Image: Instagram/@therealkimdomingo
Every star starts somewhere, and actress Kim Domingo proves she is no exception.
Domingo, who appears in the gag show “Bubble Gang”, shared via Instagram a Facebook post about the realities of being an extra.
The original post was by one Efren Mark Cinco; it was a picture of talents sleeping on cardboards and hammocks by a street, with an explanation of their situation: “Basta may mapahingahan kami wala ng maraming arte. Mga talents pag outdoor scenes? Ito ang tunay na buhay namin.”
(As long as we have a place to rest, there’s no fuss. Talents during outdoor scenes? This is our real life.)
The 23-year-old actress agreed on the truth behind the scenes and shared anecdotes on her humble beginnings. “Napakahirap ng buhay ng isang Talent. Hindi ko makakalimutan nung mga panahon na nagtatalent pako highschool days ko. Inet, pagod, puyat, gutom halo halo na yung nararamdaman mo.”
(The life of a talent is so difficult. I won’t forget the times when I was a talent during my high school days. You feel a combination of heat, exhaustion, lack of sleep, hunger.)
She recalled eating on the street and waiting for hours just to be on the screen for a few seconds. “Hahanap ka pwesto para umidlip man lang (You’ll look for a spot just to nap),” she said.
Domingo earned an online following when she began making Dubsmash videos where one lip synchs to songs. Embracing her sex appeal, she eventually landed the cover of a men’s magazine in December 2015.
Now an actress, model and endorser, Domingo revealed she started earning P500 a day after working nearly 24 hours.
“Masaya nako noon sa 500 pesos na nauuwi kong [talent fee] from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. kinabukasan bilang passer by (yung dadaan ka lang sa eksena) pero aabutin ka ng halos 24 oras sa taping.”
(I was happy with the P500 I brought home after 24 hours of taping where I was only a passerby for a scene.)
The money would go to clothes she could use for the next taping or to help support her family.
“Madaming rason kung bat nagtatalent ang isang tao,” she said, stating her own two reasons. “Dahil gusto ko madiscover dahil pangarap ko na talaga mag artista bata pa lamang ako, at syempre ang kumita ng pera para matulungan ang magulang at sarili.”
(There are many reasons for why a person becomes a talent. I wanted to get discovered because it was my dream to be an actress eversince I was a child, and of course to earn money to help my parents and myself.)
“Ngayon masaya ko, dahil ang dalawang dahilan na yon ay natupad na at sobra sobra pa sa hinangad ko,” she wrote on achieving her dreams. “Kaya every time makakakita ako ng mga talent palagi ko naaalala na minsan naging katulad din nila ko.”
(Now I’m happy because I’ve been able to attain my two dreams and so much more. That’s why every time I see a talent, I always remember that I was once like them.)
She gave advice on talents who are roughing it and waiting for their own big break: “Tyaga at tiis lang dadaloy din ang ginhawa. At wag mawawalan ng pag-asa kung para sa pangarap laban! Kung para kumita ng pera laban! At wag makakalimot sa nasa itaas at kung saan ka nagmula.”
(Have patience and perseverance and prosperity will come. Don’t lose hope, fight for your dreams. If you’re doing it to earn money, keep fighting. Don’t forget who is above and where you came from.)
“Hindi biro ang ginagawa nyo at wala kayong dapat ikahiya dyan (What you’re doing is no joke and is nothing to be ashamed of),” she added. JB
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