Beauty Gonzalez: Change is good

The official announcement of her transfer to GMA Network over the weekend followed weeks of speculation, during which she said she never told a soul, even among close friends in showbiz.

Beauty said she doesn’t know the reason why GMA was still interested to work with her, especially after she was first rumored to transfer networks some years back after a guesting in the GMA show Celebrity Bluff.

“I guess, it’s meant to be,” the 30-year-old said in a virtual presscon. “Yes, before I guested, nangapitbahay lang naman ako, di ba ‘Love thy neighbor’? And I’m happy that they love me. So, I’m thankful (to GMA) for giving me this chance to work with them. But I’m also nervous because it’s new surroundings, new group of people, but change is good.”

She added, “You know, when lightning strikes, you better grab it because you might regret (neglecting) the opportunity that will come to you. So, I’m happy because it’s a new adventure for me.”

According to Beauty herself, her first-ever Kapuso program is Stories from the Heart: Loving Ms. Bridgitte, to be directed by Adolf Alix Jr.

She promised that viewers will see “a newer and an improved version of me,” adding, “I hope to be in Kapuso for a long time. I’m really excited. They even asked me what I am capable of doing and I said, I can do everything!”

Family’s reaction

Beauty said that her decision to transfer to another network had the support of her family.

Recalling her art curator-husband Norman Crisologo’s reaction, she shared, “At first, he was like, ‘GMA, Are you sure?’ Siempre hindi naman ganun ka ano yung asawa ko sa showbiz. ‘Yeah, Papa, the other station with a heart,’ sabi kong ganun. ‘They’re accepting me with a big heart, they want me there.’ He’s very happy because (again) change is good. He always tells me, to follow my heart, follow my gut feeling, and I also use my brains. He just made it so easy for me to decide. He’s very supportive of my decision.”

She said she was also with her mom Carina in her hometown in Dumaguete, when she first learned about the possibility of working with GMA from her manager Arnold Vegafria. “You know, my mom, nung tinawagan ako ni Arnold, that time I was in the province with my mom. She was so happy, she said, ‘Go! Go for it!’ I mean, you know, when something gives you an opportunity, don’t take it for granted.”

Nevertheless, Beauty admitted that arriving at the decision was hard and caused her sleepless nights.

She remains thankful to her former home network ABS-CBN for discovering her and giving her first acting break even though she never planned on entering showbiz.

To recall, Beauty’s most recent TV projects were with TV5 via the family saga Paano Ang Pasko? and Paano Ang Pangako?, as well as the rom-com I Got You, but her most memorable yet would be Kadenang Ginto, her two-year afternoon soap with the Kapamilya station, where she started her career in 2008 as a Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) housemate.

“Never did it cross my mind that I would become an artista. Actually, gusto ko maging may-ari ng sementeryo sa Dumaguete, no joke! It’s true, I mean it’s not a secret that we have a farm in Negros and that I wanted to build my own cemetery at the age of 15.

“But then my mom was like, ‘Are you crazy? You’re so morbid, sasali ka sa PBB! Anong PBB? Hindi ako pumila, ang pumila para sa akin ay yung yaya ko. And then, nung tinanong ako, bakit ka andito? Sabi ko, ‘Aba ewan ko, baka gusto ng nanay ko, baka siya gusto niyo?’ Kinurot pa ako ng nanay ko nun. Ayaw ko talaga sumali. ‘Ano ba tong sasalihan ko, bakit ako ikukulong dito,’ sabi kong ganun.

“Tapos yung Mommy ko, ‘Pumunta ka ng Manila kasi baka makapangasawa ka lang ng ano dito,’ yung typical na matapang na Bisaya. Sumunod na rin ako,” Beauty mused in recollection.

In retrospect, she believes everything happened for a reason.

“To cut the story short, naging artista ako, tuloy-tuloy na ang pangyayari. I’m happy to work anywhere because I’m so thankful that God gave me this talent without really… I’m not really expecting it. I feel so blessed because I didn’t expect this to happen to me, and I’m doing this and continue to do this with GMA.”

Good things

On the personal front, a lot has happened to Beauty during this pandemic.

In a previous Instagram post, she opened up about her husband’s COVID-19 ordeal.

She looked back, “That was the darkest moment of my life. I’m an introvert eh. A lot of people see me as a ma-chika, ma-ganun but personally, I don’t really share if I have problems.

“So, it was really hard, because I needed to be tough for my child, for my husband because he was alone and I wanted him not to worry about me. And, you know, I’m just so happy he got through it, and we’re all safe and I got the chance to go home to Dumaguete.

“I’m just happy, that with all that happened to me, something good happened. I’m here now with Kapuso. I’m at peace with my mom. My husband’s healthy. I’m now a scuba diver,” she shared.

Another major life event is reconciling with her mom during her recent “homecoming” trip to Dumaguete.

She told The STAR: “My God, I’ve been away for four years, matagal din no? Four years akong hindi umuwi sa amin. It was more of a healing trip, reconnecting and I’m happy that I got to see my mom and we got to heal each other...

“Paano ko ba sabihin to? Kasi yung pag-uwi ko, it was quite emotional for me, four years kasi kami hindi nag-usap ng Mommy ko. And so, it was a nice way to come home. I healed myself, pati sya, and now that I’m venturing into new beginnings, she’s part of it. Mas masarap ngayon kasi nagbigay siya ng encouragement, nagte-text araw-araw, so mas happy and excited ako gawin ito lahat ngayon.”

Best part of her trip though was letting daughter Olivia relive her mom’s childhood experiences.

“Pumunta kami sa farm, I got to visit my dad, we have kasi a chapel on top of the mountain so I got to visit him there. Then nagluto-luto kami sa kahoy kagaya nung bata pa ako, na dating natutulog na walang kuryente kasi nasa tuktok ng bundok yung bahay namin.

“It was a nice experience for me na na-experience din ng anak ko. The last time I went home, baby pa kasi siya nun eh. So this time, when I went home, na-experience niya talaga tumakbo, masugat, matulog na walang kuryente, na may kulambo, maligo na may tabo, lahat talaga. So I’m so happy that aside from healing, my daughter got to experience the stuff that I got to experience when I was young.”

Unknown to many perhaps, it was when Beauty became a mother that the once reluctant actress became serious about her craft.

“When I got pregnant actually (was my turning point). Kasi siempre, when they gave me the (breakout) role, in love na in love pa ako nun, I wanna be with my boyfriend all the time. Gusto ko every moment, every day. So when nabuntis ako, oh my God, gi-atay, sayang! Ano nangyari sa akin parang ganun? Why am I just throwing this all away? A lot of people were also saying, sayang ako,” she shared.

“That became my turning point, na teka lang muna, saglit lang, pakita ko sa inyo na hindi ako sayang, na in-love lang naman ako. Sabi nga nila, follow your heart, then follow your dreams. So this is me now, I’m following my heart and I’m following my dreams.”