{"id":188285,"date":"2018-11-01T22:45:59","date_gmt":"2018-11-02T02:45:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=188285"},"modified":"2018-11-05T00:53:37","modified_gmt":"2018-11-05T05:53:37","slug":"path-discovery-learning-tony-labrusca","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2018\/11\/01\/path-discovery-learning-tony-labrusca\/","title":{"rendered":"Path to discovery: Learning about Tony Labrusca"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A new face in the industry, Tony confessed that he never thought of being a “huge star” or any of sorts (Supplied)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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 \u2013 more than these roles, there is so much more to discover about Tony Labrusca.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Step 1: Learning the ropes<\/strong><\/p>\n

A new face in the industry, Tony confessed that he never thought of being a \u201chuge star\u201d 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 \u201cBoom\u201d Dayupay who were part of the band Kulay.<\/em><\/p>\n

However, despite \u2018knowing\u2019 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think for me the best thing is really all the things you get to experience that most people don\u2019t,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I feel like it\u2019s interesting because you get to experience life very fast \u2013 so many opportunities ahead of your way,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n

In line with this, Tony also gave a glimpse of his experience in the Cinemalaya film \u201cML\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cWorking with Tito Eddie, a lot of the times, he\u2019s so in character like there was a scene that he was scaring me, I really am scared because he\u2019s so in-character. It\u2019s a completely different vibe,\u201d he shared.<\/p>\n

The 22-year-old revealed that he is currently working on a secret project and that aside from \u201cML,\u201d another movie \u201cDouble Twisting, Double Back\u201d with Joem Bascon is set to hit theater screens this year.<\/p>\n

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 \u201cLa Luna Sangre.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think just as a new actor, there are so many things I still want to experience,\u201d he uttered.<\/p>\n

Tony also shared that entering the industry taught him so much on discipline.<\/p>\n

He said, \u201cYou constantly have to keep up with the game. Otherwise, you\u2019re just gonna have your 15 minutes and that\u2019s it. You always have to offer something at the table,\u201d then added, \u201cIt\u2019s definitely taught me to just stay determined.\u201d<\/p>\n

Amidst the flashes of cameras, and screeches of fans, the celebrity life still has its own negative side.<\/p>\n

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 \u201cas a normal person.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo a lot of the times, when you go somewhere, or if it\u2019s 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\u2019s the worst part \u2013 when people forget that you\u2019re human,\u201d he shared.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s 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<\/em>?\u201d he started saying.<\/p>\n

Highlighting the need for balance, Tony says that \u201cwhat you see is what you get\u201d and that there will always be certain parts of himself that stay with himself and his family.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think for the most part I want people who see me on-screen or see me in interviews \u2013 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,\u201d Tony added.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Step 2: Back to basics<\/strong><\/p>\n

But before all these opportunities and the limelight life that he is living now, who was Tony Labrusca way before stardom?<\/p>\n

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 \u2018sanctuary,\u2019 Tony made the decision to fly to the Philippines in April 2016 which brought him to where he is now.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Chuckling to himself, he shared that \u2018everybody\u2019 thought they were rich back then because of the \u201cway they look\u201d which was different to reality.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had to help my parents, like with making money and stuff so I didn\u2019t have as much resources as that I would have wanted,\u201d he said, adding that he had to switch jobs from selling shoes, being a cashier, flipping burgers, and being a barber.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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?<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, I think because I was raised in the Philippines \u2018til I was nine years old. That\u2019s a pretty solid foundation for me,\u201d he revealed.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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 \u201cWalang Hanggan\u201d every single day to help himself learn the language.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

In that same couple of years that he was reviving his love for the culture, Tony said that he also tried out for commercials \u201cjust for fun\u201d but only got two extra roles.<\/p>\n

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 \u2018addiction.\u2019<\/p>\n

What he did not know was that choosing to follow his heart of going back to the Philippines will answer \u2013 if not all \u2013 most of his questions.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Step 3: Self-discovery<\/strong><\/p>\n

From not being decisive about his future, Tony found himself on the land considered as the pearl of the orient seas once again.<\/p>\n

\u201cI decided I wanted to move back to the Philippines at like 21 \u2018cause I thought you know, I don\u2019t 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

In spite of answering many of the question marks his mind pulled all these years, part of Tony is still unsure.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really blessed to have the job that I have right now. But it\u2019s also I\u2019m so young, I don\u2019t 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\u2019m gonna end up or what job I\u2019m gonna have in the future. Right now, everything is still like experiencing life,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m in the part na<\/em> (that) I\u2019m meant to experience stuff. So that\u2019s exactly what I\u2019m doing. I want to discover so much about myself through anything I\u2019m living day to day. I think that\u2019s what I want to do everyday. How do I live life today? How do I maximize today?\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

On a lighter note as a part of his path to self-discovery, Tony\u2019s interests included reading and researching on astrology and energies.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot everybody is into this but I\u2019m 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Step 4: Found<\/strong><\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat wakes me up everyday aside from my family and loved ones, really just, I\u2019m so determined to be a good person. I\u2019m so determined to learn so much about myself I think that\u2019s what really keeps me up every morning. I have so much to learn,\u201d he uttered.<\/p>\n

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 \u2013 something his mother taught him.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you feel you\u2019re 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,\u201d he started saying.<\/p>\n

He went on saying, \u201cIt is when you feel really confused, before you find your happiness or sanctuary into anything else, look into yourself and love yourself first.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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