Gelli on the go

One of Gelli de Belen’s proudest possessions is her URIAN Best Actress trophy, which she won for her role in the Maryo J. delos Reyes-directed biopic of AIDS victim Sarah Jane Salazar in 1994. She hasn’t made a movie in a while, and admits that up to this day, starring in one remains to be one of her dreams.

The only thing stopping her is that it’s been so long since that she fears she may have forgotten what it’s like. “Parang may kalawang effect na, eh,” reasons Gelli. “Feeling ko, nakalimutan ko na, but yes, I would love to do another one. Na-miss ko na mag-movie.”

But Gelli has hardly been idle. In fact, she’s one of the busiest stars, with four shows airing simultaneously on television: She appears regularly in the game show Happy Truck ng Bayan; in the comedy show Mr. Less Misis (where all of them have no husbands, hence the title; Gelli’s character is the wife of an OFW); the reality show KISPinoy: The K-Pop Philippination, with Richard Gutierrez (where the goal is to find a Pinoy who will be sent to Korea to train and become a Korean pop idol); the lifestyle magazine show Happy Wife, Happy Life, and  SM Little Stars where she sits as both judge and mentor.

Aside from that, of course, Gelli is a full-time wife and mother to her sons Joaqui and Julio, now 16 and 14 years old. She’s also still very much married to singer-actor Ariel Rivera (despite rumors that they have parted ways). How does Gelli make time for four shows and take care of her family? “Time management is the key,” says Gelli.

Fortunately, Gelli is able to manage her schedule because not all her shows tape daily, so there are days she is busy and days she is not, and that makes it easy to find her balance. She also feels lucky to be married to someone who understands her work and is willing to adjust when needed. She and Ariel have never had a yaya for the boys and have worked on a “when I work, he’s free, and when he works, I’m the one that stays with the kids” basis since Joaqui and Julio were young. And now that they’re in their teens, they keep their family running smoothly by maintaining open communication lines all around. As a mother, she aims to lead by example.“Siguro God’s providence na rin na ganoon ang nangyari. Ariel is not the typical family man. He’s also an actor, and we understand each other. So we adjust.”

As far as her career is concerned, Gelli is happy to be where she is, and content with the pace at which she is going.

She has no complaints about the shows or the roles she gets. After being in the industry for so long, and at her age, she is thankful for whatever opportunities she gets. Says Gelli: “I’m grateful naman.”
Each show to her is a learning experience — and she’s not the choosy type when it comes to work. She’ll go wherever the work is. “It doesn’t even have to be a big role,” points out Gelli. “For me, I just want to work. I will go where there is work. When it comes to movies, okay na sa akin ‘yung roles which I don’t do on TV.”

What it boils down to, according to Gelli — and she has told her own children this, as a rule to follow when they grow up — is to make sure that you love your job so that it doesn’t reach the point where it starts to feel like a drudge.

She’s also very happy that her management understand her needs as an artist. “Work is a blessing, so I always tell myself to be grateful that I have room to leave even a small mark in the industry,” says Gelli.  “With that, I’ll be content.”