Nathalie Hart: I’ve learned from my past mistakes

MANILA, Philippines — Nathalie Hart has promised herself that she’s not going to talk about her non-showbiz fiancé — and love life in general — until she’s married.

“Huwag nating pag-usapan. That’s a part of me that’s already out of showbiz,” Nathalie requested the press during an intimate group interview about her comeback film, Viva Films’ Kunwari… Mahal Kita, which opened in cinemas on March 15.

After her relationship with the father of her child broke down, the 30-year-old actress found love again and got engaged to her Australian boyfriend last year.

But don’t expect her to be as candid about it as before.

In response to a question from The STAR, Nathalie explained: “I feel like before I was a lot open. Ikakasal na ako, then a week before the wedding date, we canceled. So, I feel like mas maganda na kasal na ako before I share a lot of things.

“I’ve learned so much from my past mistakes na ‘di mo naman kailangan sabihin sa lahat. Actually, ‘di naman nakakahiya sa public, but nakakahiya sa pamilya mo.

“At the end of the day, I’ve learned to really take a step back and wait. Kung para sa ‘yo talaga ang taong yan, para sa ‘yo… Kung kami talaga, eh di kami na, and then that person will have to be a stepfather to my child,” she said.

Nathalie honestly admitted that it’s not been easy to “restart” this part of her life due to past “trauma” but more importantly because she’s a mom now to her four-year-old girl Penelope, whose feelings she has to take into account in everything that she does.

According to her, she’s not “hiding” her relationship because she’s ashamed of it. Rather, she’s doing this for her daughter.

“Now, it’s not only me, I also have a child to think about. What about my daughter? What about her feelings, does she feel good (about it) and does she understand that there’s another man coming into my life? So parang ayoko ng paguluhin ang lahat ng bagay (I don’t want to complicate things),” Nathalie shared.

Interestingly, her experiences in life are somehow mirrored in her new film, a family drama and romantic-comedy rolled into one, which also stars Ryza Cenon and Joseph Marco. It’s directed by Roderick Lindayag, whose previous works include the series How To Move On in 30 Days and Los Bastardos.

“I actually felt this (role) is coming from my real experience, especially as I realized a lot of things during this pandemic and from my last relationship. Akala ko wala ng pag-asa…

“In Kunwari…Mahal Kita, (my character would realize) that she and Joseph Marco’s character weren’t working anymore, so nakipaghiwalay ako sa kanya. She wants to file an annulment but will later on realize that she’s on the losing end of things. As my character, ang yabang-yabang ko sa una, pero ayoko rin naman makipag-hiwalay.

“Then, I realized while doing the film, ‘Oh my God, is this me?’ I was actually looking at myself and I was like naranasan ko na ‘to dati. Nakipaghiwalay ako pero na-realize ko, ako pala ang mali. Hindi mo dapat sukuan ang mga bagay na hindi naman dapat. It takes maturity. So, this movie is coming from real experiences from my life. It’s kind of funny.”

Besides acting, Nathalie is also returning to school this year.

“I’m doing an online school in Sydney and I’m taking up Psychology. As I get this chance or opportunity to work again in the showbiz industry, I’ll also be studying.”

Meanwhile, Kunwari…Mahal Kita officially restarts the Fil-Australian’s acting career. She took a lengthy break to focus on her daughter.

“I was in Australia last year. It didn’t really bother me much. It was actually good to be with my family. I’ve been living here in the Philippines for so long and I haven’t seen my own family in Sydney,” she shared.

The last time she went home was five years ago when her father passed on. “It was really nice to be there again and I was looking at things that I wanted to really do there. Having a break was actually a great, special time for me. I really needed it.”

With her daughter a little bit older now, the actress who is under the wing of veteran talent manager Leo Dominguez felt ready to dip her feet into showbiz again.

“I really want to try it again this time. (Penelope) has her own life now. She has her own schedule. I have time for myself. She tells me how she feels, what she wants to do. She’s a lot easier to handle now than when she was a child,” Nathalie shared.

She could say that motherhood mellowed her down. “It gave me a lot of responsibilities. Before, okay lang kahit anong oras ako magising basta walang trabaho. Now, it’s different. You do have to plan your day. It actually made me a healthier person,” she reflected.

“I’m not saying that I had vices. I’m more mentally stable after having a child. It slowed me down, gave me purpose. It gave me responsibilities and made me a better person.”

With her film being released this Women’s Month, Nathalie has some words of encouragement for moms struggling to raise their child or children on their own.

“Being a single mother is not easy. I have a lot of respect for you, guys. I am also part of that. Do not put yourself down. At the end of the day, there is much more to life and you have a child that’s going to look up to you one day and you have to make that person proud na kinaya mong lahat,” she said.