Soap Hub Performer Of The Week For DAYS: Elia Cantu

Jada’s attempts to get to the root cause of Talia’s criminality proved to be a banner showcase for actress Elia Cantu.

Elia Cantu — Performer Of The Week

Cantu’s first scene had her taking in the sight of her costar’s bruised and battered face — the result of Talia’s (Aketra Sevillian) plunge from the roof of a multi-story hotel. Her Jada stood dejected; shoulders slumped; her very being aching at the image before her.

Soon Cantu had fire behind her eyes and had adopted a stiffer posture. Talia had dared to broach the subject that was Colin (Jasper Newman) AKA the reason for her predicament and Jada was furious.

“Colin? You’re seriously worried about that monster at a time like this?! Have you forgotten where you are, and what you did to aid and abet that son of a bitch?! The only person that you need to worry about right now is Talia.”

Talia granted that her situation was bad, but proffered that as this was her first offense the authorities wouldn’t come down very hard on her…right? Wrong!

“I just had a visit with D.A. Trask, and she intends to throw the book at you…She was one of your victims. She ended up in the hospital thanks to your poisoned biscuits. She could have died. Although, as tragic as that would have been, that would have been better for you because now you have a pissed off, a very pissed off district attorney who is gunning for you…Why Talia? What the hell were you thinking?!”

While Cantu had delivered the majority of Jada’s lines in tone ranging from cross to condescending, she then lowered the volume and sweetened the voice and implored Talia to “help her understand this” — and in the face of Talia’s indignity, Cantu managed to keep to her pitch steady and her register just this side of irritable…until she didn’t.

When Talia continued on, Cantu darkened her expression, lowered an octave, and spit out that she doesn’t actually think that her kin “gets it.”

“And I wasn’t kidding earlier. You are incredibly lucky that no one suffered permanent damage or worse. Why Talia? Why in God’s name would want to hurt so many people that you don’t even know?”

Talia’s damning summary of life with Colin led to a spark going off in Jada’s mind — special kudos to Elia Cantu for so expertly telegraphing the moment of connection — “How could I have not known that you were in an abusive relationship?”

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