Barbie Forteza is born to be a star and she's hoping to not let anything take that away from her.
In a fun and heartfelt sit-down interview with TV host, Luis Manzano, Barbie talked about her dreams and struggles as an actress. The 26-year-old celebrity began her career as a teen star on GMA Network in 2008.
As if walking on thin ice, Luis carefully asked Barbie if she ever felt burdened about drawing a line between her personal relationships and her career as an actress. "Isa sa mga napupuna palagi is your love life and your on-screen partnership. Mahirap ba for you to draw that line?" Luis asked.
At first, Barbie responded with a joke, "Ang hirap talaga maging maganda," which was followed by laughter. Later she strongly expressed, "Alam mo, siguro sa career ko, 'yan ang hindi ko inakalang mae-encounter kong problems. [...] I'd like to believe na nag-mature na rin ako 'di ba, so parang to go back to that, tapos parang na-o-overshadow niya 'yung achievements ko as a person, and as an actress, na 'yun naman talaga 'yung dahilan kaya ako pumasok sa showbiz."
Barbie has been paired with different male co-stars, but her team-up with David Licauco blew up. They were given the moniker, BarDa, for their undeniable chemistry in their hit TV series, Maria Clara at Ibarra. For the record, Barbie was already a stellar actress before becoming half of BarDa in 2022.
But along with the popularity and recognition, came frequent controversies romantically linking them as a couple. This is despite Barbie being in a committed relationship with another Kapuso star, Jak Roberto. Barbie also declared that she has always maintained a healthy relationship with Jak.
READ: Barbie Forteza Denies That Jak Roberto Gets *Jealous* Of Her Sweet Moments With David Licauco
Throughout her career, she has been directing the spotlight on fulfilling her job and her passion for acting—nothing more, nothing less. "Nao-overshadow siya ng love life ko, 'di ba? Parang sabi ko, sayang lang," she added.
Aside from that, Barbie admitted to getting too overwhelmed with the success of Maria Clara at Ibarra. She was so stunned by the good reception but it came to a point that she felt overwhelmed because of the attention given to her. And the one thing that grounded her was a visit to her sister in Chicago.
The actress acknowledged the fact that the attention actually came with some intruding comments about her life outside her acting roles. "I've been in the industry for 15 years, nagkakaroon ako ng highs and lows career-wise, pero hindi ganito. [...] Lahat parang naging critic... parang tinuturuan ka nila paano mabuhay. So parang sa akin, nalunod ako for a time, so I had to leave," she shared.
Her Chicago trip was a restart for the once-worried actress. At present, she is embracing everything that falls onto her plate. Barbie has set her focus on her greatest goal, which is to be an actress recognized for her craft, her skills, and her personality.
"Bumalik ako 'dun sa mindset na, gusto mo 'to, pangarap mo 'to na ma-recognize... So in-embrace ko na," Barbie noted.
