didn’t even choose the name Liza’: Liza Soberano shares story of ‘growth, gratitude, taking control’ in new vlog

By Kathleen a lleMit Philstar.com

MANILA — After her social media accounts were “wiped out,” Liza Soberano uploaded a new YouTube vlog today where she poured her heart out on her decades-long career, leaving her previous management and treading new ground that she is excited to explore.

The 14-minute vlog is divided into two. The first half was a recap of what she has been doing for the past year since deciding to leave the care of Star Magic and manager Ogie Diaz. The second half features her talking to the camera and giving updates on her upcoming projects. It also reveals her innermost feelings about her showbiz career.

“The pandemic was the first time in my life where I was allowed to stop and be still. This forced me think: I didn’t have a childhood nor did I have the chance to grow and become an adult on my own terms,” Liza began. She said that she has been working for 13 years starting when she was only 12 years old.

“I had always been told what to do, what to wear, what to say and what not to say. I know this was for my own good. It was to protect me and my career, but it was a career that I had no say in. A career that in many ways wasn’t mine. I didn’t even choose the name Liza. It was chosen for me,” the actress said. Liza started out as a pretty up-and-coming teen actress who played the third wheel to stars, such as Daniel Padilla and Kathryn Bernardo’s movies. She eventually found her own footing by starring in her own shows with Enrique Gil, thus, forming the famous LizQuen love team. They went on to star in several movies and shows, such as the teleseryes “Forevermore” and “Dolce Amore” and the movies “Everyday I Love You” and “Alone Together.” No bitterness

The actress stressed that she is not telling a story of bitterness or regret. She had her realizations during the pandemic, where she found herself at the crossroads of her life.

It was then that she was approached by James Reid, a fellow actor who was also once managed by Star Magic after appearing in one of the editions of “Pinoy Big Brother.” He currently heads his own music and talent label, Careless.

“This not a story of bitterness or regret. In fact, it’s the opposite. It’s a story about growth and gratitude. At 24 years old, I was finally given the choice to decide my own path,” Liza said.

She said her curiosity made her meet James and his team of young people. It was life- changing for the actress as she was impressed with their passion and ambition.

They helped her open her spa, Hope Wellness, but they had to close it down. Their collaboration, however, did not end with her brief business venture.

“I love the way they respected my vision and intelligence as I did theirs,” she said, adding that they were supportive and didn’t ask for anything in return.

She took a break in El Nido, Palawan with family and friends where she figured in a motorcycle accident that left her with “gnarly” scars. She took a month to recuperate and train herself through yoga, meditation and journaling.

When she felt that she was ready to be active again, she sat with them and her talk with the team sealed the deal for Liza.

“I asked them what the plan was for me and they said I don’t know. You tell us. We’re here to support whatever your dreams are. That’s when I knew I had found my team.

“I had been approached by so many different management companies before, and it was the first time any of them had asked me what I wanted, what made me happy,” Liza revealed.

She acknowledged the surprise of people when she signed up with a startup company but Liza said she chose a team that supports her vision, rather than “lay one out for me.”

Grown so much

The actress said she’s the type who is hesitant to share her most personal experiences and thoughts on social media.

After the “wipe out,” she’s now back on Instagram with a reel and series of photos from a self-produced shoot with popular photographer Shaira Luna.

“I’ve always been scared to talk about very personal things and after the pandemic, even became scared of talking about my career and explaining myself,” she said.

The shoot played around the concept of her being jealous of flowers and dives deeper into the meaning of her poems.

“It was me expressing my hopes and dreams and frustrations. I’m 25 years old now and I think people forget that I’ve been working for 13 years now since I was 12 years old.

“I’ve been in six feature films, over 500 episodes of teleseryes and have only really dabbled into three main genres: romance, comedy and drama. And since I was 16, I had only really worked side by side with one main co-star, with the same production company, rotating around the same three directors and during all those years, I was never really asked

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