‘I wish someone told me that acting in the movies is no walk in the park – Boots Anson
Roa-Rodrigo’
Today, Tita Boots Anson Roa-Rodrigo celebrates her 80th birthday with a grand reunion of family and friends. In lieu of gifts, she has requested that everyone donate to her apostolate, the Movie Workers Welfare Foundation (MOWELFUND).
To honor her, we asked her to answer 8 questions for her 80th birthday. Here is Tita Boots, in her own words.
What was an early, memorable movie experience that you had that stuck with you?

Boots Anson Roa-Rodrigo (BARR): Being told by villain Dick Israel that it was difficult to realistically manhandle me because it was like roughing up the Virgin Mary. It took five takes. Director Augusto Buenaventura shouted “Cut!” and we all burst into laughter. The movie was “Tatay na si Erap” in 1972, where I won my first FAMAS Best Actress Award—for an action-comedy film, no less.
What’s something you wish someone told you when you began your career?
BARR: I wish someone told me that acting in the movies is no walk in the park.
Who is the person who made the biggest impact on your career and how?
BARR: I can name two: of course, my father, Oscar Moreno, who was a Sampaguita contract star in the ’50s and ‘60s. I had first-hand lessons in show business through him. And Marichu Vera Perez Maceda. Ichu and I were childhood buddies. We played together, went to the same school, and were exposed to the same studio environment. Ichu was born to a privileged family, with the proverbial silver spoon in her mouth. But she was well-bred, refined, and had a knack for treating people well, with her feet firmly on the ground. She went full-time into producing and knew her business inside and out. I worked on movies for her. She had a deep conscience for the industry’s welfare, especially for the underserved and marginalized, whom she endearingly called “mga alipores,” or “small fries,” but whom she deemed very significant to the industry’s growth. From the nascent days of Mowelfund in 1974 until her passing in 2021, Marichu never left Mowelfund. She was my mentor, my inspiration, and a constant source of moral support during my 18 years as president while she chaired the foundation. She was a true lover, patron, and mover of the industry. Her death was a tremendous loss to all of us. I truly miss her.
What are you reading (books), listening to (music), and watching (films/series) right now?
BARR: Reading the Bible, “Magis,” “Sacred Space,” and Francis Kong’s series. I listen to retro, ballads, Broadway and inspirational songs. The films and series I follow are GMA’s “Pulang Araw” dutifully, plus Father Tito Caluag’s homilies, instructionals, and inspirational columns.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received and from whom?
BARR: It must be from my Dad on my film career: “On your way up, be kind to the people you meet, especially the ‘little ones.’ These are the same people you will meet on your way down.”
My Dad on my personal life: “Why worry? It shows your lack of faith.”
When you are in despair (with a piece of work or a personal issue), how do you maneuver out of that?
BARR: After doing everything humanly possible, I lift it up to the Lord with full faith and trust.
How do you measure success?
BARR: If success is about achieving your goal, then I measure my success by how I affect others. By being an influencer toward people’s betterment and an enabler of their success.
As an artist, what have you not done that you’ve always wanted to do?
BARR: The title role in Federico Garcia Lorca’s “La Casa de Bernarda Alba” (English version). That’s wishful thinking!
And when asked what’s next for our 80-year-old Boots Anson Roa-Rodrigo, she simply answered:
“I don’t want to ask for more. Everything I have is God’s gift; nothing of my own. I ask only for discernment of His will for me, and the grace and strength to abide by it.
I am GRATEFUL; and my mantra: THANK YOU. As Meister Eckhart, the German priest and philosopher, said, ‘If the only prayer we say in our entire life is ‘thank you,’ that is enough.’”