Memorable celebrity quotes of 2019

(First of 2 parts)

As 2019 comes to a close, let me share 19 quotes from some celebs I featured in this column. Thank you to the stars for trusting me with their stories and to my readers for “Dollywooding” with me. May the new year give us 20/20 vision of our plans and goals “para bentang-benta ang bente-bente” (so 2020 will be solid).

Sarah Geronimo

SARAH GERONIMO: I’m a perfectionist and an idealist. That’s why I have a tendency to get disappointed. I have to remind myself that nobody’s perfect. We all keep evolving. I always want to outdo myself in every performance.

Lovi Poe

LOVI POE: I’m not for annulment nor am I against it. I believe in fighting for a relationship until you can. Although some things can be hard to fix. Sometimes, it’s better to love people from afar.

Christian Bables

CHRISTIAN BABLES: Being known is just part of the job. The real job is to stay diligent and hungry as an actor. You’re only as good as your last work. Fame is just a bonus. There’s more to being an actor than fame. Even if you’re already famous, you must feel like a beginner who’s open to learning new things.

BOY ABUNDA: Even liars have rights. I am an interviewer, not a judge.When I sense that my interviewee is lying, all I can do is probe more incisively and fiercely, then I let my audience decide.

JOHN ARCILLA: Passion and being aggressive can be mistaken for arrogance in the absence of diplomacy. My portrayal of Heneral Luna taught me the importance of restraint and moderation … that sincerity is different from truth and intention.

Bela Padilla

BELA PADILLA: I don’t have dramatic relationships. I’ve only had two boyfriends, and the breakups from both were very maturely dealt with. I can safely say that if I bump into them and their girlfriends now, I wouldn’t have trouble saying hello.

PAOLO BALLESTEROS: I’ve always had a positive outlook in life. I hardly dwell on the problems. Instead, I look for solutions—changing the mind-set on how to deal with it. With that said, my biggest Calvary was, and will always be, the Calvary of the heart. That’s because you can never tell your heart whom to love.

MARK BAUTISTA: As a bisexual, I am happy that in this day and age, we don’t need to explain our choices in life. We can be whatever we want to be.

Jaclyn Jose

JACLYN JOSE: The best part of being Jaclyn Jose is winning acting awards. That gives me staying power. There’s nothing really tough about being me. I always make it a point to be true to myself and respect everyone’s individuality.

(Conclusion tomorrow)