Jodi Sta. Maria shares life’s ‘plot twist’ that stopped her from quitting acting

MANILA, Philippines — When Jodi Sta. Maria won Best Lead Actress at the 2022 Asian Academy Creative Awards in Singapore for her portrayal in ABS-CBN’s The Broken Marriage Vow (TBMV), the actress said the victorious moment was so unexpected that everything became a blur on stage.

The morning after, as she finally had the time to let things sink in, Jodi couldn’t help but look back on her 24-year showbiz career.

“Nag-flashback lahat sa akin yung, grabe, sa school pa lang nag-start na ako talaga mag-perform,” she responded to a STAR question during her first media interview after her big win, which made her the first Filipina to do so.

“Though it was not my dream to become an actress, I had a passion for performing. Whatever you’d tell me to do, whether it was a singing contest, dance contest, beauty contest, declamation contest, cheering competition, volleyball meet or singing contest in church, go! You know, anything that had to do with performing. And I think that made me so comfortable as a child. I got to be and do what I wanted.”

This love for performing would lead her to the entertainment business when she was 16.

“Naalala ko rin how many times I had to do a go-see and I didn’t get any project. Nothing, not a single project, landed on my lap. And then I remembered that moment when I was asked by Jonathan Hernandez, the person who discovered me, ‘Sige na anak, last na lang, punta ka lang sa compound ng ABS-CBN because there’s an audition for a new batch of Star Circle.’ I said, ‘Mama Jo, ‘di naman ako matatanggap diyan.’ ‘Sige na anak, i-try mo lang,’” she recalled.

“At that time, inisip ko, ang layo ng Pasay City from Quezon City, mag-bu-bus ako, may trabaho yung nanay ko, so kasama ko nalang yung tita ko and then, pumunta kami ng ABS-CBN. Ang inisip ko habang papalapit ng ABS, naku makikita ko si Jericho Rosales and Kristine Hermosa hahaha! Kahit hindi ako matanggap, OK na ako na nakatapak na ako sa compound ng ABS,” she continued, adding that there were over 5,000 hopefuls that showed up.

Jodi Sta. Maria is grateful for a ‘blissful’ 2022: ‘I wouldn’t say it was easier, but I guess having a different perspective makes everything worth it. Marami kang lessons na ma-gi-glean and just to realize how the Lord has been so good to me.’

Photos courtesy of ABS-CBN’s Dreamscape Entertainment

“Siempre wala pang COVID nuon, so kitang-kita mo yung dami ng tao. And then five times ako pabalik-balik because they were trimming down the selection. And then finally, they came up with the final 12 and we got launched in ASAP. The rest is history.”

Meanwhile, Jodi made history as the first Filipina actress to be honored at the Asian Academy Creative Awards, an award-giving body that annually celebrates excellence in the film and TV industry across 16 nations in the Asia-Pacific region. During the awards ceremony last week, the Kapamilya star felt proud to represent not just herself, but also Filipino talent and artistry. It also made her realize that this reward for a job well done was worth the challenges she had to overcome for playing the female lead in the Filipino adaptation of the hit BBC series Doctor Foster.

“(Dr. Jill Ilustre was) one of the most challenging roles I’ve portrayed. I think because she’s unconventional when it comes to her decision-making. You have this flawed heroine, whose strongest traits don’t always work to her favor. And that’s what is so good about her, too. She’s a very multi-dimensional and multi-layered character to play… To get recognition for this character, it made everything worth it,” Jodi said.

When asked during the intimate mediacon how important awards are to her, she said, “You know, to be recognized for what you do is something special because somehow, it really adds fire and inspires you to do better and strive for excellence… because it’s a rewards system. Parang sa bata when they do something good and they get rewarded for it, inuulit nila ang behavior. So, as an actor, if you embark on a project and get recognized for it parang now, you’re programmed na I wanna do better next time. It gives you that kind of conditioning.

“But of course, at the end of the day, I will always say na, hindi rin naman natin dapat ina-anchor yung mga sarili natin sa mga awards alone, because what if they stop coming? What will happen to us? I guess, we just have to be conscious that while we do better and feel good if we get recognized for our work, it’s not a good anchor. It’s not good to anchor your entire life on the applause and recognition given to you.”

Interestingly, the role that brought her international recognition was also the one that led her to consider leaving acting behind.

The actress is joined by talent manager Biboy Arboleda (left) and TBMV supervising producer Kylie Manalo-Balagtas.

When asked by The STAR if there was at any point in her life where she mulled about quitting showbiz, Jodi was candid enough to confirm yes and it was after wrapping up The Broken Marriage Vow shoot. “It was in 2021 after we shot our last sequence on Dec. 23, 2021 na (I thought) parang wala na talaga ata akong mabibigay. Parang na-exhaust ko na yung kaya kong ibigay as an actor. I think, yung 24 years na yun, parang OK na ako, pwede ng i-end, alam mo yun?” she revealed.

“So, to answer your question, to be honest, yes. Pumasok yan sa isip ko at ‘pag talagang you’re just physically tired and emotionally exhausted, ma-iisip mo na (ano) pwede pa bang ibang gawin bukod dito.”

Jodi’s game plan then was to pursue higher studies after earning a Psychology degree back in 2020.

“Sabi ko, after TBMV, okay na ako, and then what will I do after TBMV? So, babalik nalang ako sa school and they said, sayang, matagal yung school. Pero sabi ko, you know what, even if I go to school or don’t go to school, I would still be 45 anyways. Hindi naman titigil ang life so I might as well do what I think is good for my career, for my life. But then God likes to surprise you, parang ang hilig niya mag-plot twist (laughs). So, the plan that I had then set for my life had a sudden detour.”

Jodi stressed that she didn’t mean to sound ungrateful but “you just have those moments when you feel so tired and feeling mo, you can’t go on, you just want to throw in the towel and I’m like, bahala ka na dyan. It happens, I guess, to all of us. And gusto mo ng career change, you want to shift careers, but then, time will come na kahit anong plano mo mag-shift, mag-u-U-turn ka pa rin (laughs).”

She further reflected: “We can make plans for our lives but at the end of day, it is the Lord who directs our steps to where we need to go. And ‘pag siya na ang kumilos, kahit anong gawin mo, hindi ka makakatakas. Dadalhin at dadalhin ka niya kung saan ka dapat, dun sa pinurpose niya para sa iyo (And when He takes action, no matter what you do, you will not be able to escape. He will take you to where you should be, where His purpose for you is.)”

Meanwhile, Jodi is venturing into lighter fare in her next project, the Metro Manila Film Festival 2022 entry Labyu with an Accent, which is a romantic-comedy with Coco Martin, who also serves as the film’s director. The Star Cinema movie opens on Christmas Day, Dec. 25.

Jodi in one of the ABS-CBN drama’s iconic and most explosive scenes.

It appears that an international project (or projects?) is also in the works, but Jodi is mum about it – for now. What’s sure is that she is now open to expand her experience and pursue opportunities overseas. She’s hoping to essay more offbeat roles and is focused on building her “legacy of work.”

“At 40, ang iniisip mo na kasi ano yung legacy na-iiwan mo, you know, the body of work you want people to see when they search for it on Google or make a rundown of your works, for example, on IMDB. You want to be able to leave a good resume,” she said.