do next. I told him I want to play a villain on a show because people would see a different side of me. If they still see the old Ashley as the sweet girl, then this time I want to step away from that image and distance myself a bit for a while)," She added.

Diving into a character that has a mental health issue, Ashley admitted that she did a lot of research about personality disorders and even took inspiration from Angelina Jolie's look from the film "Girl Interrupted."

"Before we created our character, talagang kumausap kami ng psychiatrist just to know what kind of behavior angel has, and of course, yung mga inspiration sa mga looks and vibes ko, I watched so many psychological movies and thrillers. Nakatulong sa akin, for example, yung look ni Angelina Jolie sa Girl Interrupted and yung primal fear ni Edward Norton and Richard Gere (Before we created our character, we actually talked to a psychiatrist just to know what kind of behavior angel has, and of course, the inspiration for my looks and vibes, I watched so many psychological movies and thrillers. For example, Angelina Jolie's look in Girl Interrupted and Edward Norton and Richard Gere's primal fear helped me)," Ashley said.

However, despite the intense scenes during their shoot, Ashley credits her dog Yoda and co-actors for helping her step away quickly as Angel.

"Actually laging kong dala sa set yung aso ko, si Yoda. Para every after scene may lalaruin ako, kahit si Elle [Villanueva] nilalaro niya rin, siya yung emotional support ko. So totoo lang, kahit yung intense yung mga eksena namin, yung mga cast na mga kasama ko nakabuild na rin ako ng relationship with them (Actually, I always bring my dog, Yoda, to the set. So that after every scene I have someone to play with, even Elle [Villanueva] plays with him, he is my emotional support. So honestly, even when our scenes are intense, the cast members I work with have built a relationship with them) ," Ashley added.

Directed by Ralfh Manuel Malabunga, Apoy sa Dugo is a gripping tale of love pushed to extremes, where obsession ignites betrayal and war follows.

Starring Elle Villanueva, Derrick Monasterio, and Ashley Ortega. The story follows Vanessa, a noble lawyer who defends the poor and voiceless people for free. She is also a loving partner to Marco, a gentle and reserved businessman, who chose his own family over his parents' ambition.

Together, they appear to have the perfect life until a long-lost family member comes knocking.

The start of their nightmare arrives in the form of Angel, Vanessa's half-sister. Drawn by a desperate longing for love and family, Angel becomes dangerously obsessed with the sister she never had and will stop at nothing to keep Vanessa to herself.

When Vanessa discovers the terrible things Angel has done out of love, she makes a choice that the latter cannot forgive.

Adding intensity to the story is a powerhouse cast composed of Ricardo Cepeda and Pinky Amador, together with promising Sparkle artists Thea Tolentino, Patricia Coma, Larkin Castor.

Catch Apoy sa Dugo premiering on March 2 at 4:05 p.m. on GMA Afternoon Prime.