Bea Gomez. Image: Instagram/@beatriceluigigmz
Three years after finishing in the Top 5 of the 2021 Miss Universe pageant, Beatrice Luigi Gomez is ready to give acting a shot and go beyond her beauty queen persona.
“My branding has been limited to being a beauty queen. But I’m here to show everyone that I have so much more to offer, and that I’m always willing to learn. I have competed in one of the top contests in pageantry, so I believe it’s time for me to explore other fields,” she told the Inquirer and another media outfit in an interview.
The 29-year-old celebrity, who now goes by Bea Gomez in her official artist card, was one of the more than 40 talents presented at GMA Sparkle Artist Center’s recent “Signed for Stardom” event.
Mastering new skill
At first, she thought she would end up going the news and public affairs route. She has a degree in mass communication, after all. But her management had different ideas. “They introduced me to acting and workshops. And I was like, ‘Wow, ang sarap pala sa feeling that I’m learning and trying to master a new skill,” she said.
Doing an action movie, she said, would be a dream come true. “If I were to choose a genre, it would be action, because I’m a Navy reservist and an athlete,” said Bea, who played high school and collegiate varsity volleyball for her alma mater, the University of San Jose-Recoletos in Cebu City. Bea is open to the idea of doing romance-themed projects or being in a love team. There’s just one thing she was worried about. “People always say that if you’re a beauty queen, it can be hard to be in a love team because you need to find someone taller! But if there’s someone, why not?” she said, laughing. “I’m open to different experiences and roles. I’m programmed to take on challenges.”
And should Bea find herself doing drama, working with Jean Garcia is at the top of her bucket list. “I once saw her in an event in Capiz. I thought it would be a dream to do a scene with her. I have yet to meet her personally. But I grew up watching her shows,” she said. “The possibility of meeting her at GMA 7, or maybe even working with her, excites me.”
There are no specific projects lined up yet. For now, it’s all about preparations. “But I have done guest appearances, but I’m so looking forward to what Sparkle has in store for me,” she said.
Best foot forward
As a beauty queen, Bea is used to putting her best foot forward in all circumstances. Show biz, she has just found out, is noticeably more relaxed—a refreshing change from what she’s used to.
“We can be hard on ourselves. We have to be 100 percent when we face the cameras. But in show biz, or as an actor, it’s OK to just act like your natural, normal self. It makes me realize, ‘Ay, OK lang pala na ganun dito.’ There are always expectations when people find out that you’re Miss Universe Philippines,” she said.
This is something she can get used to. While people are used to seeing her all poised and glammed up, there’s also a fun side to her that she hopes to show to the public. “I’m very kalog outside pageantry, where you have to be prim and proper,” pointed out Bea, who’s also taking up public speaking workshops on top of acting. “We also do that for pageants. But here, it’s different. It’s not about performance, but being relatable. It’s about being natural, but at the same time, being entertaining and engaging,” she said. “The more people relate to you, the more they engage with you … the purer the interactions become. I want them to see that I can also be a sister and a friend.”
Unfazed
People digging into her personal life are inevitable in show biz. But they don’t faze Bea, who made history as the first openly bisexual Miss Universe Philippines winner. “It was something I had to deal with even during my pageant days … They know about my background. Wala na ako matatago at this point!” she joked.
Bea’s foray into acting, however, doesn’t mean that her dreams of putting up her own foundation will take a backseat. “I can also do that while I pursue show biz. I need something for my creativity and passion,” said Bea, one of the founders of BeYouthfulPH, an organization that offers assistance to disadvantaged children in the Philippines.”
“I can always use a bigger platform,” she said.