Path to discovery: Learning about Tony Labrusca

A new face in the industry, Tony confessed that he never thought of being a “huge star” or any of sorts (Supplied)

They say that learning is a never-ending process and that discoveries come with progress. But for a 22-year-old actor new to the world of show business, perhaps there is so much more to address.

From being the guy that broke the heart of Elisse Joson in a fast-food commercial to joining Pinoy Boyband Superstar, and to third-wheeling the popular love team KathNiel (Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla) in a teleserye – more than these roles, there is so much more to discover about Tony Labrusca.

Step 1: Learning the ropes

A new face in the industry, Tony confessed that he never thought of being a “huge star” or any of sorts but said that the entertainment business was the only thing he really knew. This stems from his mother Angel Jones and step-father Lino “Boom” Dayupay who were part of the band Kulay.

However, despite ‘knowing’ the industry, being a part of it meant something completely different; it meant packed schedules, energy-draining days, and lesser time for all the things he used to do on his own time at his own pace.

But according to the young actor, what made him enjoy showbiz was all these buzzes. The fact that entering this huge gate opened a lot of doors of opportunities for him, allowing him to meet so many different people was what made it the best for someone like Tony.

“I think for me the best thing is really all the things you get to experience that most people don’t,” he said.

“So I feel like it’s interesting because you get to experience life very fast – so many opportunities ahead of your way,” he continued.

In line with this, Tony also gave a glimpse of his experience in the Cinemalaya film “ML” where he co-starred award-winning veteran actor Eddie Garcia. The experience reminded him of an intense emotion that is ironically felt in a created and simulated world as an actor.

“Working with Tito Eddie, a lot of the times, he’s so in character like there was a scene that he was scaring me, I really am scared because he’s so in-character. It’s a completely different vibe,” he shared.

The 22-year-old revealed that he is currently working on a secret project and that aside from “ML,” another movie “Double Twisting, Double Back” with Joem Bascon is set to hit theater screens this year.

For now, Tony is working on movies, but on the subject of teleseryes, he said that if given an opportunity to be part of one again, he would love to be in a fantaserye again and be a leading man after his werewolf role in “La Luna Sangre.”

“I think just as a new actor, there are so many things I still want to experience,” he uttered.

Tony also shared that entering the industry taught him so much on discipline.

He said, “You constantly have to keep up with the game. Otherwise, you’re just gonna have your 15 minutes and that’s it. You always have to offer something at the table,” then added, “It’s definitely taught me to just stay determined.”

Amidst the flashes of cameras, and screeches of fans, the celebrity life still has its own negative side.

While Tony thinks that he is blessed to be in such a great and fun job, he confessed that like a double-edged sword, the show business sacrifices the part that all these joyous moments cannot be experienced “as a normal person.”

“So a lot of the times, when you go somewhere, or if it’s a certain type of place, you have to respect that people view you as an accessory. Sometimes, people forget that you are a human being as well with feelings. So, I think that’s the worst part – when people forget that you’re human,” he shared.

But he takes a U-turn and believes that he has to keep the balance of his self on-cam and off-cam. Artists as figures followed by the public eye have a certain image they project and Tony considers this as something really important especially for new actors such as him.

“It’s something you have a talk with yourself. You have to ask yourself what kind of person do you want people to perceive and if you want to be a really different person, are you okay with that? Are you gonna be able to keep up with that image? Or do you wanna be the type of person that people see everything naman?” he started saying.

Highlighting the need for balance, Tony says that “what you see is what you get” and that there will always be certain parts of himself that stay with himself and his family.

“I think for the most part I want people who see me on-screen or see me in interviews – I want them to know where my heart is coming from or where my mindset is at. I want them to see what kind of heart I have or what kind of mindset I have,” Tony added.

Step 2: Back to basics

But before all these opportunities and the limelight life that he is living now, who was Tony Labrusca way before stardom?

On what seemed like a back-and-forth travel and living experience, Tony shared that he hopped to different countries as he grew up. Born in Houston, Texas, he and his family moved to the Philippines until he was a nine-year-old, then they moved to Canada. At 15, they moved back to the Philippines until he was 17 and went back to Canada after. Considering it as his home and ‘sanctuary,’ Tony made the decision to fly to the Philippines in April 2016 which brought him to where he is now.

As told by Tony, his life in Canada was probably something he did not enjoy. Though he praises Canada as a country with a good justice system, with no evident division when it comes to social status, and the great respect for nature and environment, he confessed that during his stay there, they were struggling financially which deprived him of some aspects of his life.

Chuckling to himself, he shared that ‘everybody’ thought they were rich back then because of the “way they look” which was different to reality.

“I had to help my parents, like with making money and stuff so I didn’t have as much resources as that I would have wanted,” he said, adding that he had to switch jobs from selling shoes, being a cashier, flipping burgers, and being a barber.

But Tony said that if he will be visiting Canada again, he is sure to enjoy the country especially with what his current career is providing him. For now, though, Philippines will be his home and happiness.

For his back-and-forth residencies in different countries, Tony still found the Philippines as his home, but how was he able to strengthen this Filipino heart in the sea of foreign places and people that surrounded him?

“Honestly, I think because I was raised in the Philippines ‘til I was nine years old. That’s a pretty solid foundation for me,” he revealed.

He, however, added that going back to the tropical country at the age of 15, there was a moment that he forgot all about his treasured Filipino culture, including the lifestyle and speaking Tagalog.

Similar to how Filipinos adjust by learning other languages to blend abroad, Tony found himself in that teenage phase to re-learn Tagalog. He shared a funny memory of watching the teleserye “Walang Hanggan” every single day to help himself learn the language.

Speaking and interacting with friends he met in arcades, he learned to communicate in the Filipino language because these friends were not fluent in English. He knew he had to adjust.

In that same couple of years that he was reviving his love for the culture, Tony said that he also tried out for commercials “just for fun” but only got two extra roles.

Tony shared that he really did not plan out his life, even when his highschool friends were already setting themselves up for college. He even considered professionally competing as a gamer since that was his huge interest and ‘addiction.’

What he did not know was that choosing to follow his heart of going back to the Philippines will answer – if not all – most of his questions.

Step 3: Self-discovery

From not being decisive about his future, Tony found himself on the land considered as the pearl of the orient seas once again.

“I decided I wanted to move back to the Philippines at like 21 ‘cause I thought you know, I don’t know where my life is going but this is my chance. Now or never, I might as well go back home and figure out what it is that I want. Like soul searching then all of a sudden, everything just kinda happened really fast for me,” he said.

Ironically, slipping in the shoes of different roles and characters as an actor, Tony is able to find out a lot about himself in the process.

In spite of answering many of the question marks his mind pulled all these years, part of Tony is still unsure.

“I’m really blessed to have the job that I have right now. But it’s also I’m so young, I don’t know if this is my dream job. I really have a cool job, but I still have the rest of my life to live. So, who knows where I’m gonna end up or what job I’m gonna have in the future. Right now, everything is still like experiencing life,” he said.

Perhaps, this is also because Tony considers life as an adventure where he discovers more of himself as he travels and interacts with different people.

“I’m in the part na (that) I’m meant to experience stuff. So that’s exactly what I’m doing. I want to discover so much about myself through anything I’m living day to day. I think that’s what I want to do everyday. How do I live life today? How do I maximize today?” he added.

On a lighter note as a part of his path to self-discovery, Tony’s interests included reading and researching on astrology and energies.

“Not everybody is into this but I’m also really interested in energies because I believe everything has energy. So I just do research on that and it just really helps me discover more about myself,” he said.

Step 4: Found

While Tony has definitely been well-versed in a lot of things through his experiences, he still thinks learning more is one of the things that definitely keeps him going in life.

“What wakes me up everyday aside from my family and loved ones, really just, I’m so determined to be a good person. I’m so determined to learn so much about myself I think that’s what really keeps me up every morning. I have so much to learn,” he uttered.

As someone who found pieces of his soul one step a time, Tony has a message for people who are still looking for themselves at this point in their lives – something his mother taught him.

“If you feel you’re on the brink of realization, definitely, dig deep within yourself because a lot of the times, we have the answer right in front of us,” he started saying.

He went on saying, “It is when you feel really confused, before you find your happiness or sanctuary into anything else, look into yourself and love yourself first.”

Tony may have found himself after stepping foot in the Philippines, but he believes that there is still so much more to see and understand.