All eyes are on actress du jour Angel Locsin. Seemingly immune to the lingering demons of celebrity and the acid-laced tongues of her industry, her soaring career has remained unscathed despite the drama of network desertions, self-producing her own picture, and box office bombs. Tanned and totally fresh from Darwin, Australia (where she filmed her upcoming movie, Land Down Under), she tells CHAD RIALP why, despite the risks, she never fears to tread where fools rush in

“You sound like a stalker.”

Rogue’s Design Director, Miguel Mari, amicably pointed out after my brief history lesson. Because if you enter the keywords “Angel Locsin” on Wikipedia, you’ll learn that Angelica Colmenares was only 14 when she was discovered by a talent scout in SM North EDSA. A year later, she signed a contract with GMA 7 and landed a role in the teenage matinee drama, Click. But it wasn’t until 2004 where she was cast as one of the lead stars in the country’s first fantasy-themed television series, Mulawin.

The public eye had fixed its gaze on this young actress and could not veer away, kicking the doors wide open for movie deals (14, to be exact) and a dizzying number of product endorsements. And although the show ran for only a season, it was more than enough to catch our attention.

When Mulawin’s run ended, Locsin quickly found herself as the forerunner for one of our country’s most iconic female roles: Mars Ravelo’s Darna. The show broke ratings records, unprecedented in television history. And the nation was hooked.

Three Mano Po movies later (2, 3, and 5), when her contract with GMA expired in March of 2007, Locsin opted to sign with rival station ABS-CBN. In typical showbiz fashion, the move was not without its share of controversy and speculation. The local media was quick to fabricate comparisons between her and GMA’s newest crown jewel, Marian Rivera, even sending fans into an uproar over Locsin’s placement in a local lad mag’s Sexiest List when she placed below Rivera.

Nevertheless, last January, Locsin launched Lobo, her first drama series under ABS-CBN with co-star Piolo Pascual.

I realize . . . Geez. I do sound like a stalker.

Angel herself is no stranger to sacrifice, having paid her dues at a very early age. Long hours of shooting, hanging off a train, or being hooked up to a harness on the GMA helipad at four in the morning . . .

All eyes are on Angel. She’s standing on a pedestal elegantly dressed in a blue evening gown as the stylist smoothes her outfit’s creases around her knee; a slit in her dress gracefully runs up to mid thigh. She smiles for the camera, each pose sandwiched between blinding flashes of light and directions from the photographer.

I remember thinking, “Grabe, ang galing niya mag-project.” It’s no wonder Filipinos will buy anything she’s selling.

What you won’t find in Wikipedia, or anywhere else on the net, is that Angel is even more striking in person, even after a grueling photo shoot for one of her product endorserments. She exudes an energy and aura that enamors and disarms. Her voice is clear and articulate, revealing an intelligence, kindness, and honesty that’s down to earth and wholly unassuming; a simple girl who enjoys watching movies and playing Nintendo Wii games with friends.
She’s managed to avoid the pitfalls of celebrity to which she simply attributes to “awa ng Diyos,” opting for a clean lifestyle as exemplified by her father, Angelo Colmenares. “Pero hindi ako magulay,” she admits. “Ayoko ng healthy stuff. Go McDonald’s!”

Her skin is tanned, having recently arrived from Australia’s Northern Territory where she’s been shooting her latest film, Land Down Under—her first under Star Cinema and with Lobo co-star Piolo Pascual. It’s a story of love and sacrifice between Filipino immigrants in search of a better life abroad.

Locsin herself is no stranger to sacrifice, having paid her dues at a very early age. Long hours of shooting, hanging off a train, or being hooked up to a harness on the GMA helipad at four in the morning, praying to the Lord to give her strength and courage to overcome her fear of heights will inevitably take its toll. Though she seems to have taken it all in stride; seemingly immune to the demons that plague her line of work and staving off controversy and intrigue with diplomacy and class.

In a cutthroat industry where unemployment spells death, Locsin has hit the ground running and never looked back. At 23, one year shy of a decade since her first break, she readily admits that the industry has changed her.

“Siyempre, puro commercial film mga ginagawa ko. Sometimes kasi kailangan ng pa-cute acting. ”

“Hindi ako maka-plastic, yes talaga,” she confides. “Ang daming nagbago sa akin na positive naman. Dati sobrang baduy ko talaga, as in eeee [makes a face] . . . kaya siguro wala akong masyado pictures nung nine years old ako hanggang 14, kase hindi ma-take ng mommy ko pag ako’y pini-picture-ran.

“Hindi kasi talaga pagka-artista yung gusto ko nun. Hindi ko rin ma-imagine yung sarili ko maging artista. Gusto ko mag tapos sa school, o magkaroon ng business. . . . Don’t get me wrong, pero baka isipin mo ‘di ko nagugustohan yung ginagawa ko. Sobrang love ko. Actually, di ko nga alam kung anong gagawin ko pag hindi ako umaarte. Ganun na ako ka in love sa ginagawa ko.”

And how has she coped with her celebrity status?

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