Beauty in a passionate soul
MANILA, Philippines - The beauty of a woman emanates from her heart, where her dreams are rooted. Her eyes reflect passion and power for her chosen craft.
Actress Irina “Ina” Guillen Feleo, daughter of actress and award-winning director Laurice Guillen and the late character actor and writer Johnny Delgado, grew up in a home that was full of creativity and passion for one’s craft. She would see her parents facilitate acting workshops in their house attended by actors like Michael de Mesa and Amy Austria.
But despite being the daughter of two movie industry greats, Ina didn’t want to be in front of the camera when she was young. “At the time, I felt I wasn’t really for showbiz because I was really shy. But as a kid, what I enjoyed was performing so I started with figure skating. Then at 16, I joined the Bayanihan Dance Company and stayed with the group for 10 years,” says Ina, who graduated with a Creative Writing degree at the Ateneo de Manila University. She also took up a two-year Filmmaking course under the late multi-awarded director Marilou Diaz Abaya.
Though hesitant at first, Ina tried to attend acting workshops when she was in college upon the advice of her parents. These acting workshops woke up the actress in her. “Through these workshops, I realized that I gain confidence when I push myself and I get breakthroughs from it,” shares Ina, who, with much dedication for her newfound craft, won Best Actress in the Cinemalaya Film Festival for the Special Jury Prize-winning film Endo in 2007. She is currently part of the GMA-7 afternoon television series Hanggang Makita Kang Muli.
Ina learned many lessons from her parents that she is able to apply in her career and in her personal life. These lessons, she says, keep her grounded. “My parents would say that one cannot become a good actor if he or she is not a good person. I always keep that in mind because the process and style of acting that I want to achieve is always based on truth. I feel that for you to be able to be equipped with emotions, you should be a good person. From my parents, I learned to treat my job in the industry with utmost respect not just for the craft but also for everybody else.”
As an actress, Ina believes that she should constantly have to assess herself because acting is a continuously evolving craft. “When you don’t take a rest from your job, it will lead you to be ‘de-kahon.’ I also realized that in this industry, you also have to recreate yourself physically to keep up with the changing times,” says Ina, who admits that on a day-to-day basis, she likes to go with the classics when it comes to fashion and makeup.
“I try fashion and makeup trends from time to time but I always go back to my basics. Like my lipstick now, this is the first time that I wore a shade like this Vivid Violet and I was a bit worried on how I would look but surprisingly, I loved it!”
In her everyday life, Ina is reminded of the beauty around her — through her craft, her passion and the people around her. “I see beauty in a good heart. For me, it is beautiful when you don’t need validation from other people that you are beautiful. When you embrace your imperfections, it makes you unique and extra-special. Standards of beauty change so might as well stick with what you have because there is also beauty in people’s physical imperfections,” she concludes.
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Photography by Claudine Cervantes Callanta of Larawanmo • Styling by Edrelyn Santos • Makeup by LA Pablo and hairstyling by Petchi Ombrosa of Ever Bilena • Millicent slip dress by Neon Island and Mikaela off-shoulder top by Verano (instagram.com/verano.ph)
