What Alden Is Tired Hearing About | Toni Talks

She does not age, right? I dressed like a stewardess because I heard you wanted to be a pilot. Yes. Shall I go there? Yes. Oh we're on already. Yes. It's already starting. Because you wanted to be a pilot, right? Yes. Then it became chef. Then it changes. Anything. I had no dream in life. Why did you want to be a pilot before? Do you want to travel? I don't know, Ms. Toni. It's like... I have this thing of living out my parents' dreams. It was actually my dad's dream. So, this one is my mom's. I

t's like the irony of what I've read. It all started when she passed away. Yes. Your career. Even my first play in school, "Joseph The Dreamer" That was my first play in school. She was already bedridden during that time. - She didn't get to see it? - No. Even my first commercial. Even the time I joined a pageant in our place. She didn't get to see it. She didn't see it physically. Yes. But in spirit, I'm sure she's always with you throughout your whole career. Because she was your inspiration w

hy you joined showbusiness, right? That's so true. It was her dream for you because she loves watching Mexicanovelas. Yes, telenovelas in GMA, Ms. Toni. It's like every series of Thalia. So, Marimar, Rosalinda, was it? Maria La del Barrio. Yes, like that. Her dream for you was to be Sergio? But when you were a kid, do they tell you that you have a look of a celebrity? Because you know what? While you are talking, I am looking at you, right? You have a lot of look-alikes in person. Do people tell

you that? While looking at you, sometimes I see John Lloyd. Now that you are facing me, you look a bit like Diether. Oh my. That's a lot. Yes. But do people tell you that you have - a lot of celebrity look-alikes? - Yes. Number 1 is Idan (John Lloyd Cruz) - Number 2, - You really look like him. Joshua Garcia. Because Joshua became a celebrity just lately. But the ones I got to worked with in ASAP- Sometimes you look like Diether. You also resemble Hero Angeles. There are sudden looks. Yes, sudd

en looks like "Hey!" It's like, "Hey!" But when you look closer... It's Alden. Yes. Now, we see it's Alden. Yes. So, when you were starting, was it hard? Because I remember, it's a struggle for beginners to have a look-alike. Yes. Right? It's hard to stand out. That's what they say that when you have a look-alike, you cannot reach your destination. Something like that. Because they will always say that you're a look-alike. You've already detached yourself from it since you have made your own pat

h. I will never forget that because- It was 2014 from what I remember. It was my vivid memory of you. You were wearing an Iron Man costume and someone told me That was McDo's Junior Manager's - Convention - Convention. Yes. In SMX. Yes. Yes, I was the endorser of McDonald's then. It's great because after a year, you became the endorser of McDonald's, right? You and Maine - AlDub. I said, "It's so great" because that time they told me, "He's a GMA artist." - But there was no AlDub yet. - None. Wh

en was that? 2014? 2014. I think it was just my third year in showbiz, Ms. Toni. Yes. Then in 2015, that was it. Yes. Well, there are two vivid memories I have of Ms. Toni. Number 1, is when we saw each other with Direk Paul and Seve at the lobby of EDSA Shang. And then the second- I will never forget this. Ms. Toni has just woken up, wearing white, and hugging her pillow. She was walking down the hallway where the audition for PBB takes place. Really? You were hugging your pillow. Do you do tha

t often? Hugging your pillow while walking in public? 2010? Yes. That's the year I didn't have a life. My life revolves around work. I wasn't an actor yet. I was just dreaming of becoming one. - You went to PBB? - PBB. Yes. In PBB house? Yes. It's just small in person. - I thought it was big. - Yes. I was surprised. You thought it was big, right? - Yes. - That is the usual reaction. Aside from PBB, you also tried for Starstruck? Yes. I also had no luck there. But you know it's great because that

's what I always say. There are many doors waiting in the hallway. Just walk and open all the doors and there will be one for you. It was not PBB, it was not Starstruck, it was Eat Bulaga and it was even accidental. Yes. Everything just fell into place. The glance. - The smile. - The romantic excitement. Right? That's where it all started. - It all started with the staring. - That's it. Then the romantic excitement. - That was it, right? - Yes, that's it. It's- you know going back, before I go t

o sleep, I still revisit those Kalyeserye clips. It's amusing. That was phenomenal. It was a blessing, Ms. Toni. And during that time, YouTube wasn't that popular. Yes. Everyone is on cable. Cable and free TV. You know what happened to you? Real-life drama. Yes, it's real life. That is a series. Without a script. On national TV that people watched and followed. You were the phenomenal love team that out of nowhere, loved by people. We are grateful for that. Looking back, what happened was both b

eautiful and successful but at the same time, there are advantages and disadvantages. Yes. With PBB, from what I remember, the concern of the people coming out of PBB because they were voted by the public, the public has this feeling, especially the fans, that you owe everything to the fans because we made you win. - I have to agree. - I have a feeling - that that's also what happened to you. - Yes. Because the feeling of the whole Philippines. You were the one we all waited for. You are the lov

e team we loved. Exactly. It's like they also wanted you to be the end game in real life. I think, one way or another- well, right now in social media, it's easy. Cancel culture is easy. It's easy to throw - hate comments. - Hurtful words. Yes, hurtful words. And you know, sometimes I've been seeing a lot of celebrities that address the issue about bashing. But maybe I got tired. Do you address it before? I mean on interviews, yes. In interviews but I don't post about it. I don't answer them. I

didn't answer any bashing. If there was, in my thirteen years, you could count them on one hand. Sometimes, you cannot avoid the things they tell you - to get to your head. - Exactly. They are controlling you. Even your thoughts. Then what's more painful is that it happens unconciously. You don't notice it. If you're not present. I mean if you don't see it in a bigger picture. Your thoughts are for them. Exactly. - You don't make your own decision. - You lose your identity. Yes. You base it on,

"Will they be happy about this?" "Will people like this?" "I will post this picture." "What do the people want?" It's like- It's not what you want. It's not. I have to admit it, I'm a pleaser. So much. By all means. In work. How I handle my people. So sometimes when there are events or public gatherings my authenticity and sincerity was being questioned. Like I am being plastic. Did you experience burnout? Yes. When did you experience the burnout? First time in my career in 2016 to 2017, almost

2018. For 3 months straight, I did commercials continuously. Yes, you're grateful but I'm sure to everyone who is watching us and also you, Ms. Toni, I'm sure you have that feeling sometimes that "Is this the price I have to pay?" - I will kill myself. - There is a price. Everything has a price you have to pay. Exactly. Success is always rented and the due is every day. You pay for it every single day. That's beautiful. We are just borrowing success. That's true. I have to believe. Right? That i

s not permanently ours. Yes. There are peaks and valleys in our industry. It seems like everyone can be a celebrity. In this age and time. With many platforms available. You just post something and it goes viral, then you post again with the same content and when people like it, it follows and it follows. I have to give that to Mr. Tuviera. Mr. T said, "The true battle in our industry is not about quantity but the longevity." That is the hardest. It's easy to be famous but it's hard to maintain.

Actually, I have to validate that statement because that happened to me. When did that happen? Well, during the AlDub era, after the Philippine Arena and all the endorsements, the fame and the screaming fans. Of course, it's not always gonna be like that. I already knew. There will come a time that I won't be that relevant. Maine and I wouldn't be that relevant. You know the dreams of the fans in the Philippines and at the same time it breaks their hearts is when the love team they were rooting

for doesn't end up together. - Exactly, that's true. - We saw that in JaDine, and now, the latest, right? And then you, AlDub. Why didn't you end up together? We are dying of too much feels here. Why didn't you become a couple in real life? It's hard because- That is their question, right? Yes. "Why didn't you become a couple?" Now that Maine is already married. What happened? Quite honestly, Maine and I had a conversation. Like a heart to heart conversation. Just recently, before she got marri

ed. And then I told her everything. At the end of the day, it's your differences that will determine whether you will make it or not. And your priorities in life. Going back to what Mr. Tuviera said, "It's not about being famous but staying the longest." "And it's not the quantity of work but how long are you gonna be there." Before, I thought it was the quantity. How much show you did. - or who did the most. - Yes. Now, it's about the quality of what you're doing. Yes, that's true. Right? You w

ill reach to a point where you'll be choosing the quality you want to do. That's true. That's when I got burnout of saying yes to all. - And you always no to yourself. - Always no to yourself. I neglected myself. I had that- That is why there's resentment. So much. And then there are times... that- This never came out. I had a burnout episode during one of my shoots or tapings. Sometimes, you know? People tend to abuse - kindness. - What is your zodiac sign? Capricorn. Oh, we're the same. I'm al

so a Capricorn. There. When is your birthday? January? 2 Your birthday is January 2? Oh my gosh! Mine is January 20. - That is cute. - Just added zero. I'm a Capricorn. You're a Capricorn. So, us, we are giving. And Capricorns are patient. If you can keep it in but if it explodes. So, how do you deal with rumors? In your thirteen years there's a lot you have encountered. Yes. During AlDub. There are a lot of crazy rumors about you. So much crazy rumors. And some really believe those rumors. Exac

tly. You know the number one? Is that you have a child. And we are married. And you are married. That was so intense. And it lingered for a while. Did you address that you have a child? There was a narrative. They have their own storytelling. Were you surprised when it came out? Yes. And all along, I thought by the time that- of course Maine and Arjo became public. Yes. And they got married eventually. - You thought it will disappear? - Yes. It didn't? It's still there. I already said my piece a

bout this. It's not true. There is no truth to it all. We have no child. We never got married. We don't have a- Love child. A love child. And- But right now, I'm at a point that- They are happy with that. Will I take that away from them? Will I rub it to their faces? "It's not true. Don't be annoying." I'm not that kind of person. I always support happiness of people. But what are you tired hearing about? With the gender issue. Just like it, if you think that way, fine. If you think I'm gay, fin

e. What I think sometimes when there are rumors, "Don't you have anything else?" In showbiz, if a man has no girlfriend, "Because he is..." Yes, like that. The judgment call for the gender of men in the industry is easy just because of that fact. But for me, will I go to that route again just because I want to please? I have my life right now. I am happy. Perfectly happy with what I have, what I am able to do at the moment. I seize every opportunity. It's a waste. There is time for that. To the

people who know me, who really know me, my friends and right now, most especially Julia. Julia Montes, Direk Irene. You had a special friendship. And also Coco. I was surprised that with just one project, we instantly clicked. To the point that they became part of my life. And I became part of their lives. It's a nice feeling that you get to meet authentic people. Yes. And those people, I tend to treasure. But do you still remember when was the last time your heart was broken? Just recently. The

start of 2023. The first three months of it. Brokenhearted in a lot of aspects. I was depressed for three months. Well, this is how I define that phase in my life where I was down. I was ungrateful. I was very ungrateful. I think the element of questioning entered. I compared myself to other people. Comparison is a joy stealer. That. So, it's like eating my own words that, "I don't compare myself to others." "I tend to focus on myself" but what happened? I was- it was like supressed anger the "

let it go" on yourself "You're fine. Let it go. You just sleep on it then you'll be okay." "Just get a massage, then you'll be fine." And you know what else happens to us? Even if let's say you're a big star, insecurities still come in. That's true. Even if a person is so famous. Even if a person is so beautiful. All people still have insecurities. We always have this feeling, "We're not good enough." Someone- It's not enough. It's always not enough. - And with people- - It's not enough. That's

why change is constant. So, I feel I was late on that. I didn't evolve. I was too late. The thoughts came in, "I'm already 31 and I don't have a wife yet." You're still young, 31. That's what I said. Very Filipino way of, "How old are you again?" "You should get married" stuff like that. So, those are the things I set aside all the time. That when it finally reached me, "Maybe I was getting left behind." "Maybe I'm focusing on-" No, because that's what people tell you but in your heart, do you f

eel like you're ready to settle down - at this point? - No, I'm not. - Right? - No. When you settle down, it's like a nice word, "settle down". But what comes with settling down? A big responsiblity. Oh my. They become your life. Your priority. Priorities. So, right now, you know, my company just started, September of 2022. And, I'm very much excited with the people who are very much interested to partner with us. That I don't want to waste. Actually, for guys, I don't know why they are pressuri

ng the guys. You have no biological clock. Actually- Not unlike women. - Right? - Yes. Men are like fine wine. "We age like wine," that's what my friends say. Yes. When you reach- I feel like the men's peak is 40 and above. Of course, by the time I settle down, I will not be this- That's how Capricorn is. - I will not be this busy. - Because us, we are so eager. You do everything. Goal oriented. Yes. We know our priorities. We will not do something that we will not finish. Yes and when you- Capr

icorns are like that. When you set your attention on one thing, you will give it your all. Yes, all. So, now, you are there. - You are pouring everything. - Yes. Here. To your baby. Your new baby. - The company, yes. - Your company. You said earlier, 2023, you reached the point in your life that you became ungrateful Yes. 2023 has ended. What are you most grateful for? I'm very grateful for the people who have been there for me even at my lowest of lows. Even though I'm pushing them away. Yeah,

I think that's how it is. Sometimes, when you're not in a good place, you push people away. You wanna be alone. Like, "You don't understand me." "You don't know what I am going through." And it's saddening that I hurt these people. These people who love me unconditionally. I am very sorry about it. The way I treated them. But still, they tend to forgive me for that. That's what I am grateful for. I am not on the calendar anymore. I'm on the Bingo already. Yes. But I am very much grateful and I a

m not ashamed of my age. Knowing that in my 31 years of existence, looking back, looking at things from a far, I was able to conquer the challenges. And I was able to do things for myself and for my family. And also, right now, before my company started, I also started a foundation for scholars. Being able to send them to school because I haven't finished my education. What year did you stop? First year college, Ms. Toni. Even if I attended 2 semesters in La Salle, I was self-supporting myself d

uring that time, the earnings I get from commercials, I use for school. And that's why I'm very emotional whenever I talk about education. Because it hurts that sometimes they say that, "Poverty is not a hindrance" - To finish your studies. - Sorry. Yes, I'm sorry but poverty is a hindrance in studies. No matter how hard you try, if you don't have the finances You will ask help from anyone to help you. And you have what it takes. You know to your heart and to yourself that you know, "I wanted to

finish school because I want to change my life." That's why my foundation is here. That's my vision. Right now, we have 25 scholars. 5 of them are already college graduates. There are 2 engineers, an accountant, and there's an ongoing criminology student. And a CPA, too. Those are the people we are currently helping. Also, the people I love helping the most are the students on their last year who needed to stop because of financial struggles. It's great because the dream you didn't fulfill, you

are fulfilling it for others. It's like I have that in me, Ms. Toni. You had a purpose. Yes. Purpose. You used your journey for good. It's your way of giving back. So, what do you want people to feel after watching your movie? Well, Family of Two (A Mother And Son Story) is an official entry to the 2023 Metro Manila Film Festival. It's my first project with Ms. Sharon Cuneta the Megastar. The story is very close to me because it's a mother story. Aww, you have something to base it on. Yes. It's

like there's no difficult scenes in here. But being able to work with the Megastar opened a lot of discoveries. Well, this is the beautiful message of the film, sometimes, growing up, we tend to take for granted the love that we get from our parents. Most especially our moms and since this is a mother and son story. So, when you tend to neglect that relationship that you have with your mom and when the time comes that you'll realize that you wanted to give back but if it's too late, take it fro

m me, I lost my mom. I lost my mom, and by the time I wanted to pay her back I never got the chance. That's the sad reality of things. It's the worst feeling. I'm ready and my mom is the only thing that's missing. So, never ever give that opportunity a chance in your life. Physically, we may not or she may not see it, but in spirit, she's always there with you - every step of the way. - I always talk to her up there. "Ma, look at me, I have an award." "Ma, I am working with the Megastar." I said

that in one of the workshops. Direk Nuel said during the workshop, "Talk to your mom but she is her. She is Ms. Sharon." That's heartbreaking. It was not recorded but that happened. I said, "Ma, I am now working with Ms. Sharon." I was breaking down. There were a lot of things unsaid but, I think she knows it already. Maybe even your thoughts she knows. All of it. So, there. Everything that I do, I always say this in all the interviews this is for my mom. Up to today, it's not about me, it's ab

out her. So, from here you'll go home to Laguna or you'll be going home here? Alex and I are neighbors. Does Alex know that you are her neighbor? Looks like she doesn't. Really? Of course I am a gossip. I asked the guards. Alex is a gossip, that's the number 1 thing she should have told me. She doesn't know. I'll be the one to tell her. "Did you know that Alden is your neighbor?" - Let's do it here. - Yes. This could be a movie. You have an OCD, right, Ms. Toni? Yes. We are the same. Clean? In m

y condo, I will not leave until the chairs in the dining table are aligned. My gosh. Good luck to your future wife, too. Oh no, she should be. Paul is also like that. His closet is more organized than mine. Mine is. It's all black there. Mama Ten here was trained by me. Your closet is also organized? Yes. If I take a peek, "Is it color coded? Good." Mine is all black. He still chooses. He finds it hard? He's wearing a black shirt. "I was wearing black-" He was like this in the morning. "I was we

aring black yesterday." I will take a peek and say, "Are we having a problem choosing which to wear?" "No, because the texture of this one is old. This one is-" Direk Paul and I should really meet.