Gary Valenciano, renowned as the country’s Mr. Pure Energy, marks a new milestone in his 40-year showbiz career by signing with ABS-CBN’s premier talent agency Star Magic, embarking on a new journey of reinvention.
At 59, Gary says he is far from reaching the end of his creative journey and is enthusiastic about exploring new horizons beyond music and live performances.
Gary also sees this move as an opportunity to leverage his experience, saying he still has much to offer to the industry and audiences who have supported and followed him throughout the years.
“What could be next after 40 years? Well, this is next—to be accepted to a family, like Star Magic. Kasi akala ko ang focus nila ay nasa kabataan, so tinanong ko isang beses, what’s my role in this? It was explained to me what my role is, and I’m excited to play that role for everyone,” Gary V said.
He is excited to embrace an extended role as a mentor to the younger artists, as well as to industry veterans.
“Maybe some of the projects may not be performing, you know, but there will be projects that are meant to move and to make an impact on the hearts of young people, hearts of seasoned people, and I like that role. And if that’s the role I’m supposed to play, then I’ll play it to the hills,” he added.
The reason why he is keen on being a mentor stems from his passion for empowering the youth, a sentiment he has shown through his outreach activities in various campuses, where he shares his life experiences to inspire students.
“I went to various schools, colleges, and universities where I shared my life, and I am going to continue doing that. I have seen the impact on the hearts of these people, and that’s another thing I wanted to do,” Gary elaborated.
But Gary’s reinvention doesn’t stop at mentoring. He is also willing to return to acting. He said, “I don’t mind going back into acting a bit more. If the right opportunity comes, I will keep myself open to that.”
As he expressed his willingness to make an onscreen acting comeback, Gary then shared what he wanted to work on as an actor.
“I would like to play a role where I am part of, let’s say, four men. They knew each other in high school and they planned to become somebody with their dreams, but they never became that. They became somebody totally different. It could be good, it could be bad. As in really far from what they want to become,” Gary said during the mediacon.
“Another role I’d like to play is offbeat. Like, a bad person who turned good. He dreams of becoming good and impactful but what happened was his life turned chaotic. He did things that hindered those dreams. I’d like to play a role like that with some redeeming factor in the end,” he added.
He is also open to reuniting with former co-ASAP host Dayanara Torres in reprising their roles as Robbie and Anna in their 1995 dance flick “Hataw Na,” but with a twist — putting a spotlight this time on the younger performers, with the likes of Darren Espanto and AC Bonifacio, among others.
But his aspirations in his acting comeback all connect to one purpose — inspiring the younger generations that they can be anything they want and be a positive influence on their respective communities. That, for him, is the reinvention he aspires to achieve in his 40-year career filled with music, faith, and inspiration.
Relive “The Magic of Pure Energy: Gary V Contract Signing” anytime on Star Magic’s YouTube channel.