Heart Evangelista on being a stepmom: I don’t need to ask for my own

Heart Evangelista practically watched her stepchildren grow up before her eyes.

Now that Chesi and Quino are coming of age and into their own, the actress couldn’t be prouder. And she’s more than willing to support their endeavors and make sure to be there for their milestones, from school proms to dance recitals.

“I love being there for them. I love that they’re now of age. I have been in their lives since they were 4; now they’re 16. It’s really fulfilling to see them like that,” she told the Inquirer in an interview with select broadsheets after her recent contract renewal with GMA Network.

Chesi and Quino are Senate President Chiz Escudero’s fraternal twins with his first wife Christine Flores. “They call me Tita Heart. I’m happy and I’m always going to be their Tita Heart. I’m the only Tita Heart!” she said, laughing.

Heart came into the children’s lives when she started dating Escudero in 2012. She tied the knot with him three years later and has since built a wonderful relationship with them. “I’m so happy that we have bonded as a family throughout the years,” she said. “Love isn’t something you force; it has to naturally happen.”

Emotional letter

The 39-year-old Kapuso star has always been vocal about her struggles with pregnancy. Last May, on Mother’s Day, she posted an emotional letter revealing that she had suffered her third miscarriage. It was the couple’s “fourth angel”—a boy that Heart named Francis.

Heart is not closing her doors on conceiving her own child. But for now, she can safely say that she’s happily content with her life with Chiz and her stepchildren.

“I don’t need to ask for my own. I have them,” she said.

And while Heart and Chiz have had their “fair share” of challenges, the couple now finds themselves in “a really good place.” “You have to go through the toughest times to become stronger,” she pointed out. It all boils down to gratefulness, she pointed out. And it’s with the same perspective that she also approaches her career.

Heart has been in show biz for almost 27 years—16 of those with GMA. She has no dream roles or lofty plans, she admitted. That she’s still in the industry is “a dream.”

“Nearly three decades in and I’m still working. Everything is a blessing. I value the concept of debt of gratitude. That’s priceless. If you can be grateful, regardless of how much or how little you’re given, you will have a smile on your face,” she said.

The Kapuso network pulled out all stops for Heart’s contract signing, decking out Studio 7 with mounds of red roses and sparkly chandeliers. The event was attended by GMA executives led by president and chief executive officer Gilberto Duavit Jr. and senior vice president for programming Annette Gozon-Valdes.

“They were there through the hardest times. When I moved to GMA in (2008), I didn’t know what I could offer. My bosses said that I bring so much life. They accepted me and gave me one of my biggest contracts. I haven’t proven anything yet. I was very grateful,” she said, adding that the network has always allowed her to grow and evolve on her town terms.

“They let me be myself. I wouldn’t have done it without them. They trusted me … the good and the bad in me. I believe that it’s when you allow something to happen that magic happens,” she said.

And she can’t have a conversation about career longevity and leave out Johnny “Mr. M.” Manahan, the former Star Magic honcho who now works as consultant for GMA’s talent management arm, Sparkle.

“I really look up to him. He’s like my second father. He plucked me out from a crowd and I will always be thankful for that,” said Heart, who continues to get in touch with Mr. M for advice. “It’s great that I can share my stories, and the journey I’m in, with him. He’s someone who will always hear me out. I love him so much.”

Empowered

Heart also credited Chiz for supporting her dreams even after marriage. “I feel empowered. I love the idea that we can change the mindset that when you get married, you have to be this or that. I love that I can work and have a supportive husband,” she said.

What projects can the fans expect? Heart wouldn’t go into details, but she did let on that she and the network are eyeing a project that “has never been done in the past.” “I would also love to do something for the big screen,” she added. “There’s actually a script that we have been working on, fixing but the stars need to align first,” she said.

For now, a drama series appears out of the question, what with all the work she does for different brands in and out the country. She’s active with charities related to animal welfare and children’s health. And recently, she was sworn in as the new president of the Senate Spouses Foundation.

Asked if her new position, and being the Senate President’s wife, will affect the kind of projects she does, Heart said she doesn’t want her image, or people’s perception of her, box her in.

“I try very hard not to live in a box or stick to an image. It’s liberating that you can be yourself no matter what’s given to you. More people appreciate authenticity. Wala namang perfect. So I’m not going to adhere to a certain image—I will just be myself,” she said.

“I hope it shouldn’t affect [the projects] I do. But in the long run, maybe years from now, I hope they can learn a thing or two from what I stand for, which is being as authentic as possible,” she added. “You shouldn’t change who you are just because people want you to be a certain way.”