Beyond fame and glamor, being an artist is a journey that comes with tribulations. Having survived theirs, Andrea Brillantes, AC Bonifacio, Belle Mariano, Donny Pangilinan, Francine Diaz, and Seth Fedelin imparted important advice to the younger batches of Star Magic talents at the Star Magical Prom.
Freshmen Class
Star Magic’s freshman class representative Jana Agoncillo delighted everyone when she walked the ivory carpet in full bloom. In her speech, the former child star known for her past characters as Starla and Ningning truly glowed with beauty and yearning to pursue her passion. She mentioned that while their batch stepped out of the limelight during the pandemic, they remained devoted to their workshops and trainings under Star Magic. Now, they are ready to take on bigger and more challenging roles and are asking for tips from their ‘ates’ and ‘kuyas’ in Star Magic.
Heeding the youngblood’s call for advice, Francine Diaz and Seth Fedelin, who are admired for their strong sets of talents and characters, imparted the proper game plan for building a steady career in showbiz, one that involves a great amount of humility.
Francine shared, “Accept rejections. Magkamali lang kayo nang magkamali kasi ‘yun ang magiging tulay n’yo to a successful life and successful career. Always remember to keep moving forward, to keep on fighting everyday, and to have that brave and kind heart.
”Meanwhile, Seth reminded the freshmen that showbiz isn’t about fame, but rather longevity and that they must cling to their Star Magic family for guidance.
Sophomore Class
On behalf of his batchmates, class representative Harvey Bautista, son of Herbert Bautista, talked about their thirst to entertain and tell stories. This batch of sophomores has a lot to offer beyond good looks and acting skills, as some of them are influencers, performers, and even potential beauty queens.
With such big dreams, they need a big sibling to make their journey a little less daunting but more inspiring. They sure have one in AC Bonifacio, who is proof that with talent, hard work, and the right support system, anyone can achieve greatness.
AC taught the sophomore class to measure success not by statistics but through the impact they leave on other people. “In my eight years that I have been in the industry, something I’ve learned is that being successful is not about how many shows you have. It’s not about the endorsements, your music, your streams. It’s about having the ability to inspire other people, being able to push other people to do what they want to do and be passionate about what they love.”
She hopes that they find the same amount of courage to pursue bigger things. But, best of all, she hopes they remain respectful and grounded.
Junior Class
For the junior class, former Pinoy Big Brother housemate Shanaia Gomez vowed that their batch would maximize every opportunity they get. To further deepen their thinking about showbiz and success, the young, intelligent, and driven Andrea Brillantes responded to Shanaia’s speech.
Andrea’s career journey from a child star to teen sensation and now a fearless young adult has been nothing short of impressive. And the juniors will surely learn to carry their brave hearts in pursuing their passion, as Andrea shows by example.
That night, she was more than willing to educate them about one of the biggest hurdles in a celebrity’s life – the haters. She said the best weapon against bashers is sticking your core as an individual. “You know what matters? ‘Yung kung paano kayo bilang tao, paano kayo bilang artista. Kayo ba ay masipag? Kayo ba ay mabait sa lahat o kayo ba ‘yung artista na nang-aapak ng iba upang makaangat?”
If there’s anyone credible enough to talk about patience and timing, it would be none other than Andrea. “Ako, I had to work hard for ten years para mabilhan ko ng bahay ‘yung pamilya ko. It took some time pero it happened.” She told the junior batch: “Huwag kayong magpadala sa pressure. Nandito tayo kasi may pangarap tayo. Hindi ‘to pabilisan. Andito tayo kasi may goal tayong lahat.”
After all, they’re all young. And despite the uncertainties, as Andrea puts it, youth is meant to be savored.
Senior Class
Athlete-turned-model Ralph de Leon was chosen as the senior batch representative. In his speech, he talked about their determination to build a solid career in showbiz even if they experience challenges along the way. They call it passion.
“We know what we want and we know what it takes to get it. Like during my athlete days, we train hard, we prepare ourselves physically, mentally, and emotionally. Kaya sigurado po ako at maaasahan n’yo pa sa amin na ibibigay po namin ang lahat sa kahit anong project na ibigay n’yo sa amin,” said Ralph.
Since we’re talking about passion here, it only makes sense that Donny Pangilinan and Belle Mariano give a message to this batch. DonBelle exudes ‘love’ in anything they do. Whether in acting, interviews, or pictorials, they show what passion is all about. As they transition from a new love team to more grown-up artists, they are also ready to take on another role – to be the ‘Ate’ and ‘Kuya’ to the younger batch of Star Magic talents.
Their advice to them boils down to three things: patience, humility, and purpose. Belle admitted she almost quit showbiz had she not learned to wait and believe in herself and the management. “Mostly, I learned to believe that God’s plan will learn accordingly. And I want you to embody that,” she expressed.
Donny added, “Each and every single one of you here has a purpose in life. It’s no accident that you’re literally sitting and standing where you are right now at this time tonight. There are so many people who want to be in your place. Yet, here you are, and that is because of a reason that you, guys, have to find out with yourself, with people who love you and who you love.”
He went on to remind them to consider Star Magic a real family, and to never forget the people who’ve been with them from the beginning.