“Be nice to everyone. Everybody is on the same level. Kung part ng body, iba iba kaming parts, and one will not function without the other parts.” GINA ALAJAR wears TIFFANY & CO earrings, MARTIN BAUTISTA top.Photographed by Neal Oshima for the August 2024 Issue of Vogue Philippines
Gina Alajar may play assertive characters on-screen, but deep down, she’s just like us. During her first Vogue Philippines shoot, the veteran actress and director shares her love for Korean dramas and recalls her fangirl moments.
As an actress, Gina Alajar has made a name for herself playing kontrabida (antagonist) roles: Dian Lamitan from the epic series Amaya (2011 to 2012), Noreen Sandoval-Perez in Magkaibang Mundo (2016), Doña Adelaida “Adele” Angeles in Hindi Ko Kayang Iwan Ka (2018), to name a few of her more recent roles.
This is why it was surprising that during her first Vogue Philippines shoot, she whips out a list of 77 Korean dramas that she’s watched and rated. “My highest-rated one is Crash Landing On You. That’s the first K-drama that I fell in love with,” she shares, gushing over Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin.
Maybe it’s not that surprising that Gina is a K-drama fan, as she has a great love for filmmaking. “Never a dull moment! Each day is different from yesterday,” she says. She recalls her memorable experience filming Jose Rizal (1998). “Imagine, I went back to Jose Rizal’s time,” she says in Filipino. “I was in awe. I thought, ‘This is movie making.” And for her, “you can never separate yourself from the experiences you learn.”
Even as an established veteran actress, Gina still finds new experiences to learn from. When she was in the casting process for the Filipino adaptation of the Korean drama Start-Up (2020), she went above and beyond to secure the role of Lola Joy. “The character wears a bandana in the series, so I found one,” she says. Dressing for the part, she submitted a picture to the casting directors and immediately booked the role. “[It’s] the first time I did it. First time in my whole career that I did something like that!”
It’s also the first time to be a “fangirl.” “When Kim Seon-ho was here, I was so loud in MOA (Mall of Asia) hoping that people could shout ‘Lola Joy! Lola Joy!’” Although Gina has had her fair share of Filipino “heartthrobs” as her leading men, nothing made her feel as excited as watching Barbie Forteza and David Licauco. “When we were guesting for Family Feud, I visited Barbie and she said, ‘You look beautiful! We’re here to promote a movie, with David Licaucao,’” she shares. “So I’m interested, right? So I said to them, ‘Please introduce me to David Licauco! Please, please, please!”
For her, no matter how established you are in the industry, treating others with the same amount of respect is essential. “Everybody is on the same level,” she says. “In the human body, we have different parts, and one will not function without the other.”
Gina emphasizes that kindness is also the key to an actor’s longevity. “Boy Abunda asked me, ‘What is more important as an actor? To be a talented actor or an actor who gets along with others?’” she shares. She stuck by her philosophy. “People don’t care if you’re the greatest actor if you’re a [pain to be with]. If everyone’s on their toes when you’re present, no one wants to work with you.” We should take it from Gina, who gained recognition playing characters that have dislikable traits and morals. That to be our own bida (protagonist), we should never be a kontrabida.
Photographs by NEAL OSHIMA. Beauty Editor: JOYCE OREÑA. Fashion Director: PAM QUIÑONES. Makeup: Zidjian Paul Floro. Hair: Patty Inojales. Art Director: Jann Pascua, Gabbi Constantino. Production Design: Migs Alcid. Producer: Bianca Zaragoza. Beauty Writer: Bianca Custodio. Talent Coordinator: Tang Adriano. Photographer’s Assistant: Jack Kapuno. Production Assistants: Divine Lorenzo, Franky Tan. Makeup Assistant: Godwin Dela Serna. Hair Assistant: Jeremi Lang. Stylist’s Assistants: Anya Granados, Kyla Chuasiaokong. Production Design Assistans: Alex Baroña, Mariz Fetalvero, Vienna Bleza
