Alex Gonzaga keeps it real

MANILA, Philippines — When it comes to producing this generation’s flock of stars, it is but surprising that YouTube gets thrown into the mix. Through the years, the popular streaming service has produced its fair share of YouTubers that have since found worldwide fame; Justin Bieber certainly comes to mind. Even vloggers once relegated to the corner of the internet with a small yet steady following are also thrust into the spotlight, where a whole new tribe of fans await. Unconventional as their path to popularity may be, for many “online influencers,” it would seem that the lights and cameras of the showbiz industry are still the pinnacle of stardom.

Not for Alex Gonzaga. The actress and host is doing a whole 360-degree turn, taking the online realm by storm as she subverts the typical vlogger trope; she’s a mainstream celebrity crossing over to YouTube instead of the other way around. It’s hardly an original move as stars have typically relied on social media to stay relevant with their fans, but it’s a platform that Alex naturally shines in.

Alex’s vlog is only five months old, and unlike the big-scale productions she’s accustomed to in her television work, Alex has one main collaborator, Winnie Wong of penelopepop.com, who does most of the groundwork: she shoots, edits, handles Alex’s vlog-assigned e-mail and helps run Alex’s channel.

Despite the skeletal team, Alex has already amassed over 400,000 followers since launching her channel in July last year, a seriously impressive feat for a self-confessed vlogging newbie. It was her knack for improvised one-liners and wacky Instagram stories that led to the idea of pursuing a vlog channel. According to Alex, her vlog materialized during a spontaneous moment over dinner. As Alex shares, “Isasama ko dapat ‘yung ate (Toni) ko, sabi ko, ‘Ate, let’s make a vlog,’ pero sabi niya, ‘Hmmm, not my personality.’ Tapos ‘yung isa naming kasama, si Winnie, sabi niya, ‘Let’s make a vlog. I’ll edit for you, I’ll do everything. You just have to shoot.’ Everything just immediately fell into place.”

Alex doesn’t consider herself a full-blown comedian, just a personality who happens to have a sense of humor. It’s this same comedic timing that endears her to viewers and sets the tone for several of her videos. Some quick clicks to her page and one can already see the kind of content viewers expect from Alex; one of her most-viewed videos is a vlog entry entitled “How I make my nephew love me,” which entails Alex doing all sorts of antics to make her one-year-old nephew Seve laugh. Another popular video shows Alex and her mom, fondly called Mommy Pinty in a pseudo-cooking show format detailing Mommy Pinty’s spaghetti recipe, featuring less of the actual cooking and more of the familial chaos that takes place in the Gonzaga home, with sister Toni quipping, “Eto ang pinaka-magulong cooking show.”

Although she figures in the public eye and her vlogs zero in on her daily life, Alex doesn’t make her videos all about herself, nor is she concerned about perfection. Her videos are peppered with self-deprecating humor and an effortless wit, which almost feels like we’re peering into a behind-the-scenes montage, exclusive access into an otherwise normal life. As Alex puts it, “My vlog is the unfiltered version of myself.”

“I think you owe it to your audience to be authentic and genuine,” Alex shares, adding, “Because first of all, pinaka-hate ko yung pagiging pretentious. Ayokong magpretend na mabait ako, masama ako… ayoko ng may pretension ako. So pag nararamdaman ko na may pretension na, like ‘This is my house, it’s so clean….’ I find it so hypocritical.” Less than a year after jumpstarting her channel, Alex already knows what kind of content she wants to create more of, and what she’s not so keen on. For starters, she’s already figured out that her viewers enjoy seeing her videos more when she’s with off-camera friends and loved ones.

A typical shoot day doesn’t require much planning, especially since someone like Alex relies much on spontaneity for content. There are times when she comes up with an idea and then they shoot about a week later; other times it’s just an opportunity presenting itself, like when she’s in the dressing room with a celebrity friend and they have some time to kill. For now, Alex plans to keep the content as natural and organic as possible. “When I feel like it’s become work or when I already feel so pressured, I might stop. Gusto ko kasi sa vlogging good vibes lang siya, hindi siya planado. Kasi for me, nakikita ka na sa TV, and sa TV it’s well-planned, so dito naman sa YouTube medyo mas candid.”

Perhaps what makes Alex a charming character to watch in her vlogs is the candid and raw attitude she displays, especially since finding her footing in comedy wasn’t always easy. “There was a time in my life about two years ago when the management in my network thought people viewed me as just an OA person,” Alex admitted. “They said, ‘Hindi ka genuine sa tao, hindi ka authentic. Akala nila nagpapatawa ka because may tinatago ka or nakasanayan mo lang. Hindi authentic sa’yo ‘yung pagpapatawa.’ So I had this process in my life where I was like, Ito ba talaga? Nakakapagpatawa ba talaga ako?’ Hinanap ko talaga ‘yung sarili ko, and then, I realized that it’s really (my thing) to make people laugh. So I think with my vlog, napakita ko sa tao na this is the real me, I’m not pretending. This is my authenticity.”

For now, the actress-host is playing it by ear and taking one video at a time. As for us, we’re keeping one finger on the “subscribe” button and our eyes peeled.

Photo by JP Talapian
Makeup by Denise Go Ochoa
Hair by RJ Dela Cruz
Styling by Stylized
Produced by Kara Ortiga
Shot on location at B Hotel,
Quezon City