Angel Aquino: One class act

MANILA, Philippines - I am more of a shorts and T-shirt kind of girl,” says Angel Aquino. "It's fine," I told her since style is about how she wears whatever clothes she has. Besides, after seeing her at The Spa-Rockwell opening in her signature shorts ensemble looking effortlessly fashionable, I knew she had style.

“Whatever you put on Angel looks good and fits her,” designers Patrice Ramos-Diaz and Jojie Lloren enthuse.

While her physical beauty is a given — an exquisite facial bone structure, a svelte figure, lustrous hair, smooth olive skin and long legs that make her look taller than her 5’6” frame — it is her aura that makes an immediate and lasting impression. She has a quiet elegance about her — a genuinely warm smile, a soft, calm voice, and a very feminine, unassuming demeanor.  

The journalism graduate from UP-Baguio has definitely come a long way since being discovered at the age of 16; offered a shot at becoming an actress, Angel, the idealistic UP student, balked at the idea of being labeled “a sell-out,” but instead relented to suggestions that she become a model. In 1993, she began her modeling career, walking the runway for fashion designers like Peter Lim and Jojie Lloren and appearing in editorials for fashion magazines like Mega.  At the same time, she made the rounds of advertising agencies, appearing in several TV commercials until she landed her breakthrough Pantene TV commercial in 1994. In a short span of time, she became the quintessential model, successfully transcending the divide between fashion and commercial modeling.

In 1997, the role that eventually led her to a career in acting landed in her lap. She was cast in a major role by director Butch Perez in the movie Mumbaki with a dream ensemble cast that featured Rolando Tinio and Joel Torre, among others. It was “love at first act” and with the movie, she found her true calling — acting. She has since appeared in numerous movies including Goodbye America, became host of lifestyle shows F, then of Us Girls before becoming part of several teleseryes including the highly successful Magkaribal where she played the mean-spirited Vera.  Today, she is a very busy, well-respected, legitimate actress and a highly successful commercial model, remaining one of the most sought-after faces in the advertising industry.

Cocktail hour: Angel Aquino looks stunning in this two-piece taupe and black silk blend blouse and skirt ensemble by Patrice Ramos-Diaz.

PHILIPPINE STAR: Wow, you are a woman of many talents. Which do you enjoy doing most, acting, television hosting or modeling?

ANGEL AQUINO: I love everything that I do although I wasn’t very comfortable walking down the runway because I was short and I felt like “I was walking into somebody else’s turf.” Hosting in front of a large audience is a daunting task and acting whether on TV or in movies is always very challenging.

How do you manage to look always fresh and beautiful despite your hectic showbiz schedule? Do you have a certain beauty ritual?

Since I know that my physical appearance is a big part of my work, I am conscious and careful of my habits, lifestyle choices and what I subject my body to, especially at my age. I love reading about and applying natural ways to maintain good skin, keep a healthy lifestyle and overall personal outlook. I also opt for natural healing so instead of taking medicines I take supplements with natural ingredients prepared by a biochemist I know.

At The Spa opening, I remember you talking about adhering to some sort of a particular, strict diet. Can you describe that for us?  

I don’t have a strict diet but I don’t eat food that stays too long in the stomach. I stopped eating hard-to-digest meat like beef and pork and seafood like squid in 1997. I eat loads of grains, cereals and fruits and eat as much raw food as possible plus I drink lots of water. I try to maintain a good and healthy relationship with myself, too.

Being an actress, you attend a lot of red carpet events. How do you select your clothes? Do you have a go-to Filipino designer for these occasions?

I am not really a red carpet person, since I don’t like drawing attention to myself but on the occasion that I do go, I run to my designer friends. I like Patrice Ramos-Diaz and Jojie Lloren because their clothes make me feel very feminine while Joey Samson has very androgynous, edgy and “I am in control” kinds of outfits that I also enjoy wearing. I’m lucky because the designers are kind and generous, I guess that’s also because I came from the industry.

You have a very lithe body. Do you exercise on a regular basis?

Derek Ramsay told me to do push-ups before a bath and before going to sleep! Of course, I don’t get to do it as often as he suggested but I try to attend barre classes as frequently as I can.

How would you describe yourself as an actress, as a model and as a person?

Smokin' hot: Move over Victoria’s Secret Angel, our own screen “Angel” is smokin’ hot in this black and silver jacquard tube dress with ethnic pattern by Patrice Ramos-Diaz and Riqueza carabao horn and mother-of-pearl necklace!

I am very easy to work and deal with. I come on time, I never make a fuss, I don’t make unreasonable demands and I deliver what is expected of me.

Do you have any pet peeves?

I don’t like people who carelessly throw trash anywhere. I also dislike “plastic” people and those who like to power trip.

If you were to give yourself a birthday gift, what would it be? Is there something you are saving up for or would splurge on?

I want to take my whole family on a cruise and my daughters separately on a European tour. I think they are ready for the rich, old world culture experience.

What if any has been your biggest fashion faux pas?

The tsunami hairdo! (Go figure…)

Which part of your body do you like the most or find sexiest?

My skin.

What is the biggest turn off for you in a woman and in a man?

Generally speaking, I don’t like people who are rude to others and I definitely won’t kiss a man who smokes, unless my job requires it!

You have raised two daughters all on your own. What has that experience been like?

It is tough but having the support of a loving family has helped tremendously. Sometimes I worry about my elder daughter because she puts a lot of pressure on herself to be able to do something at 17 like I did, but apart from that I have a great relationship with my two girls. Besides, being single isn’t all that bad — at least I am not stuck in an awful relationship.

Angel’s signature look: Gray bandeau top from Mphosis, black suede jacket with shoulder embellishment by Kate Moss for Topshop, bazaar find micro mini denim shorts, and black booties from Janylin.

Show business is a very colorful industry to say the least. What is it that you love the most and dislike the most about it?

I enjoy the perks. I also like the fact that no two days are ever the same, it’s all very exciting. I dislike having to sacrifice my privacy or the feeling of being in an aquarium — like I owe the public an explanation. I am not the type of person who likes to defend herself in public so I keep a low profile and just wait for the truth to come out.

After your recently concluded four-month stint at Magkaribal, do you have any TV or movie projects lined up?

I recently finished a movie with Brilliante Mendoza, the one starring the French actress Isabelle Huppert. I dropped everything for the opportunity to work with him on this still- untitled movie. We only had a skeleton script so almost all the dialogue and acting was spontaneous, natural reactions to every scene and my co-stars. What an experience!

Are you a bag or a shoe person?

Most definitely a shoe person — I can go for weeks without changing bags but shoes, I am fascinated with.

If you weren’t an actress, a model or a TV host, what would you have wanted to be?

A news reporter or a flight attendant! (Laughs)

What is your weakness?

Kindness.

I know you are currently single but what would be a perfect, romantic date for you?

Hmmm…good wine, scrumptious food, melt-in-your-mouth dessert and the great outdoors as our backdrop.

You told me that you don’t really have a dream soul mate but you must have a type or a crush. Would you care to share?

Ahh… I’ve got a crush on Leonardo Di Caprio and Christian Bale. I don’t know why but I seem to like the boyish-looking, bad-boy kind of guy. I think that should change!

If you could be anywhere else in the world right at this moment, where would it be?

By the sea.

Sneak peak: Angel dons a digitally printed off-shoulder silk dress from Rajo Laurel’s soon-to-be-launched Plains & Prints limited collection; nude-colored booties from Janylin.

I asked Angel to complete the following phrases as candidly as possible and here’s what she had to say:

 I am… not always goody-two-shoes.

I don’t understand why… and how some people can live with themselves knowing their wealth comes from betraying other people’s trust and stealing their hard earned money — or destroying our one earth and only home and think that they are the only ones who have the right to its bounty because they have the means.

Love is… the most beautiful feeling one can ever have and even a thousand times more beautiful when shared and given back.

I wish… there was a time machine that could let us visit our most beautiful moments. Just watch them again without necessarily having to change any of it.

I cannot live without… my moisturizer!

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Angel Aquino is a breath of fresh air in an industry often dominated by actresses whose larger-than-life personalities are fodder for gossip. She is a talented actress who has proven her mettle, she is a bankable commercial endorser admired by many, she is a loving and doting mother who has never lost focus on her priorities and she is a beautiful person who is not afraid to wear her heart on her sleeve — she is one class act.