MANILA, Philippines - At an early age, Joyce Giselle Ching learned the essential value of humility. “My parents taught me not to let fame and fortune get into my head,” she says. In an industry where humility is hard to come by, the 16-year-old actress is ensuring that her feet are firmly planted on the ground. “That’s why I always listen to my parents. I believe that every child should learn how to listen to and obey his or her parents,” she furthers. “Our parents know better than us and they wouldn’t wish us any bad.”
With these remarkable principles, Joyce’s parents, insurance agent Michael Ching and wife Minda, are surely proud of her. The second of three children, Joyce grabs every chance she can to show her dad and mom how much she loves them. She is also close to her siblings Rachel and Kimbert. “I always ask my ate for advice and she willingly guides me. My brother and I, on the other hand, enjoy Guitar Hero sessions and practices our taekwondo skills together.”
Joyce dreamt of becoming an actress as a kid. “I’ve always loved performing. I love dancing, singing and acting in front of people and I enjoy how they react,” she gushes.
So when the opportunity to join show business knocked at her door, she had no second thoughts. Early on in her career, Joyce already had lessons on patience. She went to every single day of auditions for a new primetime show and missed every time. But she persevered and after hours of waiting in queues, Joyce finally got her biggest break yet. The half-Filipino, half-Chinese beauty was cast as the young villainess in a Korean show remake in her home network GMA-7. “There was a time in my young career that I reached an awkward phase where I was hardly getting any project. But my stint at Endless Love proved that the wait was all worth it.”
Her convincing portrayal in the show paved the way for Joyce to be recognized as one of the fast-rising teen stars of the network. Soon after, she was cast in more shows and was quickly gaining a following. The chinita beauty is now part of the cast of an upcoming teenage drama film Tween Academy: Class of 2012.
“My job gives me the chance to have my own savings and meet a lot of people,” she says. “I also get to travel to places for free. I experience different kinds of adventures.”
Joyce realizes that a lot of teenagers look up to her and her fellow teen stars. So she is careful with her decisions and career choices. It’s a good thing that she listens to her parents!