She expresses gratitude for the support from loved ones and mentors, especially as she continues to find healing and purpose through her art.
She just won Best Actress in the recent Cinemalaya “for her sensitive and very moving portrayal of a young woman navigating the cultural complexities of a foreign funeral while coming to terms with personal loss and family grief.” She is Gabby Padilla of the Cinemalaya entry “Kono Basho” – a very competent actress.
When her friend Iza Calzado attended the premiere of her Cinemalaya movie and wished her luck for awards night, Gabby thought Marian Rivera might win after seeing the Kapuso star’s powerful performance in “Balota,” especially with all the advance releases and publicity.
Gabby recalls, “It felt very unreal, like I was in a daze. When they were reading my citation, I was still so confused because I couldn’t wrap my head around it. Everyone around me was already reacting but I needed to hear my name to believe it.”
Out of excitement she even forgot to mention and thank some very important people on stage. “So many, like my teachers, my sister; all the women in my life who have made me who I am today. My very supportive boyfriend, Benjamin Ted Jimenez.” And her dad, her number-one fan, now in the best seat in the house, whom she misses so much.
Of course, she made sure to thank Direk Dan Villegas (the film’s cinematographer and co-producer), who initially called Gabby to tell her about the project. Having worked with him several times before, she knew that with him and Direk Tonet Jadaone, it’s always a good challenge.
“My learning and challenges in doing ‘Kono Basho’ all had to do with me facing my own grief. I’ve gotten to know myself better through this experience and it ended up being a very healing experience.
“I think I said that, like Ella, I also lost my father. I’d say we’re similar in the sense that we both tend to logic our way out of feeling things.”
After this movie and the recognition that came with it, Gabby hopes for more opportunities to tell diverse stories.
We backtracked a bit and traced Gabby’s roots. When did she first feel that she wanted to get into performing?
“As a child, I’ve always enjoyed performing for my family. Even in school, I was more drawn to activities related to music and theater. I was born and raised in Iloilo, so we didn’t have much local theater growing up. A lot of my exposure came from my dad. He introduced me to Broadway musicals and made me listen to their cast recordings. He loved music, too, and that played a big part in my love for the arts.
“When it came time to decide what to study in college, I knew I wanted to do theater. I was very lucky to have parents who fully supported that. I was a double major–Theater Arts and Media Education at Assumption College. My mentor, Miss Ana Valdes-Lim, broadened my understanding of theater, and during my training with her, I grew to love straight plays and acting.”
Gabby has been in significant movies like “Ang Babaeng Allergic sa Wifi,” “Gitling,” “Kalel,15,” “Alone/Together,” “Dead Kids,” “Hyphen,” “A Very Good Girl,” and in series like “Almost Paradise,” “Rain in España,” and “K Love” but two projects stand out in her list.
“The movie ‘Billie and Emma’ will always be special to me because it was my first big role and I see so much of myself in Emma. In theater, recently, I did a musical called ‘I Love You, You’re Perfect Now Change.’ After being away from theater for a while, working with a director like Tita Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo was illuminating. She really reignited my love for musical theater. “
As to the greatest lessons learned in the industry, Gabby relates, “Learning not to take rejections and career curveballs personally. When your job is tied to your self/persona, it can be very difficult, mentally. Having a solid support system and interests unrelated to work helps me a lot. Learning not to equate my career to my self-worth is still a work in progress but at least I’m more mindful of it now.
“Theater and film are my two loves as an actor. I hope to do more straight plays since I haven’t done a lot professionally. I’d also like to do more TV, just because it’s something I haven’t sunk myself deep into yet and I think it would be a different kind of discipline and training.”
For now, Gabby is still processing everything and is excited by the possibilities following her Cinemalaya Best Actress win. She seems to be aiming for better roles in film, television, and theater. What matters most to her now is how she makes sense of her life through her art, which she hopes will also help others find meaning in theirs.
“I can never say it enough: Thank you. I am so grateful,” Gabby concludes.
