Fleeting fame

Once upon a time, not so long ago, there was an aspiring young actress discovered through a reality TV show, who despite her foreign blood and her constant mangling of the Filipino language, was embraced by the Filipino public wholeheartedly. 

Sandara Park was touted as a novelty, largely because of the reception of the public to her. And even with many critics calling her “all hype, no substance,” the mere runner up (but with the startlingly highest number of text votes) in the then-talent search of ABS-CBN, “Star Circle Quest,” was looking to a bright future in Philippine show business.  

But just last week, it was a different story. The young actress, painfully aware that her star has lost its luster, decided with a heavy heart to leave her second home and return to her home country in SKorea. Speaking in Tagalog, she was quoted in reports, “Akala ko marami ang nagmamahal sa akin, wala pala.”

Many had thought so, too.

I still remember how Sandara became the toast of the town, thanks in part to the Chinovela, followed by the Koreanovela rage. In fact, it didn't seem so long ago that when she was first brought here in Cebu, prepared questions were handed to the media who followed her through several stopovers and all the way to a jam-packed event in Talisay. This was in anticipation of the fuss that she was to generate (and she actually did) that would overshadow her main purpose, which was to promote one of the products she was endorsing.

Amid a career on the rise, successive movies, dance hits, and a loveteam increasingly patronized, she left supposedly for Korea to study and improve her craft. And her much talked-about comeback I could never forget. Some members of the Cebu media, including myself, were invited to be guest interviewers in “The Buzz” assigned to query Sandara. We were particularly requested not to inquire her reasons for leaving, among others.

But it was never the same again for Sandara, even with attempts to take on a more mature image by gracing the cover of a men's magazine. After all, brand-new faces and eager products of new reality shows, particularly those of “Pinoy Big Brother,” have arrived and assumed the spotlight.

This goes to say, how fleeting indeed is the nature of fame, and we only have Sandara’s story to cite as concrete example. I guess that's why many celebrated people quit just when they are still on top of the heap.

I remember Jude Bacalso, who upon quitting “Jud Morning,” was prodded by many to return because it was a waste to see not on TV such a talent like him. But Jude, turning introspective, said: “But do I really want the pressure?”

What pressure it is really to secure staying power in the business that ever reeks of volatility. Fame is a constant effort, as the French author, Jules Renard, said.

Still, I admire the young actress for her boldness to articulate her unfortunate fate in show business so that others may pick up a lesson or two. Others, whether in denial or not, would have chosen to fade as silently as possible—but not the actress.

Besides, life’s replete with opportunities to be successful. May Sandara find a good life after showbiz.