How ‘hitting rock bottom’ changed Cristine Reyes’ life

Cristine Reyes

By her own admission, Cristine Reyes didn’t take her career as seriously as she should have in her early years in the biz. But that all changed in 2009, after catastrophic flash flooding caused by Typhoon Ondoy ravaged her home.

“The people around me always reminded me to be more focused on my job. But the turning point was when I hit rock bottom—nawala lahat sa ‘kin. That was a difficult time, that really hurt,” she told the Inquirer at her recent contract renewal with Viva Entertainment, which has been managing her for the past 15 years.

“Back then I was more playful and carefree. But now I appreciate everything I have,” added Cristine, who’s also celebrating her 20th year in the industry. “I have had my share of challenges, trials, wins, losses. And with age comes maturity, experiences and learnings.

Motherhood

Once seen as stubborn or hard-headed, Cristine has mellowed over the years, which she attributes to motherhood. She has an 8-year-old daughter, Amarah, with her estranged husband, Ali Khatibi.

“Of course, my daughter is a big factor in the decisions I make in life. She straightened up my life. She’s my fortress. When I feel lost, I would just look at her—so innocent—and it makes me feel like I want to give her everything I didn’t have. I’m so happy to have a kindhearted and intelligent child,” she said. Although she has been raising Amarah by herself since 2019, the 34-year-old actress never felt she was a single mom thanks to her support system.

“I don’t feel like I’m a single mom because I’m happy … I think that’s how things are when you feel content and are not yearning for anything grand,” pointed out Cristine, who’s become more open about her personal life recently. “When you have problems you keep to yourself, it will show. But now I feel free. I’m more relaxed. I can focus on myself, my daughter and my life.

“And I choose my battles wisely now,” she added. “‘Yung anak ko sinasaway ako. If there’s anyone who can make me tone things down, it’s her.”

In her desire to start her own family, acting inevitably took a back seat. Unfortunately, her marriage didn’t turn out the way she had imagined it. And for a while, she feared that she wouldn’t be able to restore her career. “There was a time when I thought about settling down and living a peaceful life with my family. I thought I would succeed but I failed. Nevertheless, I prayed. I wondered, ‘Kaya pa kaya?’ Because there are a lot of good new actors coming in.”

But with Viva’s support, Cristine managed to pick up where she left off, starring in edgy and award-winning films like “Maria” and “Untrue,” which won for her the best actress award at the 2020 Oporto International Film Festival in Portugal.

Upcoming projects

“I’m thankful. And whatever I have now, I will make sure to cherish it because I don’t want to lose them again,” she said. “I felt Viva’s care for me during the tough times. They didn’t leave me despite the challenges I had to go through in my personal life … They trusted and believed in me even if I myself didn’t. I’m blessed to have a management like that. I don’t want to break their trust.”

Given the chance, Cristine said she would love to do a sequel to the action thriller movie “Maria,” where she played a disgraced cartel assassin who goes into hiding after a failed mission. But for now, she’s focused on an upcoming romantic comedy movie with comedian Empoy. Another project, most likely heavy drama, is also in the works with Baron Geisler being eyed as her costar. “I’m very thankful to God. I don’t know what I did to deserve all these blessings,” she said.

Also on Cristine’s bucket list are writing scripts and mentoring young actors in the future. “I have creative ideas that I want to put into film. But I’m just taking my time. I’m not in a rush. Maybe it will happen after 10 or more years. I don’t want to force it. Who knows where life takes me,” she said. INQ