BEA  ALONZO'S  JOURNEY

MANILA, MARCH 31, 2008 (STAR) PEOPLE ASIA By Bing Parel Salud - “I don’t think of what I do as ‘showbiz.’ Rather, I look at it as a craft, where acting is a journey, much like in real life where you learn every day. We meet a lot of different people every day, and you learn from them. For instance, when we have to play the role of the poor, and the setting is in a tenement (or a squatters’ area), you see during breaks the kind of life they lead, what life is like for people in Tondo for instance. On the other hand, if it’s in a mansion, wow! You see how the rich live. You always discover something new,” the ABS-CBN talent explains.

While intrigues and scandals seem to be showbiz fodder (after all, it’s the common belief particularly in the entertainment industry that publicity, good or bad is still publicity), Bea has been fortunate in the sense that she has been spared. “Maybe because I am a private person,” she avers. “The personal things that should not be talked about, I see to it that they remain private, like family and such things,” she adds.

Indeed, one could sense her reluctance to divulge more about her family, though she did admit that her parents separated when she was four, and that she has a younger brother. Born Phylbert Angellie Fagestrom to a British father and a Filipina mother, the young lady admits that she was brought up by her aunts and a grandmother. “At a very young age, I had to be emotionally independent because… I had to fend for myself,” she says, but without any trace of self-pity or bitterness whatsoever.

“At 13, I had to work and become a breadwinner so I was deprived of choosing what I wanted. But I had always wanted to be an actress so this is like a dream that has been fulfilled,” the good looking actress smiles.

Asked if she has plans to continue her education (she was in second year high school when showbiz opened its doors for her), her answer is straightforward. “Well, there are some who can handle their career and school at the same time. But I don’t just want to finish school for the sake of getting a diploma. I don’t see the point. I can’t do something if I’m not passionate and wholehearted about it. Others study so they can work eventually. Me, I’m working so that I would be able to support my studies (later),” Bea, who says she loves reading Brazilian novelist Paolo Coelho, shares.

Oftentimes in showbiz, having a “sweet” face would limit women to playing saccharine characters, to the point that they can give one a toothache, so to speak. But at 15, Bea had shown she has the acting savvy to portray strong characters, like the time she played the role of a 20-year-old lawyer in a TV drama which earned for her a PMPC Star Awards Best Actress nomination in 2003.

“I trust the management in my career path, and I’m confident about their plans for me,” she says.

But what if it was up to her to decide? “Ay, marami akong gustong gawin! (There are so many things I would like to do!) My dream movie? A musical, then a dark film. My dream characters are the Virgin Mary and then a serial killer,” she says.

The danger, Bea Alonzo says, is when an actor says “I have made it, I have arrived,” because then complacency sets in, and that’s the time when one stops learning.

Be that as it may, Bea admits that there are downsides to her profession. For one, people always expect them to be upbeat and bubbly even when they’re having a bad day. “I just try to see things in a positive way, that when I say hi back even when I’m having a bad day, it will make someone happy. It’s a matter of making people happy.”

The other is more complicated, though. “Whenever I’m doing a soap, I get emotional in real life. Sometimes my role affects the way I interact with other people. Like my character in Maging Sino Ka Man. Before I used to slouch so much, and when I started playing the role, I had to be poised all the time – which is good. But the downside is that sometimes you feel like you’re losing your own identity in real life. I find myself pausing – ‘Should I laugh? Should I cry?’ Nawawala who you are in real life,” she admits.

“Like this character in the movie One More Chance, which is about the anatomy of a break-up,” she explains, where the character she plays outgrows the relationship with a long-time boyfriend. “The character has so many what ifs, and it actually affected my love life in real life. That’s when I realized that ‘shucks, this is not good,’” she admits with refreshing candor.

“Love life in real life” means Mico Palanca, (of the Revilla clan in showbiz) and yes, they are still together. “He’s not in the business anymore so I don’t think we’ll be collaborating on a project. And besides, matatawa siguro ako pag makasama siya (I might find myself laughing); that would be an acting block,” she avers.

Asked about the album she is working on, she breaks out in laughter. “Oh yes. It’s a bit embarrassing. My stomach churns every time that subject is brought up. That’s another field that I haven’t explored and I’m a little scared. I love music, and I’m very excited about trying out a new field like music but I’m not confident yet and I am scared at the same time. I’m no Sarah Geronimo or Rachel Ann Go, but what I am offering is easy listening, an album of songs that I like personally. My own music to inspire people.

“That’s my mission in life – to inspire people. Because in our business, there are so many opportunities to inspire people. Like one time, there was this person who wanted to commit suicide, but when she saw a movie where she was able to relate with the character, she changed her mind. Those are the things that make it really worthwhile,” she smiles.

In this journey of life, Bea Alonzo still has a long way to go – but along the way, there’s no doubt she will be learning precious lessons that would serve her in good stead.