 IYA VILLANIA: SUCCESS COMES FROM “SEIZING OPPORTUNITIES” AT THE RIGHT TIME
Interview by Tinna S. Bonifacio
She is showbiz’s current "It" girl. Young, hot, popular and talented, Iya Villania is a VJ, TV host, an actress, and a commercial endorser and model. That she manages to be all this—plus have her eye on a singing career—is proof positive that with a little planning and time management, one really can have it all.
Let’s check in with Iya and see if we can pick up a thing or two about what it’s like to be young and successful.
Q: You have a pretty interesting career. You’re a VJ (for MYX), a TV host (for ASAP and Wowowee, which is reportedly making a comeback to TV screens in March), an actress (with three movies under her belt) besides being a commercial endorser and model.
Yes, and I love it! I get a different kind of pleasure out of each one. I enjoy doing movies and television because they bring me closer to the masa. On ASAP, I get to sing, host and dance. On MYX, for which I tape once a week for the whole week, I get to be my fun, bubbly self and meet a lot of foreign artists. Each thing that I do is very different from the other.
That must be fun.
Definitely. Especially when I do MYX and I get to meet a lot of foreign artists. Like, meeting the Backstreet Boys [during their visit to Manila] was so weird, because I used to be one of their biggest fans when I was around 11 or 12 years old. I had their poster hanging on my wall, and I’d buy magazines with them on the cover, all their albums.
So meeting them must have been a big thrill for you.
At first, I didn’t know how to act! But then when I recovered from the initial excitement, I realized that it was such a great privilege for me to be able to do something like this.
You are a career role model for so many young women, because you seem like such a polished performer when we watch you on TV. How did you achieve that?
It didn’t come naturally. I had to work at it, especially the language (Tagalog). I was born and raised in Sydney, Australia, and although I grew up understanding the language, there are some words na malalalim that, when I’m nervous, make me stutter. I’ve always understood the language, but being on television—and especially programs like Wowowee and ASAP—means that I have to put more effort into learning it. There’s just no substitute for hard work.
Has it always been your dream to be in showbiz?
No, because what I always wanted to do was to sing, not act or be a TV host. When we were still living in Australia, my mom used to produce a lot of concerts featuring artists from the Philippines, like Pops Fernandez, Martin Nievera, Vina Morales, the APO and Dulce. She’d produce, and I’d front act. I really used to sing. In fact, I remember front-acting for Geneva and Donna Cruz when they came to Australia to do a show.
So how did you break into the business?
True (laughs). That’s because I wasn’t afraid to seize opportunities. I’m pretty adventurous when it comes to my career. That’s the problem with me, I feel comfortable doing everything!
And now, here you are, a popular VJ, TV host, model and actress.
I don't know. Right now, I'm too focused on my career to think about marriage. I don't want to look back on my career later and say, “Why didn't I do that?” I'm not the type of person who wants to have regrets. I chose this path. This is what I've always wanted to do.
What other career advice would you give to young people wanting to follow in your footsteps?
The first thing would be to study. I remember that time I was interviewing Simple Plan for MYX. I asked them, "What made you change your [band’s] name? It used to be Regret, right?" And they were like, "Huh?" Turns out they never changed it! I should have done my research. So that would be the first thing. Do your homework. Don’t come to work unprepared.
Second, acknowledge the people who help you and appreciate you. With fans, for instance, it can be a bit difficult, but it’s equally hard to push them away because I also know that they’re there to support me.
Finally, stay focused. Have a clear idea of what you want to do, and just keep on plugging. |
