Kiray still can’t believe it

Right now, comedienne Kiray Celis is on top of the world. Who wouldn’t be, what with a successful launching movie (Regal Films’ Love is Blind, in which Kiray co-starred with Derek Ramsay, Kean Cipriano and Solenn Heussaff) under her belt, another movie (I Love You to Death, opposite Enchong Dee) poised to follow in its footsteps, and many more exciting projects in the works?

?But Kiray says she’s hesitant to even acknowledge that she actually headlined a movie, much less that it became a hit, as she doesn’t want people thinking she let that fact go to her head.

“Super ayokong isipin,” Kiray says of Love is Blind’s performance at the tills, as well as the praise it received from critics and fans alike. “I still can’t believe until now, kaya hindi ko tinatawag na ‘success’ ’yung nangyari, o yung nangyayari. I consider everything as ‘work.’”

Kiray has stayed the same despite her recent spate of good fortune. When she became a child actress at three years old, the idea of providing for her family was foremost on her mind. She had no lofty ambitions of becoming a leading lady someday — but she would grab such an opportunity if it did come.

“Every actor’s dream is to become a lead star. But giving my all was never my goal. So (executives) would take notice of me and give that chance,” she says.

Kiray would report for work with only one goal in mind: To deliver whatever her director asked of her, and do it well. As it turns out, that drive of hers was what caught the attention of the Regal Films team —including legendary producer Mother Lily Monteverde and her daughter Roselle Monteverde — who signed Kiray to a six-picture deal.

Kiray was on Cloud Nine for days after she signed that contract with Regal Films. But when she finally wrapped up work on Love is Blind, and after it was received well by moviegoers, Kiray realized that some things had to change — especially her willingness to accept any project offered to her. Kiray used to be the kind of actress who would jump at the chance to join the cast of any movie or TV show because there are no small roles in her eyes.

“I was happy then because they promised to give me six movies,” she recalls. “Pero hindi ako nag-expect na sa anim na yun, gusto nila lahat ako ang bida. Kasi may nag-inquire sa akin na gumanap bilang friend ng bida sa isang movie, hindi na nila ako pinayagan. Kasi daw nakapag-bida na nga ako. Nalungkot ako noon kasi ako, ayoko talaga ng namimili ng trabaho. Ako kahit sino direktor, sino kasama, anong kwento, ano yung character, go. Minsan nga hindi ko pa nababasa yung script payag na ako agad.”

?Kiray brought that go-getter mentality to the set of her second headlining movie, a Regal Films co-production with film outfit The Idea First Company titled I Love You to Death.

Kiray chooses to focus on her blessings, shrugging off her detractors’ comments. But when pressed for her thoughts on what they used to say about her, she offered the following witty sound bite.

“Sa mga nagsasabi noon na ano ang nangyari kay Kiray, nasaan na si Kiray, eh ano kayo ngayon?” she joked. “Pero sa totoo lang, wala talaga akong masasabi sa kanila. Ano na lang, siguro masaya sila para sa akin, at masaya din sila dahil nakain nila yung mga nasabi nila dati. Siguro ngayon busog sila!”