What the Future Holds

Judy Ann admits that many times before, she thought of quitting showbiz. She felt she was too young to face responsibilities. But as she grew up, she realized that they were necessary steps to maturity. On the whole, she feels that the industry has been good, maybe too good, to her. "Nasabi ko nga, ganoon ba ako kabuting tao to deserve all the good things that are happening to me?"

Showbiz also brought her the love of her life in the person of actor Ryan Agoncillo. They were first partnered in Krystala, and their romance leapt from the small screen to real life. When Ryan proposed to her in June last year, everyone wanted to know when the wedding would take place. But all that has been heard are rumors. Friends have been asked to keep certain dates open. Bookings have reportedly been secured with several churches and reception venues, so as to keep everyone guessing when the real date will be. Some enterprising showbiz writers have been brave enough to offer one: sometime in May, to coincide with Judy Ann's 31st birthday. That remains to be seen, of course. And when this marriage does come to pass, will she give up her showbiz life? "I'm willing to take the chance to settle down for a couple of years siguro," answers Judai. "Gusto kong mabantayan 'yung paglaki ng mga anak ko. Papunta naman ang lahat ng tao sa pagbuo ng pamilya, di ba? Pero I'm still hoping to be an actress after having a family."

Whatever the future holds for her, Judy Ann is sure to embrace it with open arms. "Lahat naman ng nangyayari sa akin, niyayakap kong pabalik kasi iyon 'yung nagbuo sa akin. I would still love to work in show business kahit sa kabilang buhay, o kung ma-reincarnate ako, sana nasa showbiz pa rin ako."

At the end of the day, a grateful Judy Ann makes sure to always count her blessings. Although people like to call her a young superstar, she likes to think of herself as just another person who happens to make a living in this industry called show business. "Hindi [ko naiisip na superstar ako]. Hindi talaga. Ang alam ko lang ay nagtatrabaho ako. Hindi ako magpapaka-showbiz sa sagot. Tao lang ako, nagtrabaho, nakikita ako sa TV at pelikula. I appreciate everything that's happening, but at the end of the day, I still think, is this really happening, is this still me? Am I worthy of this popularity? For some reason, di ko naiisip. Bakit? Dahil mula pagkabata ko, ito na ginagawa ko. Tinahak ko siya, pinagtrabahuhan. It's a process, a struggle, to make a very good project, to satisfy my hunger and passion for acting. 'Pag nagustuhan ng tao ang trabaho ko, may satisfaction kang nararamdaman na nagustuhan nila. Then I go back, and I count my blessings."

Her Mommy Carol, who has been her guidepost for most of her life, always reminds her that whatever she has now is all temporary. It could be taken away in an instant. "She tells me, "You have to love what you're doing, love the people around you, and put in your head that you're a very blessed person. You have to value everything." Bakit? Dahil di lahat ng tao, nabibigyan ng ganitong klaseng suwerte. Who would have thought na ang batang mukhang siopao dati ay artista pa din hanggang ngayon? I'm pushing myself hard to do everything I know I can do and even some things that I can't do. I always tell myself, if I don't try this, nothing will happen. Gusto ko, at the end of the day, I can say, "At least I tried."

Taken from Starstudio magazine: Judy Ann Santos special issue

'Weighty' Issues

Judy Ann never got the chance to meet her idol Julie Vega, but she almost felt like she did because some of the people Vega worked with on Anna Liza, like Renato del Prado and Juan Rodrigo, she worked with in Mara Clara. These people became her surrogate parents. One of the things they advised her to do was lose weight -- systematically and under medical supervision, since there had been insinuations that Vega's death was related to crash dieting. "Since tatay-tatayan ko naman ang marami sa kanila noon, ang palaging inaano nila sa akin is magpapayat. Kaya feeling ko noon, nararamdaman ko yung sinasabi kay Julie Vega."

And yet, Judy Ann didn't give in to the pressure. She honestly didn't think she was fat. When she was younger, she didn't go on any diets. She refused to, thinking there was no reason to deprive herself of the pleasures of food because she was still young. That was something she could worry about later, when she entered her teens. So she went on her merry way, eating what she pleased and rationalizing that by telling herself she would only be young once, and that there would be plenty of time to worry about her weight later. That time, like most young people, she was determined to live in the moment. "Mahal ko ang pagkain; puwede akong magpakasal sa pagkain. So naisip ko, bakit ko ide-deprive ang kabataan ko, eh hindi na ako makakabalik sa youth, di ba? So sabi ko, I might as well enjoy kung ano yung nandyan and then saka ko na lang aasikasuhin [ang pag-diet] kapag medyo dalaga na ako."

She grew bigger and bigger. But she still wasn't alarmed, not even when she hit her teens, and entertainment reporters started calling her names like "siopao", "mamon" and "aparador" in their columns. Still, the reaction wasn't instantaneous. These comments didn't really make her feel fat, nor did they make her feel insecure about herself or her weight. "Never ako naging insecure na mataba ako. Nung mataba ako, hindi ko naman naisip na mataba ako. Feeling ko pa rin naman sexy ako. Kahit mataba ako, feeling ko payat ako, mas payat lang kayo sa akin."

Judy Ann was as good as her word. She promised that one day, when she was older, she would lose the weight, and she did. It was the 2001 film Bakit Di Totohanin, where she played the role of a boxer, that got her started--not on dieting, but on the pleasures of working out. She learned how to do kickboxing and Muay Thai. She would get up in the morning, go to the gym and work ouot. Even after the movie ended, she kept on working out. "Na-enjoy ko lang din yung pag-wo-work out noon, kaya ako pumayat," she says.

She knew she had met her goal when soon a slimming capsule signed her up to be its celebrity endorser. Now, looking back, she has acquired enough confidence to laugh at herself. "Pagkalipas ng maraming taon, natatawa na lang ako. Kapag napapanood ko ang mga pelikula ko noon, nakakatawa naman talaga ang itsura ko," she quips. "Kahit ako, sinasabi ko, paano ako naging artista? Pero it was a phase of my life that I never regretted."

Taken from Starstudio magazine: Judy Ann Santos special issue