Sarah Geronimo is indestructible

‘Natanggap ko na po ‘yun: Na ‘yun ang identity ko. No matter how hard I try or ipilit, ‘di talaga bagay sa akin. Kahit mag wish pa ako na sana ganun ako ka-sexy.’ She may be 30 and thriving — but flirty? It ain’t broke so there’s no need to fix anything.

Sarah Geronimo had just turned 30 in late July — and it is a fact that’s quite hard to grasp. In my head, she is still that gauche, 14-year-old belter whose Celine Dion-esque vocals landed her the musical career of a lifetime. She is also still the perpetually wide-eyed, never-been-kissed leading lady in many a romcom who always gets her happy ever after. And she is the ever-obedient daughter her parents groomed from childhood to become an artista.

But the country’s Popstar has, in fact, become so much more. Her kontesera roots — she’s traded her biritera leanings for a rounder, more soulful sound — and eventual crossover to movies and TV inspired the careers of a dozen more singing contest hopefuls. The aforementioned niche that she created in the movies continually translates to box-office success, too. And her wholesome, family-oriented image?  Advertising and PR gold.

Fresh from her month-long break and birthday celebration in Japan with long-time boyfriend Matteo Guidicelli, Sarah has been doing the promotional rounds for her upcoming movie Miss Granny. A local adaptation of a 2014 Korean hit, it tells the tale of a frustrated, temperamental widow in her ’70s (played by Nova Villa) who magically transforms into her younger self (Sarah) to nip her lifelong frustrations in the bud. The premise and requirements of the material are admittedly new and a welcome change, having emerged from a decade’s worth feel-good flicks. And despite having love team veterans James Reid and Xian Lim in the cast, she isn’t sticking to formula.

“Nandoon ‘yung hunger ko to do something new, to go through a new journey at saka i-explore pa kung anong kaya kong ibigay as an actress,” she says of the role of Fely de Leon. She worked with an acting coach and observed Nova Villa’s own nuances to portray a time-warped 20-something with precision. It’s the kind of challenge she prefers these days — a departure from previous movie roles that were tailor-made for her and written (and rewritten) around her professional limitations.

Such limitations were never more evident than in the trilogy of blockbusters she churned alongside John Lloyd Cruz. “May times na gumagawa ako ng romcoms (beginning with 2008’s A Very Special Love) kasama si JL (John Lloyd) nung mas bata pa ko na walang kissing scenes. ‘Nung nagka-sequel (You Changed My Life), kailangan na raw pero hindi pa rin talaga (nagawa). Tapos nung pangatlo (It Takes a Man and a Woman) na kailangan na talaga, pressured (na ako pero wala pa rin.)”

The said trilogy ended with a honeymoon scene that left a lot to the imagination — her iconic character Laida Magtalas was still fully clothed until the credits rolled — but a broad spectrum of moviegoers watched and all three installments raked in a combined total revenue of more than P800 million anyway.

Miss Granny, helmed by director Joyce Bernal, is Sarah’s own version of stepping outside of the box. “Hindi naman ako comfortable na makita sarili ko na nakikipaghalikan on screen,” she admits casually, hinting that the upcoming film will not take a turn for the sensual. “Hindi ko rin naman sinasara ang doors at hindi ako nagsasalita ng tapos pero sa ngayon, hindi ko lang siyang nakikitang kailangang gawin.”

 The same consistent image extends to her styling protocols for television and public appearances. Call it a “no cleavage and bare legs policy” but its seems like her brand endorsements and her legion of fans do not mind one bit.

“Pagdating sa pananamit, minsan tina-try ko kung bagay ang skin pero di ako comfortable! Hindi rin naman bagay sa akin. Saka cleavage? Wala talaga ‘eh,” she says, laughing the observation off. Puwede naman akong mag shorts as a performer. Wala namang masama at open naman ako. Pero siguro di lang talaga bagay (sa akin) ang mga kasuotan ng mga tipo ni Beyoncé or J.Lo.” Her Tagalog is filled with “sana” and “siguro” — tentative words that are more like indicators of her courtesy — but she speaks with such cheerful resignation.

“Natanggap ko na po ‘yun: Na ‘yun ang identity ko. No matter how hard I try or ipilit (ang ganong pananamit), ‘di talaga bagay sa akin. Kahit mag wish pa ako na sana ganun ako ka-sexy.” She may be 30 and thriving — but flirty? It ain’t broke so there’s no need to fix anything.

Celebrating a symbolic age while filming a movie that tackles FOMO and other forms of regret offers a lot to contemplate.

When asked if she can relate to her Miss Granny character, she nods but mulls the question over before mouthing a reply. “May mga bagay na hindi mo na maibabalik pero kaya pang habulin. It’s never too late to learn new things kahit na sana natutunan ko nung mas bata pa ako. May mga bagay na plan ni Lord, choice ko, at ng mga nasa paligid ko na hindi ko na-experience pero okay lang.”

She zeroes in on school, alluding to a time spent lining up at auditions and joining singing contents while other kids were learning inside the classroom all day. “Sana nung elementary at high school, nag-seryoso ako sa pag-aaral kaso nga, nag-aartista na ako bata pa lang. Ang dami kong absences at hindi nakapag focus sa pag-aaral.” But she insists, “Sabi ko nga sa mga nakababata, napaka-importante na seryosohin ang pag-aaral. Hindi para sa grades kung hindi para sa sarili.”

Furthermore, she admits to having a cocktail of emotions as she treads the path of mature adulthood. “I still feel like a kid pero trenta na ako. Kailangang i-brush off ko na ang pagiging bata kaso masarap na nakikita ang mundo sa mata ng bata: the simpler things in life, appreciating and finding joy in them.” Even then, the girl who grew up with a completely different kind of normal assures, “Experiences are important. Not until dumaan ka sa situation that you have to do it on your own, ‘di ka matututo. Pero maturity cannot be forced, (it is gained) through time, at hindi lang dahil trenta ka na.”

She credits Viva head Vic del Rosario who first discerned that she is a kid no more. “Boss Vic is open to the changes (in me) and to me making my own decisions when it comes to my career. He is understanding, sobra na nga! Parang tatay.”

Part of his assessment is to allow her ward as much time she needs for rest and relaxation. Sarah’s onstage emotional breakdown — ironically, in the middle of her signature hit Forever’s Not Enough — during the Las Vegas leg of her 15th anniversary tour in April came as a shock to fans and the general public. “Di lang naman physical ’yung exhaustion. Lahat po tayo dumadaan sa experience na ma-de-drain at mabu-burnout ka,” she looks back, now fully recovered.

Her life events this year made her take stock of her life and strive for a balance between the personal and professional. “It’s a process but I am not saying narating ko na ang pagiging stable (sa trabaho),” she ruminates. “There are times that I ask, ‘What more can I offer? What’s my next move? What can I do to stay relevant?’ Minsan, I am shaken. Pero bumabalik ako sa core ko, sa anong kaya ko ibigay.”

Sarah had just come from an evening of performing with her mentor and Star for a Night host Regine Velasquez at a corporate event for a BPO. Seeing the previous night’s applauded performance on Viva’s Youtube, a medley of Regine’s greatest hits that they originally rendered during the Songbird’s 30th anniversary concert in 2017, brought to mind what Regine thinks of her junior.

Asked who she thought would bridge Original Pilipino Music to the future, she nominated Sarah immediately. “She is a superstar. Siya na ‘yan ‘eh! This is her generation. This is her time,” she declared in an interview with Preview.ph.

Sarah, obviously uncomfortable praise, facepalms. “Grabe naman ‘yon!” she said, her pitch gradually higher than usual. “Pero naiintindihan ko siya na kung panahon mo, go lang ng go. Naiintindihan ko na may kanya-kanya tayong time.” She enumerates other singing contest winners that came after her to prove her point and divert the attention away from her — Rachelle Ann Go, Erik Santos, among others — but it was an effort exerted in vain.

Asked what else she has lined up after Miss Granny, the birthday girl does not give much details. But inadvertently, she shared where she and her brand are headed in the years to come. “Hopefully, more projects na makaka-inspire. ‘Yun na ’yung platform ko, eh. Bakit pa ako lilihis?”