MANILA, Philippines - Sarah Geronimo opened her heart a little more in an interview, talking about personal matters from her “Cinderella”-like story, perceptions on her family, to her “real-life” Prince Charming.
The 26-year-old singer/actress is usually tight-lipped about such matters, usually dispensing a simple and sweet smile, or clipped answers to questions that might pry into her personal life.
But the media were treated to a rare and refreshing display of openness during last Friday’s launch of Sarah’s new project for the Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia. She was among the nine celebrities across Southeast Asia selected to reinterpret various Disney princesses for the 2015 Disney Princess calendar. The photo shoot was executed under acclaimed lensman Michael Chevas from Thailand.
Sarah, who was transformed into the long-haired Rapunzel, said, “(The project) was a pleasant surprise. I feel very blessed to be chosen, along with Kim Chiu (as Mulan), to be part of the Disney Princess calendar.” The gig came on the heels of her singing the localized version of The Glow, the theme song of the Disney animated film Tangled about Rapunzel, for Disney Channel Asia.
Sarah, whose successful musical career has earned her the title Pop Princess, has no trouble relating to the Disney princess. “What I like about (Rapunzel) is her being passionate, her being energetic, artistic and of course, her being courageous. I don’t think she’ll be able to come down her tower, if she didn’t have the courage — yung tapang, yung lakas ng loob — to come down that tower, to see the world and to discover her true identity.
“Also her being considerate. Hindi siya yung, ‘Tatakas ako, tatakas ako, susuwayin ko ang mga magulang ko.’ So, yes, (I can relate to my character.) And I know I’m not just able to relate to the character of Rapunzel, I also connect to her situation of being trapped in a tower, that we can also be trapped by our own fears, and that could be why we’re not growing and blossoming into a person that God made us to be.”
Another Disney princess Sarah can identify with is Cinderella “because her story is rags-to-riches.” She recalled how her life now is a far cry from the one she was living when she just starting out in the business. “They say, I have a Cinderella-type life story, kasi nga nag-umpisa sa walang-wala kami, literally wala na kaming makain, tapos nag-trabaho ng nag-trabaho para sumikap. I went after my dreams, pursued the career that I wanted, and the dreams for myself and for my family, until I reached where I am now.”
“And during that time,” she added with a girlish giggle, “you still long for that Prince Charming — kung sino yung makakakuha ng glass shoe (laughs).”
Sarah doesn’t have to say it outright, but the whole world knows that she has already found a “Prince Charming” (a.k.a. Matteo Guidicelli). Although they are hardly seen together in public, Matteo proudly declared his affection for Sarah via a couple photo on his Instagram last Jan. 1.
“I can’t deny it!” Sarah laughingly admitted when asked if Matteo makes her feel like a princess. “Of course, it’s the first time na merong taong ganito ka proud para sa iyo. Naiiyak ako (laughs)! Kung totoo man yon or hindi, bahala siya. It’s his problem but, of course, we’re thankful. Like I always say before, in past interviews, if you love truly, whether it works or not, at the end of the day, you know in yourself that you’ve been true to that person.”
She also said, “I won’t deny it, talagang maganda rin ang nabibigay na epekto sayo pag maayos din ang pakikitungo sayo ng tao — when you’re not treated like trash, or someone beneath you, right? It will also reflect on you, so I guess he must be doing something right… He’s not perfect but he’s doing something right.”
Still, fans shouldn’t expect Sarah to become more open with their relationship anytime soon. She admitted that she had cautioned Matteo from making such public displays of affection. “Pinagsabihan ko nga siya (laughs). No, I wasn’t angry at him. He just surprised me. (But) that’s how he is. He’s not afraid to share his happiness (laughs). We have a lot of differences but we have to respect each other’s differences. But we’ve talked about it that we have to maintain the privacy of the relationship.”
Asked if she’s hoping for a “happily-ever-after” with her “prince charming,” she said, “Hopefully, but we can’t dictate or predict the future. It needs hard work and effort on both ends and prayers, of course, and being considerate also. I will relate it to Rapunzel, she’s also thinking of her mother, yung mga sinasabi ng mga tao sa paligid niya, parang hanapin mo yung balance sa buhay mo.”
“Ang dami ko na pong nasagot ah,” Sarah told reporters, looking partly amused, partly alarmed at her candidness.
Nevertheless, Sarah stressed that she feels like a “princess” for many other reasons not limited to love life. “Every day, yung reality ng buhay, I don’t tell myself that I’m a princess, ang ganda-ganda ko. Yung reality ng buhay is you have to constantly remind yourself that you’re a princess, meaning, whatever you go through in life, the happiness, the sadness, you have to remind yourself of your blessings from God, the love that you receive, and not necessarily the love you get from a guy or from the opposite sex. The most important thing sa Diyos mo mararamdaman that you are loved, very well loved. Second is my family, which is the concept and message that Disney is imparting, that love isn’t something you only get from a partner, it’s also from your family.”
Sarah is also standing by her family, amidst critics or detractors urging her to claim more independence for herself in planning her career and life. “We have different opinions in life, we all have the freedom of speech. People will see the things they want to see but may mga bagay sila na di nalalaman. They can easily dictate you, like, ‘Ano ba Sarah, grow up! Or let go! Hello, ang tanda mo na! C’mon, get a boyfriend, or do the things that make you happy!’ Pero hindi ganun eh, hindi ganun kadali. It’s not like that, it’s not as easy as that. And you can see that in the values of the Disney princesses, like Rapunzel and her being considerate. She’s courageous but she’s also considerate. That’s the challenge — how you will be able to do it.”
She further said, “Yes, you can plan your life. You can try so hard to plan your life. But there are things that are out of your control. What I can do about it is pray… Of course, I still can’t say that I’m in control of my life right now. Ibang klase ang foundation ng pamilya ko, iba ang way of living namin, ang lifestyle namin, iba kami.
“(But) I think a lot of Filipino families can relate to me because this is our tradition, you know, Filipino values. But it’s an everyday process kung paano mo pa-planuhin ang buhay mo. The best that you can do is pray, that whatever you’re doing is right and if it’s not, you pray to be redirected.”