Jillian Ward’s reward for herself after 12 years of hard work in the biz

Jillian Ward

After 12 years in the biz, Jillian Ward felt that it’s about time she spent her hard-earned money, not only on necessities, but also on nice things. This year, she rewarded herself with her dream sports car—a Porsche Boxster.

“I have been working as an actress for 12 years. And, usually, the things I buy are necessities. This time I allowed myself to finally purchase my dream car. I worked hard for this, so I would like to believe that I also deserve it,” the GMA 7 artist said in a recent virtual conference for the second season of the afternoon series “Prima Donnas.”

The soap opera directed by Gina Alajar, has been airing for three years now. And spending more time with her fellow “donnas”—Sofia Pablo and Althea Ablan—helped deepen their friendship.

“For this season, we were in locked-in taping for three months so we had more time to bond together. There’s a greater sense of camaraderie,” said the 17-year-old actress. “We’re all growing and becoming young ladies together … Our communication skills are better. Our conversations are deeper; not childish anymore.”

Different strengths

And while some people assume there’s competition among the girls, Jillian said it’s actually the opposite. “I don’t see them as competition. We all have our own different strengths. Direk Gina is very meticulous as a director, and she makes sure that no one gets overshadowed or outshines anyone. All of us have a purpose in the show.”

Like many people during this pandemic, Jillian also had troubles dealing with anxiety.

“I struggled with anxiety, especially after my grandmother died before our taping. I don’t want to self-diagnose, but I think I also experienced signs of depression. And it was difficult because I had to work,” she said.

What helped her through that rough time?

“Push lang po talaga and never give up. Don’t let yourself get stuck. Keep fighting,” she said, adding that family and prayers were also indispensable. “I kept on praying. And I’m grateful my family was there for me. Anxiety can’t be avoided. But we just have to keep on fighting.”

Meanwhile, when it comes to her acting career, Jillian said she hoped to do more challenging roles.

“I have been doing roles for kids for the past 12 years. I want to try characters that are deeper, something that can spread awareness. I want to try action, comedies—all genres,” she said. “I want to continue learning, gaining experience and expanding my skills.” INQ