Although Andrea Brillantes is now regarded as one of the most outspoken stars of today’s generation, there was a time when the actress didn’t know how to stand up for herself. Contrary to popular belief, having been in the spotlight for more than half of her life hasn’t always been a rewarding experience for the Gen Z star.
“Before talaga, hirap ako tingnan ‘yung better things in life. Hirap ako tingnan ‘yung liwanag in life,” Andrea revealed in a press conference about her latest contract renewal with ABS-CBN, alluding to her past struggles with depression and anxiety.
“Aaminin ko, dati hirap pa ako, especially when I was 13,” she said. “Minsan, may mga salitang masakit talaga. Pero over time, I worked on myself kaya na-build ko na ‘yung security ko sa sarili ko, ‘yung confidence ko sa sarili ko. Alam ko ‘yung halaga ko kasi kaya kahit anong ibato niyo sa’kin, kilala ko sarili ko.”
Andrea further explained that she typically receives harsh criticism for her mistakes even though she ends up growing from those shortcomings. That’s why she always feels pressured to keep her reputation pristine and appear perfect in front of the camera.
She revealed, “Nahirapan lang po ako sa mga bashers noong lumaki ako kasi ang hirap na lumaki ako sa harapan ng camera. When you grow, you make mistakes. Kaya nga you grow kasi you learn from your mistakes. Mahirap po sa akin kasi parang kailangan perfect ka. Bawal ka magkamali, kahit normal nga lang ‘yung mistakes na mga ginagawa mo, hindi siya tanggap sa media.”
Fortunately, Andrea soon learned to ignore her bashers and focus on improving her craft as an actress instead. Without going into too much detail, she talked about eventually overcoming her insecurities: “Buti nalang matapang ako. Kinaya ko siya talaga and nagfo-focus lang talaga ako sa work ko kasi ito ang pangarap ko. Mahirap po siya, yes, pero nagiging worth it po lahat ng hirap ko, lalo na kung nasaan ako ngayon.”
That said, Andrea is no longer worried about what others think of her now that she knows herself well. “Kung anong branding gusto ibigay sa’kin ng iba, bahala sila. Basta ako, gusto ko lang makilala ako bilang magaling na aktres at mabuting anak at kapatid at kaibigan. ‘Yun lang po, enough na,” she concluded.
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