Belle Mariano. Image: Instagram/@belle_mariano
Belle Mariano looked back at her journey to becoming an actress and how the rejections she had faced made her more appreciative of her showbiz career now.
The Kapamilya star recalled the countless auditions she had gone through before officially starting her showbiz career in her interview for broadcaster Karen Davila’s YouTube vlog yesterday, Nov. 24.
Mariano, who started her career as a child star, admitted that her parents were not big fans of her pursuing a career in show business, but she insisted on going to auditions.
“From the very beginning, my parents were kind of telling me na, ‘Don’t enter show biz,'” she told Davila. “They were really against me entering show biz, pero ako talaga ‘yung every night, pinipilit ko to the point na minamasahe ko po yung both parents ko para payagan nila akong mag-commercials.”
(They were really against me entering show biz, but I kept on giving massages to both of my parents just so they would let me [audition for] commercials.)
Mariano then recounted that she had an uncle who worked at an agency and encouraged her to try auditioning for commercials.
“I attended so many VTRs, as in almost 100, to the point na parang nawawalan na ko ng hope,” she narrated. “I think it’s because… wala pa akong [prior] experience when it comes to commercials.”
(I attended so many VTRs, as in almost 100, to the point that I was losing hope. I think it’s because… I did not have prior experience when it comes to commercials.)
Despite Mariano’s failed attempts to be seen on TV, she did not entirely lose hope and now considers her journey as a learning process.
“I think the process, lahat ng failures na pinagdaanan ko, lahat ng rejections na pinagdaanan ko, it’s what made me who I am now. It’s what made me do what I do now. It made me love my work more,” she said.
(I think the process, all the failures that I went through, all the rejections I went through, it’s what made me who I am now. It’s what made me do what I do now. It made me love my work more.)
Just as she was about to let go of her dream to be an actress, things finally took a turn for the better for Mariano when she decided to take a shot at a commercial one last time.
“Luckily, when I auditioned for this one commercial, talagang sabi ko, ‘This is the last. If hindi talaga ito for me, ‘wag na.’ Then I got the commercial. From then on, nagtuloy-tuloy na,” she recalled.
(Luckily, when I auditioned for this one commercial, I really told myself, “This is the last time. If this is really not for me, I will not push it anymore.” Then I got the commercial. From then on, [projects continued coming].)
Mariano appears in the recently released movie “An Inconvenient Love,” with her fellow actor and love team partner Donny Pangilinan. The two also starred together in the series “He’s into Her” and the film “Love Is Color Blind.”
Meanwhile, some of Mariano’s projects early in her career were roles in “Lorenzo’s Time” and “Maria Mercedes,” as well as the child-oriented show “Goin’ Bulilit.” /ra
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