Manilyn Reynes: The Cebuana prodigy is still at it at 46

CEBU, Philippines — One of the country’s original pop culture icons, multi-platinum singer and award-winning actress Manilyn Reynes has portrayed many roles on both the small and big screen. The Cebuana has also brought forth some of the Philippines’ radio hits.

As she stars in the brand new GMA primetime series “Inday Will Always Love You,” Manilyn channels a character that is very much close to home.

In an interview over the weekend at Golden Cowrie in Lahug, the 46-year-old talked about how she helped her co-stars while filming for the Cebu-based drama, often coaching them when it came to speaking the dialect.

“I do speak Bisaya in the show, even though we have to speak in Tagalog. I always inject our language,” Manilyn says in Bisaya throughout the interview alongside co-star Super Tekla.

“There are times when Juancho [Trivino] asks about how things are said and I help to make sure that they understand what they’re saying.”

Born in Manila (thus, she was christened Manilyn), the actress’ family moved to Cebu when she was only days old. Growing up along Villagonzalo Street in Barangay Tejero near Cebu’s port area, Manilyn went to Tejero Elementary School until third grade, and attended University of Southern Philippines during her fourth until the mid-fifth grade before leaving once again for Manila.

Having joined competitions at age three and won singing contests at six years old, it was when she was 10 years old that Manilyn and her family moved to the capital to give her career a shot. The rest was history as she became one of the country’s most sought-after talents in every platform.

“Kay nagdahum man intawn ang bata nga gusto gyud intawn siya maartista, mukanta,” says Manilyn, once hailed the horror queen and even dubbed “Star Of The New Decade” during her time.

“There were a lot of highlights. Starting with ‘That’s Entertainment’, and also when I had my first major concert in Araneta Coliseum, when I had my own TV Shows, when I won FAMAS Best Child Actress. Things like that, those are things you never forget no matter how long you’ve been in the industry.”

Debuting last Monday, “Inday Will Always Love You” is a romantic comedy series starring Barbie Forteza as the bubbly Happylou. Determined to do whatever it takes to better her family, Happylou flies to Cebu and takes on the job of a lechonera, all the while searching for her estranged Cebuano father. Manilyn portrays Happylou’s doting and caring mother who refuses to speak about her former beau.

“As always, I am loving and giving but when you wrong my kids, that can’t be. When my family and the kids are concerned, that’s a different story,” Manilyn says of her role, adding that she was all too happy to take on the project knowing that she will be acting with Barbie.

“I don’t have a baby girl. My kids are all boys, and I treat my daughters in showbiz as my own,” she says of working with 20-year-old Barbie.

Apart from being a Cebuana, Manilyn’s character also mirrors her being a dedicated mother in real life. Manilyn and her husband, actor Aljon Jimenez who is also her manager, has come up with a system being both very hands-on when it comes to raising their three sons.

“When one of us has to be somewhere else, someone needs to be at home with the kids and vice versa,” she says.

As for why Aljon decided to stay away from the limelight while Manilyn remains active, she explains: “He says he never thought he would become an actor. He’s very shy. Ako, I’m very talkative, and now that we have three children, we saw to it that I’ll be the one on camera. He had to turn down many offers. He’s not closing his doors, but for now, he won’t be acting yet.”

Manilyn shares that she and Aljon have managed to remain in wedded bliss for the past 20 years through respect and communication.

“You always have to talk about things even though sometimes they seem like they could hurt or they’re things you shouldn’t talk about. But you have to. That way you understand each other. Believe in each other, think about not only what’s good for you but for everyone. Especially when you have a family, always put what betters the whole family first. And put God in the center,” Manilyn advises.

Although she has appeared in over 40 films throughout her 35-year career, she has yet to portray an antagonist. She’d love to get into kontrabida mode, but management just doesn’t see her fitting the mold.

“To be honest I really want to portray a kontra bida. But they never agree because my face just doesn’t… but maybe portray someone who has an illness for example. Just to be different, just so I could try being the kontrabida.”

There have been news of stars feeling burnt out lately, and as once a child star who had too much on her plate, Manilyn is all too familiar with the ordeal.

“I’ve been there too, and I looked into what I really wanted to do. I was singing and also acting on the side. I was doing a lot of things and oo uy, there comes a time when you burn out. Apart from the medications and anti-depressants, the doctor asked me what I wanted to and the answer was still really singing, and acting and everything in the business.”