What aspect of the local entertainment industry should change? If you ask Nadine Lustre, the answer is short and clear: beauty standards.
The actress made this statement during the G Creator Con held at the Globe Tower in Taguig City on Sunday, September 18.
The event brought together content creators, influencers and industry experts to share insights about the digital content world and help them live out their dreams. G Creator Con is an initiative of Globe Telecom.
Nadine was part of the panel titled “Authenticity in the Entertainment Industry and as a Creator” with 2023 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival Best Actress winner Pat Tingjuy and content creator Raco Ruiz.
During the talk, Nadine was asked: “If you can change the current structure of the industry that you’re in, what changes are you imagining?”
The actress replied: “My answer is just really short. It’s just beauty standards.”
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“It’s really just that. Hindi ko na daragdagan. Gets n’yo na yun,” she added.
While she did not elaborate on her answer, Nadine has been vocal about how she thinks certain standards for beauty in show business are discriminatory.
For instance, in an interview with actress Bea Alonzo on her YouTube channel earlier this year, Nadine admitted that she had felt discriminated against because of her skin color.
“Ang daming beses, actually. Super daming beses, mainly because of my skin color. Sasabihin sa’kin, ‘Ah mestiza hinahanap namin,'” she told Alonzo.
She added: “Isa ito sa mga naging insecurities ko back then because hindi lang siya once nangyari sa akin.”
‘I’m happy with the mistakes that I made’
Nadine rose to fame after starring in the 2014 romantic comedy “Ang Diary ng Pangit” with former on and offscreen partner James Reid. She also achieved critical acclaim as an actress for her roles in the 2018 romantic drama “Never Not Love You” and the 2019 fantasy romantic drama “Ulan.”
Nadine won the Best Actress award at the 2022 Metro Manila Film Festival for the horror film “Deleter.” The movie served as her big-screen comeback after a brief hiatus from acting.
The actress said her experience in show business has taught her not to be a “yes man,” advising content creators at the G Creator Day event: “If it’s something that’s not really in line with your values or your vision, don’t do it. And if your body tells you that you can’t do it anymore, don’t do it.”
“Because your body knows best. You really have to put a boundary on the things that we do,” she added.
Nadine admitted she lost her passion for acting because she was “so, so, so exhausted that I didn’t want to do it anymore.”
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“But I found out that what I needed was to take a break from it. I kind of found my passion again for acting,” she shared.
Still, Nadine said she does not regret the mistakes she may have made in her years-long tenure as an actress and artist.
“I wouldn’t be here right now with the mindset that I have if I didn’t go through all those challenges,” Nadine said. “I’m happy with the mistakes that I made. And I have learned from those mistakes. So I embrace them.”
As for advice she would give aspiring artists and content creators, Nadine said: “Don’t give up on your dreams. I almost gave up on my mine until a couple of years later when things started to turn and my dreams started coming true.”
“I really believe in timing,” she said. “Hold on tight to your dreams and don’t give up.” —Chuck Smith
