In 2023, Liza Soberano decided she’d had enough.
And so Soberano reintroduced herself to her fans.
“Now, this is not a story of bitterness or regret,” she said.
“In fact, it’s the opposite.
It’s a story about growth and gratitude.”
This is how she got here.
When living in the United States, the future superstar was a shy kid.
However, there were hints as to the career that would eventually find her.
According to her mother, Soberano performed in the choir at church.
“I knew barely anything about my culture,” she told The Hollywood Reporter.
Within a few years of living in the country, a preteen Soberano began receiving modeling offers.
Soberano also caught the attention of a talent manager, Ogie Diaz.
“I told her that she had to do it, if she wants to be famous.”
She discovered a love for acting
In the early 2010s, Liza Soberano entered the acting world.
She’d found her calling.
“I’m very passionate about acting,” she later toldMEGA Magazine.
Nevertheless, Soberano insisted that she had something that set her apart from other young, up-and-coming stars.
“I’m the bang out of person who takes things seriously,” she said.
“I’m very serious for my age.
And I think I have this drive to be better and to really prove myself to people.”
That under-wraps project Liza Soberano teased to The Philippine Star turned out to be a love team.
She was paired up with a young man named Enrique Gil.
Together, they were known as LizQuen.
They were interested in something else, however: was shereallyin love with her co-star?
Asked whether they were actually in love, Gil responded simply, “Yes.”
Filipino showbiz news cameras were there to capture the emotional reunion, as was Soberano’s manager Ogie Diaz.
OnInstagram, he shared a snap of his client and her mother, writing, “The moment.
Makes you want to cry.”
At the airport, they were all smiles.
Soberano’s mother spoke with reporters about how great it was to see her daughter after all this time.
“I’m overwhelmed right now.
She turned to her daughter and laughed, “I don’t know how you do it.”
Soberano, too, seemed overwhelmed by the emotional moment.
“I’m happy.
I’m very happy,” she said.
“Words can’t explain how happy I am.”
The year prior, she was selected as the face of Maybelline in a global ad campaign.
Soberano became uncomfortable with all of the attention paid to her beauty rather than her talent, though.
“Audrey Hepburn, Kendall Jenner, stuff like that,” she said.
“I like the very simple kind of beauty, but very elegant.
I can’t see that in myself.”
Still, Soberano showed gratitude for all of the recognition that has come her way.
“I appreciate it, but sometimes I feel …
I don’t want it to be like that,” she toldThe Philippine Star.
“I don’t want them to remember me because I’m pretty.”
Soberano’s character came between that couple, causing “Kathniel” fans to hit out at her online.
“I do honestly wish people could be a little more sensitive to public figures,” she wrote.
“I think we should start educating ourselves about it.
So that we can pinpoint someone is going through something.”
OnX, she wrote, “What our people need now is empathy not threats.”
The “Alone/Together” star talked about realizing she needed to speak out.
In early 2023, Liza Soberano released aYouTubevideo taking stock of her career.
Indeed, she had acted in numerous films and hundreds of television episodes opposite Enrique Gil.
It had become her entire identity.
A week later, Soberano appeared in avideoalongside fellow star Bea Alonzo, and she elaborated on her thoughts.
That September, Soberano finally confirmed that they were still seeing one another … when they could.
“So it’s very seldom now.
But we do [meet], we still do.”
“We’re happy.
We’re just really busy,” he toldGMA.
“This is her dream.
She toldFocus Featuresthat discovering this aspect of the character helped her realize that she was right for the part.
“She told me that it’s the fact that I’m very earnest.
I played with that idea.
Taffy may be a little ditzy, but she has a genuine heart.”
Making the jump to Hollywood had been in the works for a while, Soberano toldThe Hollywood Reporter.
“Any actor on Earth would want to try their luck out there.”
It seems that Soberano’s gamble has paid off.
While the film itself has received mixed reviews, Soberano’s performance as Taffy has received praise.
“I feel very flattered.
It was honestly a little unbelievable for me at first,” she confessed.
Soberano said she planned to someday “tell stories of real-life people.”
She announced the formation of her very own production company, which was apparently already quite busy.
Always one to acknowledge her roots, Soberano made sure to thank the fans.
