Celia was also different from most stars in the local film industry in the sense that, well, she was a thinking actress – intelligent and highly articulate. The trouble was, there was also another actress in the firmament who was also intelligent and just as articulate: Miss Rita Gomez (yes, she was always billed with a Miss before her name).
She started way ahead of Celia in the film business. But in the ’70s –when they were both very visible in the entertainment scene–a feud started brewing between the two feisty actresses. It started supposedly in one episode of the late Joe Quirino’s talk show where the two were featured as guests for the evening. Talking about her life and family, Rita Gomez–ever so candid–stated that she has "five children by different men." To this, Celia remarked, "Are you complaining or are you bragging?" Rita apparently didn’t take Celia’s retort very well. From then on, a verbal war ensued between them–mostly on television–to the delight of TV audiences.
Celia, however, denies having quarreled seriously with Rita Gomez that time. She’d rather call that supposed feud between them as their "intellectual differences." Offscreen, when they would see each other on the set, Rita would even call out to Celia, "O, Kumusta ka na?" "Eto bakla pa din," Celia would shoot back. But once in front of the camera–particularly in Inday Badiday’s Nothing But the Truth–they’d start trading barbs again.
In the mid-’70s, for instance, Celia Rodriguez’s photo–lifted from a local magazine called Fina (that period’s version of FHM)–appeared in one of the issues of Time, which was then running a story on Oriental actresses. Although Celia received the most prominence in the layout, her photo was captioned, "Starlet Celia Rodriguez."
Rita, of course, lost no time carping on the "starlet" caption and she, indeed, brought this up when she and Celia found themselves together as guests in Nothing But the Truth. "You were called a starlet!" Rita barked at Celia on the air. Celia took this remark calmly. It turned out that before she left the house to drive to the studio, she flipped the dictionary for the meaning of starlet and later proudly defined it on television for everyone to hear. "Starlet – a young actress, especially in motion pictures." End of discussion.
A week before Rita died of cancer in New York in 1990, Filipino celebrities based in the US all gathered around her for a tribute to the great actress. Among those present at the affair was Celia Rodriguez. During the finale, everyone was given the chance to approach Rita, who by then, was already very pale and thin. When it was Celia’s turn to greet Rita, she told the honoree, "Rita, in spite of everything that happened, I want you to know that I’ve always loved you and admired you and that I’ve always been a fan of yours." To that, Rita, irrepressible even in near-death, cleverly shot back, "I know that!"–leaving Celia stunned and speechless. "But Rita Gomez was really brilliant. There had never been any actress in Philippine cinema as intelligent as her–to this day," points out Celia.
By stroke of fate and circumstances, the two actresses also found themselves living in the United States–although still on opposite ends (Rita was in the East coast, while Celia was on the West)–around the same time. Celia–in the mid-’60s–suddenly became disenchanted with the country and decided to migrate to the US. The country was in turmoil then–and so was her personal life. After receiving the Metro Manila Film Festival Best Supporting Actress trophy for her performance as a jailbird in Bulaklak sa City Jail, she packed her bags and began a new life with her three kids in LA.
Life in America was tough for her and her children in the beginning and there was a time when she had to hang on to two jobs at the same time. But eventually, they learned to adjust like most other Pinoy migrants there.
She credits her family for giving her the strength to survive the challenge that was the United States. Although she loves her children equally, the apple of her eyes was clearly the youngest–Jacqueline–who was her baby.
It was Jacqueline who helped her renew her faith in the Lord. Unfortunately, Jacqueline was suddenly taken away from her. The girl was only 15 in 1995 when she returned to her Creator. But even in death, she was blessed. She passed away peacefully in her sleep – aneurysm of the brain was how the doctor called it.
Celia actually feels that Jacqueline was just lent to her by the Almighty "to perfect our lives." By "our lives," she meant those whose lives were touched by Jacqueline in her short stay here on earth. At the girl’s wake, the entire school practically showed up – to the surprise even of her mother. It turned out that Jacqueline – in her own little way – had changed, for the better, the lives of so many people around her. And with her mission accomplished, it was time for her to return to her Maker.
Celia now seldom speaks of her youngest daughter’s death. The pain is still there, she admits. "Time does not heal wounds," she says, "it only allows you to get used to the pain." But with the grace of God, she gets by in life. Of course, there are her two other children to serve as her inspiration: Angelo, now a doctor at the Makati Medical Center and Camille, who is studying Computer Science in LA.
And then, there is still her showbiz career. Next month, she’s starting a new drama series on Channel 7 (to be co-produced by Madame Violet Sevilla).
Today, Celia Rodriguez is still the accomplished actress generations of movie fans had learned to admire. She is still the fashion plate most fashionistas copy and secretly envy. But what matters to her most is the fact she feels that she is a better person now. And this she attributes solely to her renewed relationship with the Lord.
"Unlike before, there are qualities I no longer give importance to anymore. Ngayon, sige, ikaw na ang pinakamaganda. Ikaw na ang pinakamagaling umarte. Ikaw na ang pinakamatalino... teka, huwag naman ’yon," she backtracks a bit, only to conclude, "what’s important to me is to become a better person in the eyes of the Lord."