Marrying into ‘show biz royalty’ a confidence booster for Jessy Mendiola

Surprising as it may sound, it is actress Jessy Mendiola who often gives her husband, Luis Manzano, some financial advice as she grew up as her family’s breadwinner.

“It’s funny, but I’m the one teaching him things. He is not a big spender, but I help him balance everything because he can be a bit hasty in making decisions. I grew up as the family breadwinner so I learned how to determine which should be the priority and which are considered less important,” Jessy told Inquirer Entertainment on Tuesday, shortly after she renewed her contract with Star Magic and ABS-CBN.

“Luis grew up blessed. His parents really took care of him. My advice is just more on when to hold off and be patient because he can get excited sometimes. He would tell me, ‘I want to invest in this business!’ I would tell him, ‘Let’s wait some more and see if this would really work,’” she explained.

“He has businesses other than show biz. I guess that’s one of the reasons I fell in love with him. Bilib ako sa kanya. He never relied on his parents financially. He really carved his own name. I would see him work day in and day out.”

Luis is the son of actors Vilma Santos and Edu Manzano. His mom is married to Budget Secretary Ralph Recto.

At home, Jessy said she insisted that they share financial responsibilities.

“I want to be able to contribute even when I’m not active in show biz. I still earn from my endorsements, from my YouTube channel and various postings—from my digital work. That’s where I get money to buy things that our daughter, Rosie, needs,” she added. “Luis is in charge of the basic necessities like milk and diapers, while I buy Rosie’s clothes, bags, toys and books.”

Increased marketability

Jessy, who began working as an actress in 2004 and starred in various TV and movie projects, said she was well aware that getting married into the Santos-Manzano family has increased her marketability.

“I’m very honest about it. I accept it with no pride. It was really Luis who supported me in all the years I was inactive. His family isn’t a ‘simple’ one. You could even say that they’re show biz royalty,” she pointed out. “So I’m really blessed and happy that I’m now part of that family. Let’s be honest, Luis Manzano is not your typical TV host. He has become the standard for others who want to take this particular career path.”

Jessy said marrying Luis and becoming part of his family has forced her to become more mature. “I’m now more linear when it comes to setting my priorities. The idea that I now have a partner who will help me grow and achieve more has given me so much confidence. I used to go through life alone. I now return to show biz with more confidence and maturity because of being married to that family. I’m grateful that they accepted me as a member, as their daughter,” she said.

Gray roles

After a five-year hiatus, Jessy will return to acting with renewed passion. “The night before, I asked Luis, ‘Am I making the right decision? He said, ‘You are doing this for yourself. You deserve to pursue your dreams and grow more.’ That’s what I want to try doing today,” the 31-year-old actress said.

“I’ve done sensual roles and some heavy drama projects in the past. Now, I’m considering doing gray roles, kontrabida, even mother roles. It’s funny because Direk Lauren (Dyogi, head of Star Magic) said I could still be a leading lady, so I said, ‘Why not? I’d be thrilled to do it.’ Of course, I will first work on honing my acting skills by attending workshops. I want to try new things.”

When asked who she would like to work with from among ABS-CBN’s roster of talents, Jessy said she is actually thinking of doing something with Luis.

“I also want to try hosting. I’ve discovered from observing Luis that working as a host really requires discipline and dedication. They first study the people they will talk with. If there’s a word that he is unfamiliar with, he would first find out its meaning and pronunciation before saying it on live events or during the show. He would really focus on his new program, making sure he has his inputs,” she said.

“I could try that when I’m already feeling comfortable and confident with TV work again. Maybe we could do live events first, then a game show. I got to experience that when I was invited as a guest on ‘It’s Your Lucky Day’ for its last episode. That’s when I realized, ‘Kaya ko pala!’ I could try hosting a lifestyle show, as well. I’m now more confident to open up to people. I used to be shy and quiet,” Jessy added.

She said vlogging helped boost her confidence, too. “These days, I already know the flow of my vlog, so I’m more confident when talking in front of the camera. Back when I was just starting, everything was scripted. I’ve learned to talk spontaneously. It also helped that Luis would often coach me on public speaking and how to answer questions,” she said.