REDISCOVERING JUDAY
by Bayani S. San Diego Jr.
Woman's Journal, June 23, 2001

1. What was your last birthday like? 
The same pa rin (May 11). Every year, I celebrate my birthday in Elsie Gaches. I gave them shampoo, soap, Lysol, muriatic acid and other things they need there. I also threw a children’s party for them—with clowns, balloons, and cotton candy. But I also had my own intimate party for friends at the Café Kilimanjaro.

2. Who would you like to be with on Valentine’s Day?
(Laughs) I can’t tell. Malayo pa ang Valentine’s Day. A lot of things could still happen. But every Valentine’s, I’m always with my family or best friends. Kasi naman, pag Valentine’s, Christmas, or even on my birthday, nagkakataon, nawawala ang mga boyfriends . . . kasi gift-giving na! (Laughs) Hopefully, I’d get to spend it with someone special. At the age of 23, it’s about time...

3. If you could afford to take it easy for a year, what would you do? 
Siguro, I’ll travel. But I don’t want to go abroad. I’d rather explore the entire Philippines. The beaches, the different
islands, the caves in Palawan. Sana walang Abu Sayyaf. (Laughs) Or other rural areas, where there’s no TV, radio or newspapers. News blackout. I’d like to live there for a week. That’s what I usually do if I want to rest. I go out of town, without telling anyone. To get away from work, intrigues, and cell phones, even for a day.

4. If you were given P1OM to spend within 24 hours, what thing(s) would you buy?
Can I save P5 million? Siguro, I’ll buy diamonds or a house and lot. They’re good investments—you’d get to double or triple your money.

5. What is it about men you will never understand?
Hah! Their friends. Pagiging mabarkada nila. We girls, when our boyfriends tell us not to go out with our barkada, we follow. Not men. Also, why do they believe rumors? And their being childish at times, na hindi nila matatanggal for life! Parang ang laki ng angst ko sa mga lalake! Charing! (Laughs)

6. What do you wish men knew about you?
I wish they knew how simple I am. That I’m fun. I hope that they will not judge my personality based on my work. Or my status. Kumbaga, it’s not about your job or how much you earn. If their intentions are pure, they’ll be my friends no matter what. Pero kung lolokohin o gagaguhin lang nila ako, huwag na silang magpakita sa akin.

7. Use a song, book or movie to describe your love life.
Naiiyak na ako. Someone Like You, starring Ashley Judd. It’s because it’s you don't know if she’ll end up with the guy. More or less, I’m in the same stage right now. I have so many questions and fears about relationships. What if ganito? What if ganyan? My biggest fear is whether the guy would understand my work. I’m afraid I wouldn’t have time for him. Kasi napaka-unpredictable ng schedule ko. I don’t even have time for myself and my family, what more for a guy?

8. What’s always in your makeup kit?
Aside from Ponds (towelettes), there’s always powder. Lip gloss. Actually, lip balm. And moisturizer.

9. What part of your body do you spend the most time on every morning before going to work?
Every morning, I clean my face. I put on moisturizer.

10. What, in your opinion, is your best physical asset?
Eyes and lips. Maliban doon, wala na. (Laughs) My eyes are expressive. Other people can easily tell when I’m sad, worried, or when I’m really happy. Lips, because I’ve kissed a lot of guys because of them. (Laughs) And I got paid, ha (for those kissing scenes in the movies)!

11. What, in your opinion, is the part of your body that needs improvement?
Ay! Marami. If I am going to do a daring movie
I was a child. MaliKot kasi ako noon. Saka lagi akong pinaluluhod sa munggo o asin. Maraming remnants sa tuhod. (Laughs)

12. Would you consider having cosmetic surgery done?
No. I’m not vain. I’m not the type who’d say: Naku, kallangan ko nang magpa-liposuction at magpa-stretch ng mukha. I’m happy with what I have.

13. What’s the first film you ever did? How did it fare in the box office?
Dyesebel, with Alice Dixson in the title role. I played Alice’s best friend (a little girl who believes in mermaids). It was a big hit. I was supposed to play the young Dyesebel. Nag-fit pa ako ng buntot. But they gave the role, and the fish tail, to another kid. I was so disappointed. That’s why until now, Dyesebel is my dream role.

14. What is your most memorable role? Your most forgettable? Most memorable?
My role in the new soap opera, Patricia. I’m not saying this because I’m trying to promote it, ha. You’ll see a different Juday in this soap. Most forgettable? Marami! There were some movies I did because I couldn’t refuse. I did these for the sake of dot-dot-dot. It was in my contract. Kumbaga charge it to experience na lang. It’s not that I regret doing those projects. At least, I was able to learn something from them.

15. Who is your favorite leading man? Why?
Let’s not include those na-ka-loveteam ko—like Wowie (de Guzman), Rico (Yan), and Piolo (Pascual). Baka sabihin biased ako. But, I really liked working with the Muñoz brothers—Leandro (Kahit ‘Sang Saglitt and Carlo) Luv Tex. They’re normal people. They don’t treat me like Judy Ann Santos. Natural lang.

16. What’s the most outrageous intrigue you’ve ever read about yourself? How did you handle it?
There’s this issue about my mommy. That I’m not a good daughter. That I’m not taking care of my mom. Even my lola (mother’s side) got affected. At first, I merely laughed it off, but when I see my loved ones getting hurt, mas masakit para sa akin.

17. If you could be in a Hollywood star’s stilettos, who would it be? Why?
Drew Barrymore. Except for her past, ha. I admire how she’s turned her life around. She’s now a successful producer, and gets to do the kind of movies she wants. She’s a very independent woman. She stuck by her boyfriend when he got sick, even though he’s not that good-looking.

18. As that Hollywood star, who is the actor you’d want to have a passionate romance with?
Smut-n si Ben Affleck. Althouoh he looks ugge~J7rIw’5w~rTr-I~5 v~ nature and yet very cool. It seems his )utlook in life is to live one day at a time. ~or someone like me who’s always busy and stressed, I need someone like him who’d remind me to take things easy.

19. What role in a Hollywood movie you have seen do you wish you could play?
Something like Titanic. Rose. The old Rose, ha! (Laughs) An epic love story. lf I cannot do projects like that, l’d rather do fun movies like Pna ctical Magic. Can I play both Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock in that movie?

20. Where do you see your career five years from now?
Hopefully, I’d have a boyfriend by then. (Smiles) Still active in showbiz. Still busy. Five years from now, hindi mo na alam kung ano ang gusto ng mga tao. Hindi mo alam kung nag-grow ka na. Kung tanggap ka pa rin ng mga tao.

21. If a movie about your life were to be made, who would you like to play your character? Why? 
Sa mga bagets ngayon? I’ve yet to see someone who went through the same things I did. Kasi if they don’t go through what I went through (like auditioning and getting rejected), they will never understand my character, my attitude, my personality. Ang mga bagets ngayon hindi na sila naghihirap. They’re spoiled. Noong time namin ni Gladys (Reyes), we had to take care of ourselves. Kaya mas cowboy kami. Kahit walang kotse, makakapunta kami sa gusto naming puntahan. Ay, meron pala akong nakitaan ng potential. There’s this kid who played my daughter in Judy Ann Drama Special. Magaling umiyak ‘yong bagets.

22. If you had to give up all these tomorrow, what would you do?
Migrate to Canada. With my family. That’s the only reason for me to quit showbiz. I’ll raise my own family. Work and live a normal life. Walang camera. Hindi Truman Show ang buhay. I could do anything I want.

23. What would you like to be in your next lifetime?
Artista pa rin. Ako pa rin. I’d also choose to go through the same things I did—all the pain, all the suffering, all the joy—because it made me a better person. Kung kailangan
dagdagan ang trials and that will help me grow and improve, why not? I would still pick my own life. Same life, same route. 

24. What internationally famous product would you like to pitch for?
For clothes, Gap or Old Navy. For beauty products, Clarins or Neutrogena. ©

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