Jane de Leon shares rejections, hardships before getting biggest break

MANILA, Philippines — The line in The Beatles song All You Need Is Love that goes, “there’s nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be,” rings especially true to Jane de Leon who now takes on the iconic Filipino superheroine character Darna.

Many were opposed to the idea of her doing the character once played by such thespians as Vilma Santos, Lorna Tolentino, Rio Locsin, Sharon Cuneta, Anjanette Abayari, Nanette Medved, Marian Rivera and Angel Locsin. Naysayers hit Jane with nasty comments, doubting and questioning her star power and her ability to give life to the charming yet fearless Narda/Darna on screen.

The hurting words can tear anyone down in unspeakable ways and Jane admitted to almost giving up the role. But her heart was yearning to prove her detractors wrong.

“Yes, I came to a point of letting go of the stone (that powerful tiny meteorite white stone that transforms Narda into Darna) and I already told my manager and my mother that I’ll just continue my schooling and start a business because even I had no idea why I was chosen to be Darna,” a teary-eyed Jane revealed in our one on one for The Interviewer Presents segment of Batalk channel (Boy Abunda Talk Channel) on YouTube.

Jane didn’t deny the many criticisms hurled against her following the ABS-CBN announcement that the Darna project would push through as a TV series instead of a movie with Jane in the titular role. “Nung panahon na ‘yun, maraming nagtatanong, ‘Sino ba ‘yun?’ I was just starting then. Noong panahon na ‘yun, ang teleserye ko pa lang ay Halik. I also didn’t expect that a big project would be given to me,” said Jane, also a former Girltrends member.

It was Olivia Lamasan who revealed that they saw something in Jane that made her believe in the Kapamilya actress.

“Ang tanging pinanghahawakan ko ay yung plano ni Lord. May plano Siya sa akin at kahit iisa na lang ‘yung nagtitiwala sa akin, kailangan kong panghawakan ‘yun (para magpatuloy).”

Jane underscored that we can only know how strong we are when we strive and thrive beyond the challenges we face. “Naiiyak ako kasi hanggang ngayon nakatayo pa rin ako dito. I was able to surpass all the hardships, thanks to all the people who, until now, have been supporting me and pushing me to work on my dreams.”

Those who are still in doubt have probably missed the episode of Mars Ravelo’s Darna: The TV Series where the transformation of Jane as the new Darna has finally happened. That particular episode that capped off the pilot week of the series also became the top trending topic on Twitter.

Right after the said episode, JRB Creative Production also released the official poster of the series which shows Jane in fighting form while fully clad in her red and gold Darna outfit.

Jane recalled the rigorous training that she and Iza Calzado underwent for the fight sequences in the series. The two learned some martial art techniques.

“Halos wala na rin kaming tulog every day talaga,” she gushed. “Our trainer was from Australia and he’s also one of the stunt guys in Marvel. Disiplina po talaga na kahit pagod na kami, we have to learn body control. We were also trained how to kick.”

It was also her first time to cut her hair short for a role. Jane said that although she can wear a wig in portraying the young Narda, she decided to cut it in order to fully embrace the character. “As long as it is needed for the character, even if it requires me to go bald, then I’ll do it.”

Get to know more about Jane through excerpts from our interview. Read on.

Very briefly, Jane, sino ka ba? Saan ka ba galing until you reached that point that you auditioned for the role?

“Ako po ay isang simpleng babaeng nangangarap po lalo na para sa pamilya ko kasi dumating rin kami sa point na nangungutang kami. Kinakain lang namin before Tito Boy alam mo ‘yung toyong may mantika? ‘Pag pinagsama mo kasi ‘yun lasang adobo na. Dumating rin kami sa point na limang piso na lang ang pera namin.”

Why did you reach that point kung saan halos wala na kayong makain?

“Nabaon rin kami sa utang. I promised my family that never again we would come to that point of borrowing money. But I have no regrets about what happened to us because they made me stronger and braver to fight for my dreams.”

Why are you passionate about acting? Did you experience falling in line to audition for commercials and TV series?

“I went through all that. I was an extra in the LizQuen (portmanteau of Liza and Enrique Gil) movie Just the Way You Are. I played as a cheerleader who has a crush on Quen but when I watched the movie, tinanggal rin nila, hahahaha.

“I had also experienced waking up early and waiting inside a van with the other talents. I was turned down a lot of times but I never gave up because I believe that there’s a right time for me.”

Take me to the time when you were asked to audition for Darna.

“It was around 2018 or 2019 and Halik was about to end, and my manager kuya Tyronne Escalante told me that there’s this audition for Darna, kasagsagan nung balita na si Liza na yung Darna. I asked him what role and he said, for contravida. The production (staff) also asked if I wanted to try. So, I went to the audition as contravida, pang nationwide po yun, open to the public. Then after three months, a special screening was held for actors. After two months, the third round of auditions was held at mas lalong dumami yung nag-audition. We were asked to wear a helmet kasi may action na po.

“Then after that, I received a call asking me to come for the fourth time — that was the time that I was interviewed by the bosses about my life. I was wondering na siguro kaya may ganun dahil tatlo na lang kaming natira but I wasn’t expecting anything. Then the last notice I received was an invite to meet Ma’am Charo (Santos-Concio) and the other bosses, that was the time that they told me that I was chosen for Darna.”

(To watch the full interview, visit the Boy Abunda Talk Channel on YouTube.)