When did you decide that you wanted to get into showbusiness?

Actually, my first taste of showbiz was when I came as runner-up in Miss World Philippines 2015 but I've always wanted to act ever since I was a kid. It was just my luck that the people from VIVA contacted me after the competition and got me into the business.

Did you have any formal education in acting?

When I was about 6, I got into stage acting at the school I was in but I never grew up think na, "Ah, p'wede kong gawing job ito" or "Gusto kong maging artista." I just did it for fun and for my passions, ganun lang. But when VIVA contacted me, it made me realize that I could turn my passion into a career. I'm enjoying it so far naman.

Tell us an interesting story from your theater days

Uhm, oh, there was this time that we had a play about the story of Jesus Christ and I played Joseph.


Wait, like Joseph the carpenter? The guy?

Yeah! I was a guy. They put me in that role because it had a lot of singing parts and I was one of the only actors that could sing.


You definitely don't look like a guy, though

We also did cabaret! That was pretty feminine and sexy, I guess? I was just happy acting because it's my passion.


That we can get behind. Is there any difference between acting on stage versus acting on television?

I didn't do theater acting professionally so I'm not sure how well I can answer that but a lot of my friends did say that it's totally different. Like, in theater you have to project loudly since you're doing it for a live audience, while in TV, you have to consider how you look on camera more.


What do you mean by 'how you look on camera?'

How do I explain it ba? Hmm, it's like when you're on stage you have to exaggerate your facial expressions and your movement so the audience can feel your performance but in TV you get a lot of close-ups. You really have to be aware about how you look.


We doubt you have any problems looking good on camera

No! I really had to think about which angle I could turn in order to not have a double chin or something. It's a lot harder than it looks. 


So how did you cope with those extreme close ups?

I think I concentrated on how to act with my eyes.


Your eyes?

Yes, for TV, what I learned is it's in the eyes talaga. You have to learn how to look sad... but through your eyes, how to be mad... but through your eyes. You have to speak with your eyes because if your face looks too animated it might look exaggerated and forced.


Did you learn anything else from acting in teleseryes like maybe what face to make in close ups?

I learned that there are a lot of stress involved in making one. You have to be patient because there are long hours to put in to make everything look good. I had to adjust to Filipino in particular because it isn't my first language. When I first started, the directors asked me to do an ad lib and I panicked because I wasn't really confident in what I was saying. It's really hard but I keep on learning on the job.