Barbie Forteza For NYLON Manila July 2023
Catch Barbie Forteza as she rides full speed ahead to greater heights into the new era of her career through the July issue of NYLON Manila magazine.
When asked about her humble beginnings, Barbie recalled her first audition. “Yung mga kasama ko sa VTR, nakikita ko na sa mga commercial, so medyo kinabahan si ate girl. So nung [ako] na, kinabahan [ako] at hindi ko nagawa. So syempre ‘di ako natanggap.”
As young as she was, this moment revealed to be the wakeup call she needed.
With wistful nostalgia, Barbie recounted what her mother told her. “Pag-isipan mong mabuti kung ito talaga yung gusto mo ha. Kasi kung mag-iipon tayo, tapos pagdating doon mahihiya ka, hindi tayo matatanggap, sayang yung pagod, sayang yung gastos.’”
It takes conviction, tenacity, and unshakable faith to go after wild dreams. And Barbie Forteza, from the very beginning, knew it. From her long commutes to auditions to finally building her dream house, Barbie walks us through the last 14 years of proving that greatness was always in the cards for her — not because it was her birthright, but because she decided she would get there.
Over the next decade and a half, Barbie grew up in the public eye, appearing in a slew of Filipino teleseryes like Kara Mia and Tween Hearts. In 2022, she made her indelible mark on television as she took on the leading role in GMA’s Maria Clara at Ibarra, and brought the show’s fiery, spirited protagonist to life.
“Hindi ko akalain na magiging ganoon din kalaki yung impact niya sa’kin, sa buhay ko,” Barbie said when asked about her portrayal of Klay, the Gen Z nursing student who was whisked into the antiquated world of Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere.
Just like Klay, Barbie found herself defying norms in a world that has stayed the same for a long time.
