Maja to showbiz hopefuls: Always reinvent yourself

Maja Salvador has been tapped as one of the “headhunters” on TV5’s newest talent search PoPinoy, a collaboration between the Kapatid network, Cignal, Archangel Media and TNT.

PoPinoy’s goal is to find the ultimate P-pop supergroup in the mold of SB19, who can be both global stage performers and ambassadors of Filipino culture. With that, the actress-dancer and newly-minted talent manager has the “all-important job” to hone the PoPinoy hopefuls, making sure they’re up to the challenge and eventually deserving to be crowned winner.

The winning all-male and all-female groups will then figure in the local telco TNT’s campaigns and in an online show to be hosted by Darren Espanto. (A primer to PoPinoy will air on June 6, 8 p.m. on TV5, a week before its premiere on June 13, 7 p.m.)

In a virtual one-on-one with the 32-year-old multi-hyphenate, The STAR asked Maja to share some words of motivation with the show’s hopefuls.

She began: “If ever man, kung di sila makapasok, gamitin nila yun, kasi sa bawat failure, dun tayo mas nagiging strong. From there, we will determine kung ano ba ang calling mo, ano ba yung para sa ‘yo, ano ba talaga ang gusto mong gawin.

“And if nakapasok naman kayo or pag-nakapasok sila sa next round, ‘wag silang kampante. Always explore, always challenge yourself — what else can I do, what else can I offer? Or what can I change in my look? You always have to give the audience something new.

“So, always reinvent and repackage yourself. Para hindi yun at yun lang ang naibibigay mo sa audience. There has to be something new and something that makes the audience excited about you all the time.”

For Maja, stardom is a combination of destiny and hard work. Based on her experience, being discovered is just one foot at the door. “Ako, masasabi ko na nung nagkaroon ako ng opportunity para maging artista, hindi ko rin naman po nakuha kaagad yung career na gusto ko, kung nasaan man ako ngayon.”

The lead star of the TV5 serye Niña Niño continued, “Meron namang nabigyan ng oportunidad na andun kaagad, superstar kaagad, di ba? Pero kahit ano pa po yan, basta ang importante ay yung attitude, yung pagmamahal sa trabaho, sa mga katrabaho mo, yung ganun.”

New chapter in career

Maja appears to have taken her own advice to heart as well, as she has reinvented herself and become the CEO of her own talent management agency, Crown Artist Management (CAM).

The vision of her company is “to discover talents and develop their full potential as artists and as individuals while providing top-quality representation and management across all media platforms.”

According to Maja, she gets a lot of help from businessman-boyfriend Rambo Nuñez and other key members of the Crown team.

“Siempre konti palang kami sa Crown but, you know, I’m very grateful and thankful to them dahil katulad niyan, artista ako, nagpaka-headhunter ako, or nagpapaka-Niña ako, nandyan sila para makipag-usap, makipag-meeting. So after that, may araw kami for alignment, kung ano man yung dapat i-approve at hindi, yung mga ganun. So, there are days na nagpapaka-businesswoman ako.”

As to what kind of talents Crown is looking for, she indicated that they should be teachable. “If sa start pa lang makitaan ko ng potential, naniniwala ako sa ilang months, years of training, kailangan mong mapulido yung ano yung talent ang tingin mo na meron ka.”

Maja said that the talents in their roster have their individual strengths. And they’re not all artistas, she noted, as there are influencers and social media personalities.

“Iba-iba yung offer namin,” she added, explaining that in this day and age, talents are no longer confined to television as there are other platforms for exposure. “It’s the digital age, so mas malawak. So, I’m very excited sa kung ano pa ang mapapakita ng ibang artists namin.”

John Lloyd as Crown artist

Of course, her biggest talent yet is John Lloyd Cruz, whose introduction as a CAM artist last month sent shockwaves and excitement to fans.

To recall, the 37-year-old actor took an indefinite leave from ABS-CBN in 2017. When this interview was done, reports about his “TV comeback” via GMA Network (starting with a TV special mounted by Kapuso blocktimer-producer and Wowowin host Willie Revillame on Sunday) had yet to emerge.

“John Lloyd naman kasi is a good friend. Masaya and very thankful kami,” she said of the dramatic actor.

As the resumption of his showbiz career has been entrusted to her now, Maja said that John Lloyd was never really out of sight, out of mind.

“He’s been doing a lot in indie films with direk Lav Diaz,” she said. “At least ngayon, gusto lang namin iparamdam na andyan pa rin siya, na nagbalik siya, and he’s relevant.”

As for her own career, Maja hopes and prays she’s still part of the entertainment industry in the next five years.

“Siguro di ako mawawala because of Crown Artist Management, di ba? Parang magiging… kung wala man ako sa harap ng camera, nasa likod, kung ano man yun. Tingnan natin, pero alam ko nasa industriya pa rin.”