AZ Martinez prioritizes acting over beauty pageants

MANILA, Philippines — Kapuso actress AZ Martinez is focusing on her acting career and has no immediate plans to compete in another beauty pageant.

Martinez, who has won several pageant titles, including Miss Elite Philippines 2022 and Miss Summit International 2023, said becoming a beauty queen was never part of her original plans.

In a recent interview on GMA's “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda,” the Sparkle artist revealed that she had always wanted to pursue acting rather than pageantry.

After joining her first pageant, Martinez was invited to watch Miss Universe Philippines during Michelle Dee's participation. It was there that she met people who further exposed her to opportunities in the entertainment industry.

“Ako, Tito Boy, when I finished my first pageant, in-invite ako to watch Miss Universe Philippines, 'yung time ni MMD (Michelle Dee), when she was joining. And then I met a few people there and I've been wanting to be a part — I wanted to do acting,” she said.

“I've been telling them na gusto ko talagang mag-acting compared to pageant. The time I decided to join a pageant, it was pandemic tapos walang magawa, so it was just out of boredom. Na-bore lang ako tapos in-invite lang ako,” she added.

At the time, Martinez was working as a model in Cebu when she was offered the opportunity to join a beauty pageant.

However, she initially considered withdrawing from the competition after realizing the expenses involved, including styling and makeup.

“Actually, Tito Boy, 'yung pageant na sinalihan namin, I wanted to back out kasi napansin ko na ang dami palang gastos, the styling, makeup, parang ayoko naman gumastos for something out of boredom na ganu'n,” she said.

Martinez eventually continued competing after learning that withdrawing would require her to pay P50,000.

Her pageant experience eventually led to several titles, but the actress said she now wants to concentrate on building her career in show business.

In a separate interview, Martinez admitted that she has yet to consider returning to pageantry anytime soon, although she remains open to the possibility in the future.

“Honestly, right now wala pa talaga 'yun sa plans ko and I don't see it in the near future yet pero maybe after a few years mga gano'n,” she said.

“Who knows, baka mag-iba 'yung plans ko. Pero right now I really want to focus on the path I'm in. And now sobra talaga akong nag-enjoy sa acting sa entertainment industry. I'm loving what I'm doing right now,” she added.

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