How Tony turned ‘humbling’ airport incident around

Tony Labrusca

Being an actor is not just about fame and fortune, said Tony Labrusca; it’s also about self-sacrifice and dealing with a lot of frustrations.

Recalling “a humbling experience” that happened to him almost two years ago, Tony said he had received intense bashing from people “even though they didn’t really know me. Some said I should kill myself already, while others wished for me to get deported (to Canada, where he grew up). They said all these even if they didn’t know the whole story.”

In January 2019, Tony became a hot topic on social media after he allegedly snapped at an immigration officer upon arriving at Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The Filipino-American actor, who admitted that he got frustrated when he was only given 30 days to stay in the country, has since apologized to the official.

The issue, however, became so sensational that it prompted the Bureau of Immigration to issue an official statement warning individuals with Filipino lineage that there are limits to their so-called Balikbayan privilege.

Tony said that as a result of the incident, he felt that “some of the people I work with don’t trust me anymore, especially those in ABS-CBN (his home network).”

The actor added that he had also “developed bad habits as a result of self-pity. Until later, I thought, ‘I only have two options: Either I quit and prove that people are right in saying I don’t deserve all the blessings coming my way, or I work on becoming a better actor,’” Tony told reporters recently.

“These days, I’m happy with the support that ABS-CBN is giving me. I keep getting good projects. In spite of this, people still judge me. I have no control over that anymore. I’m just happy and grateful,” said the 25-year-old actor.

Step out of comfort zone

Tony said being an actor sometimes required one to step out of his comfort zone. He then recalled the time he had to travel for 12 hours for a shoot, “even though I hate going on road trips.”

He added: “I avoid long trips, but for the movie ‘Glorious,’ we had to travel to Sagada on a bus. There were portions of the trip when the bus would get really wobbly; and then when you peek at your window, you’d see that you’re passing a very narrow road over a deep cliff.”

That’s not all, declared Tony. “When we were on our way back [to Manila], there were moments when I’d fall asleep, wake up, and then realize that I was only gone for 30 minutes. That meant I still had 11 more hours till I’d finally be home. I don’t fear road trips, but that one was unforgettable.”

And since the world is battling a pandemic, everyone in show biz is having a tough time adjusting to working in the new normal, observed Tony. “To prevent the spread of infection, we are now trying to shoot films and TV shows in lock-in sets,” he explained. “This can be difficult for the cast and production team because we would get separated from our families for a long period of time.”

Since the quarantine was imposed in March, Tony has already joined two lock-in sets: One for the horror flick “U-Turn,” then for the drama series “Bagong Umaga.” He pointed out: “For me, homesickness, similar to other mental conditions like depression and anxiety, should be taken seriously.” INQ