Ryza to young stars: Your time will come

MANILA, Philippines - Everything happens for a reason. Take the case of Kapuso artist Ryza Cenon. Her easy smile bears no sign that she felt so down last year, it came to a point that she tried taking her life.

She steps into the presscon venue in a clingy gown which hugs her curves, and makes those in the room agree she looks absolutely stunning.

If her eyes sparkle and her smile lights up the room, it’s because Ryza admits she found her inspiration in boyfriend of two months Cholo Barretto, whom she met on the set of Manananggal.

“He tells me not to stress myself out,” the star of GMA’s afternoon series Ika-6 na Utos says.

Ryza found the antidote to depression in Cholo, because “he’s up when I’m down.”

More than Cholo’s presence, however, Ryza credits Someone Up There for seeing her through her darkest days. Her faith grew by leaps and bounds when God answered her prayers, one of which is a career-defining role such as that of the other woman in Ika-6 na Utos.

“I asked for a role like this,” she admits.

Well, not exactly a role like the one she got, but something that would make people sit up and notice. After all, Ryza will be the first to run away from married men, no matter how irresistible they are.

That’s why she didn’t want to audition for the other woman role in Ika-6 na Utos at first. The character just isn’t Ryza. Besides, she was shooting Alyas Robin Hood. So Ryza wasn’t on the lookout for more work.

“But they said I just have to go,” recalls Ryza. “So I auditioned at the last day.”

Now, she can use those piercing, smoldering eyes to take Rome (played by Gabby Concepcion) away from wife Emma (Sunshine Dizon) as often as she can. Ryza (as sexy, ambitious Georgia) can shoot dagger looks at Emma for as long as she wants.

The pilot episode already aired last Monday, Dec. 5. But before that, Ryza was already getting hate messages on her social media accounts.

“Ang landi mo (you’re such a flirt)!” Ryza recalls her bashers saying.

 But of course, she doesn’t mind. In fact, she’s happy. It only means she’s creating a powerful impact this early in the game.

“What’s nice about the role is that we’ll show why the other woman acts that way. We’re not saying it’s right to be a mistress. We’re just saying that she’s human,” adds Ryza.

She’s thankful she waited 11 years for what she calls her biggest role yet.

“It’s a process,” Ryza explains. “I learned a lot from the shows I’ve done. I learned a lot from my directors and co-actors.”

Most of all, she learned to trust in God’s perfect timing. And she continues to rely on divine guidance.

“Help me to trust that You have a future planned for me — something even better than before,” she posted on her Instagram account @iamryzacenon.

Her personal life pushes Ryza to guide other young stars, who like her only a year back, are at the end of their rope because no acting assignment is coming their way (almost a year, in her case).

”Don’t rush things. Your time will come,” Ryza advises them.

Her career is the best proof that she means every single word she says.