Back with a Vengeance

Vanishing Vanessa.

For a while, she slipped in and out of the scene, thinking the nosy movie press wasn’t keeping an eye on her, Vanessa del Bianco might as well had been called that – Vanishing V shed as if into thin air more than three years ago at the peak of her career and while rumors romantically linking her to John Estrada, her former MTB co-host, raged on.

What made Vanessa retreat to her native Toronto? Did she get, uh, pregnant? Did John surreptitiously followed her and, since his marriage to Janice de Belen had been annulled, "secretly" married her? Or did she erase John from her mind and decide to find a new love, somebody not from showbiz?

The rumors flew thick and wide and, because both Vanessa and John seemed to have agreed to keep mum, grew as they traveled from ear to ear. In showbiz, silence is not always the better part of discretion. The more the stars try to hide "something," the more the media becomes curious, prompting movie writers to pry deeper into the privacy of the stars concerned. But once the stars open up and talk, laying everything (dirty linen and all) for the gossip-hungry public to feast on, the mystery is broken and the rumors die a natural death.

Not many people know that during her (self-imposed?) absence, Vanessa had been coming and going, according to her, "visiting relatives" and, yes, seeing John. The rendezvous happened not only back home but also abroad (in Toronto or Los Angeles). If Hollywood once had the "Bennifer Affair," we also had our own version, the "VaneJohn Affair."

Ending her "mysterious" three-plus-years "disappearance," Vanessa breezed back into town a week ago to resume her rudely-interrupted career, with as "comeback" vehicle a hosting job for the new ABS-CBN show Star Dance, (which premiered last night, 6:30 to 8), with Marvin Agustin, JC Cuadrado and Archie Alemania as co-hosts.

A few days ago, a "very different" Vanessa del Bianco sat down for an exclusive Conversation. Unlike the Vanessa of old, the "new" Vanessa is more open and less uptight; more engaging and less guarded; more "connecting" and less distant.

"I’ve learned from the experience," she beamed. "I’m stronger now, ready to face everything." And, as her new show would have it, "To dance to the music."

But even if she did talk about her romance with John and clear all the nasty rumors that spread during her absence, Vanessa begged off from elaborating, saying that she didn’t want to "intrude" into the lives of other people who were not around (during the Conversation) and opted only to talk for herself.

Here’s Vanessa del Bianco, minus her emotional baggage:

Is this your first time to come back since you were gone?

"No. I’ve been back several times – for vacation. I’ve been coming and going."

To see, uh, somebody?

"Yes. To see my family. My loved ones."

Oh, you still have a family here!

"I have two aunts in the province and several cousins. My mom also comes and goes."

So who’s in Toronto?

"My mom comes from a large family and several relatives are in Toronto. But I’m an only child."

Of course, when you came for a vacation, you saw John.

"Of course!" (Laughs)

How long have you been gone?

"Matagal din. More than three years."

I wonder, why did you have to leave when you were at the peak of your career?

"There were several reasons. I had personal goals, you know. I just felt that at that time, it was the best time for me to go. I was here working for like six or seven years, and school had always been a personal goal for me. I’ve always wanted to finish my studies."

Oh, you’re not through with school yet?

"Not yet. I’m in my second year of Communication Arts and Fine Arts, a four-year course, at the York University in Toronto. I’m in the Honors Program. I’m taking up double majors so I’m on the double-honors program."

Had love got anything to do with your decision to temporarily quit showbiz and go back to Toronto?

"I would say, yes, it was a factor at that time. As I was saying, at that time, it was right for me to leave and pursue something else that I was very passionate about – school. Something I was putting on hold for a long time."

How has life been in Toronto?

"Great!"

How much time did you spend in school?

"Ten to 12 hours everyday, Monday through Sunday. I’m a very dedicated student. ’Yon lang talaga ang ginagawa ko doon. I still have two years to go but I’m fast-tracking. I intended to finish my course in three years but since I decided to come back, it would take me four years."

What else occupied your time in Toronto? Did you do some modeling or anything related to showbiz?

"I was auditioning. I have two agents. I’ve been auditioning for three years."

Was it a guest appearance that you did on a US TV show (her Head & Shoulders commercial was also being shown on US television)?

"Oh, Queer As Folk. It’s an American show produced and filmed in Canada and shown everywhere. It wasn’t a major role; parang nasa background lang ako."

Did you audition for it?

"No, I did not. It was just parang background. Siguro natuwa lang ’yung direktor sa akin so he did a lingering close-up of me."

How did you get into that show?

"My friend is a casting agent in Toronto so she cast me sometimes for the show. I have another agent who would send me for auditions for TV shows in L.A., Toronto, Vancouver and New York. Audition lang ako nang audition. Ang dami! I even auditioned for As The World Turns (The long-running series where Lea Salonga did a stint as one of the female leads. – RFL)."

How did your audition (for World) go?

"It went well but I didn’t get the role. I auditioned in Toronto. What they do is put you on video and send the video to New York and L.A. I also auditioned for Atlantis, a sci-fi show, Mission X and many other shows."

Did you do personal appearances (shows)?

"During my first six months there, I did a show in L.A. They flew me from Toronto to L.A. Then, I decided to extend my stay to more than four months in L.A. That was before my classes in Toronto started. I lived with a roommate, an L.A. girl, in Melrose. Masaya! There, audition din ako nang audition. I did another show before I went back to Toronto."

During your absence, there were all sorts of rumors about you.

"Oh, really? Like what?"

First, that you got pregnant (by John).

(Looking at me straight in the eyes, eyes full of candor) "No, I did not get pregnant. I’ve never been pregnant. I’ve never had an abortion. Wala. Hindi totoo ’yon."

If ever you would be, I guess it had to be within wedlock.

(Thinks hard) "Not necessarily. But if ever I was pregnant, I would have been so happy; that would have been a blessing. And I’m sure my mom would have been happy to have a grandson or a granddaughter. That would have been a blessing."

Of course, John is now free, legally (his marriage to Janice has been annulled). And Janice, I heard, has found a new love (non-showbiz). Everybody happy. There’s a rumor that John and you got married in Toronto.

"It’s not true!"

Any such plan?

"No. Not right now. Siguro mga 10 years from now. I have a lot of things to do, a lot of things to accomplish."

Have you ever discussed marriage with John?

"No."

But you and John are going strong, ‘no?

"Yes, we are."

You often see each other, I heard.

"Yes, often. Whenever he is off from work."

Did you have any other admirer in Toronto?

"None."

Was John, is John, faithful?

"Oo naman! No doubt about it."

What did you miss most about the Philippines when you were in Toronto?

"My work. I missed performing in front of a live audience. I miss the energy you derive from a live audience and the energy that I generate among them. ‘Yon talaga. One thing that I’m passionate about is dancing."

Star Dance must be such a good show for it to have lured you to come back. Before Star Dance, were you offered any other show?

"Marami. Most of them guestings. Everytime I came for a vacation, I got invitations to guest on this and that show but I politely said no. Gusto ko, when I made a comeback it would be for the right show. And Star Dance is, I’m sure, the right show. I’m so excited about it. I’m so passionate about the art of dancing itself, that’s why I didn’t have any second thought about accepting it. Magagaling ang mga kasama ko sa show, like the Streetboys, Marvin Agustin, Powerdance, Hotlegs, the Manoeuvres and others. It’s too great an opportunity to let pass. That’s my one big dream – to have a dance show."

Right along your alley.

"I think that here in the Philippines, the art of dancing is underrated; it needs to be explored and highlighted. With this show, we hope to raise the level of dancing, especially with Tito Douglas (Nierras) as our artistic director. Dancing is an art genre of its own. In school, I studied the theory of dance, part of the Fine Arts program (which also includes film, pop culture and photography). Dancing is not just moving; it’s an art of honesty, connecting your heart, body and soul. That’s how you connect people – dancing from your heart and soul, with all honesty."

You’re here but you’re not quitting school, are you?

"I’m going on with my studies through correspondence. Before I left Toronto, I told the school authorities about my situation and they were so supportive. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have accepted the offer. I told them about my desire to come back to the Philippines to do a show. They told me, ‘Go! If it’s an opportunity that you feel good about, go ahead and do it!’ Sabi pa nila, they would love to be in my shoes. I’m a good student naman so that helped them gave me a special arrangement."

So it’s school by correspondence.

"Yes. Last Wednesday, I submitted my assignment through the Internet. I have assignments every Tuesday. I’ll have my final thesis end of April."

Did you do some soul-searching in Toronto?

"Oh, yes, a lot! I did a lot of reflections on the things that happened to me...the dreams that I had...the decisions that I made."

And the mistakes, too?

"And the mistakes, too. Like everybody else, I make mistakes but I have no regrets at all about anything that I did or over anything that happened. I feel that every decision that I’ve made, including whatever mistakes, have made me the person that I am now. No regrets. I am a better person now, a stronger person now. It’s better to make mistakes when you are wrong because you have more than enough time to make up for them."

How different are you now from a few years ago?

"In so many ways I’m different and yet, I’m what I have always been. Yes, I have matured a lot. I have a lot of things in focus now. I’ve put my priorities in order. I’m more open-minded now, less uptight than I used to be."

What’s the best lesson that you’ve learned from the past three or so years that you’ve been out of showbiz?

"That education is a must. School is a gift. It’s something that teaches you so many things about yourself, not just intellectually but who you are as a person. If everybody has a chance to study, that would be the best gift that you can give yourself. Or to your kids. Or to anybody you care for."

(E-mail reactions at [email protected])