Judy Ann is comfortable being herself

SANTOS. Returns to acting in “Against All Odds.”

Even after decades in the biz, Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo remains unassuming, charming and down-to-earth. She’s the first to admit that she’s no classic beauty, but the public loves her. From her underdog days as “Esperanza” and “Mara Clara,” she has become a formidable name in the industry.

“I know that I appeal to the masses,” Judy Ann admits. “I like the feeling that I don’t have to be that beautiful to endorse a product—I find comfort in being myself.”

Clothes didn’t fit her beautifully as a teenager, because she used to weigh some 140 pounds: “I was chubby, kaya kahit maganda ang suot ko, may pintas pa rin akong naririnig!” So, the actress took action in 2001—she went to the gym and began dieting.

She also got more daring in her choice of roles. She recalls, “In ‘Sabel,’ I was a nun who used to be a prostitute. It was different from my previous roles. I reinvented myself and prayed that people would accept me in that role!”

Positive effect

According to Judy Ann, she and her husband, Ryan Agoncillo, have a positive effect on each other. She enjoyed hosting “Master Chef: Pinoy Edition.” She shares, “I became a better host, and Ryan became more patient. He and our kids are the most important people in my life.

“As a couple, we aren’t perfect. We’ve had fights, but through the years, we’ve learned to see them as trials to learn from.”

She says that her hubby is the “deep” one in their relationship: “When we make decisions, we consider how they would affect our kids. When I get angry, si Ryan ang mabait, and vice versa.”

These days, Judy Ann is busy taping for her new TV series, “Against All Odds,” with Sam Milby and KC Concepcion. She discloses, “I’m nervous about how viewers will react to it, because it’s been three years since they’ve seen me in a TV series. But, I hope we meet people’s expectations!”