Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza in a picture from 2015 — Mendoza’s first year in showbiz. Image: Facebook/@AldenRichards
As Maine Mendoza marked five years since she entered the showbiz industry, she received a greeting from someone who has been with her since the start: actor Alden Richards.
Mendoza celebrated her showbiz anniversary last Saturday, July 4, on Facebook Live, as seen on the page of her handler, talent management firm All Access to Artists.
Richards’ recorded message to her was among the video greetings from colleagues and fans featured in the live show.
“Maine, gulat ka no? Akala mo kung sino. ‘Di, joke lang. Happy, happy 5th anniversary sa showbiz,” he said.
(Maine, you were surprised, weren’t you? You thought this would be someone else. No, just kidding. Happy, happy 5th anniversary in showbiz.)
“Sobrang tine-treasure ko lahat ng mga pinagsamahan at pinagdaanan natin throughout these years,” he said.
(I really treasure everything that we have been through together, throughout these years.)
He also acknowledged the hard work and adjustments she made as she entered the entertainment industry.
“I’m very happy for you. Five years in showbiz, alam ko naging mahirap sa ‘yo ‘yun kasi una sa lahat hindi ka showbiz na tao eh,” he remarked.
(Five years in showbiz, I know that has been hard for you because first of all, you are not a showbiz person.)
“Happy ako kasi (I am happy because) for the love of your fans, for the love of the craft, for the love of the industry, nag-adjust ka (you adjusted),” he said.
“So thank you sa samahan, thank you sa friendship, higit sa lahat thank you sa mga natulungan mo, sa hard work mo,” he said.
(Thank you for the company, for the friendship, and most of all, thank you for those whom you have helped, for the hard work.)
After Mendoza went viral on the app Dubsmash with her lip-sync impressions, she joined “Eat Bulaga” and made her first appearance on the show on July 4, 2015.
She played the persona “Yaya Dub” and was paired with Richards on the show. Together, they became known as AlDub. As part of a sketch, they communicated only through the show’s split-screen frame by dubbing audio samples of songs, movies and shows.
Besides her TV appearances, Mendoza has also starred in movies, such as “Imagine You and Me” in 2016 with Richards, and “Isa Pa with Feelings” last year opposite Carlo Aquino. JB
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