‘Hindi na ako happy’: Bea Alonzo bares quitting showbiz before ‘One More Chance’ hits

March 2, 2023 - 6:55 PM
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Screenshots of Bea Alonzo in a video interview with Ninong Ry (@NinongRy/YouTube)

Actress Bea Alonzo was supposed to quit acting before the release of blockbuster “One More Chance,” which she starred with John Lloyd Cruz.

Bea revealed this in a video interview with Ninong Ry, a popular vlogger known for his cooking videos. This was uploaded on February 27.

In the three-minute video, the actress disclosed that she once thought of quitting acting here before she even started working on “One More Chance.”

Bea had planned for her and her mother to go to Canada.

“Alam mo ba before ‘One More Chance,’ hindi na ko mag-aartista dapat,” she told Ninong Ry.

“Dapat magmo-move ako ng Canada,” she added, noting that she thought about it while working on the first book of “Maging Sino Ka Man.”

Bea starred alongside John Lloyd, Anne Curtis-Smith and Sam Milby in the acclaimed primetime television show.

The full one-hour video interview can be streamed on Ninong Ry’s YouTube channel.

This was part of a series of Ninong Ry and Bea’s collab videos. This content can be found on both their YouTube channels.

Reasons for early quitting

When asked for her reason, Bea said that when she was 18 years old, she realized she did not like the political or toxic side of showbiz.

“Naisip ko, parang hindi rin ako happy doon sa yung parts ng showbiz na nang-iintriga, yung parts ng showbiz na ma-politika. Parang hindi ko kayang lunukin. Parang sabi ko, alam mo, magma-migrate nalang ako sa Canada,” she said.

Bea also revealed that she was already experiencing burnout because of her work.

“Hindi na ako happy sa ginagawa ko,” she said.

Moreover, the actress also bared that not being able to finish school was her greatest insecurity back then.

“As a teenager, para kang…emo, emo ako noon e. Tapos ang hirap talaga ng trabaho namin. Wala kaming cut off. Tapos yung major insecurity ko, hindi ako nakatapos ng pag-aaral,” Bea said.

“I was good in school. Mahilig akong mag-aral, mahilig akong magbasa,” she further shared.

The 35-year-old Kapuso star then told her mother about her situation during one dinner.

Bea further said that they do not even have a family in Canada. They were supposed to start from scratch there.

After telling her mother, Bea’s mother understood what her daughter was going through.

The mother also supported Bea should she decide to conclude her showbiz career early on.

What made her stay

The “One More Chance” project eventually pushed through, Bea shared with Ninong Ry.

It was during the filming of this movie that she gained a renewed appreciation for her job.

“For the first time, parang tinatrato ako nila Direct Cathy (Cathy Garcia-Molina) like an adult. It was the first collaborative work na ginawa ko,” Bea said.

Prior to taping, Bea detailed that Cathy did a workshop with the cast members at a hotel. This eventually made her get in touch with her character and also made her closer to the cast.

These factors later made Bea realize that she should stay.

“Parang sabi ko, ay tingin ko eto ang dapat kong gawin tas ayun nga naging major hit siya. So parang feeling ko yun yung sign ni Lord na I think you should still have to do this. Parang andito ka pa,” Bea said.

Moreover, “One More Chance” was also the first movie under Star Cinema that started with a breakup. Bea said that they were doubtful if people will enjoy that kind of story.

“Di namin inaasahan, bigla siyang nag work. Tas parang naging cult-favorite siya,” she said.

RELATED: John Lloyd-Bea reunion project sought as GMA announces JLC’s comeback

Reports said that “One More Chance” was one of Bea’s highest-grossing films to date with P152.7 million when it was released in 2007.

It also bagged four major awards at the Philippine Movie Press Club (PMPC) during that year.

Its sequel was released later in 2015, titled “The Second Chance.”