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Vanessa Hudgens talks about Lea Salonga, adobo, and eloping with fiance in PH
Entertainment
Celebrities
Vanessa Hudgens talks about Lea Salonga, adobo, and eloping with fiance in PH
Vanessa Hudgens talks about Lea Salonga, adobo, and eloping with fiance in PH
Published Apr 1, 2023 04:32 pm
It took years before Hollywood star Vanessa Hudgens finally visit the Philippines for the first time.
Now that she's in touch with her Filipino heritage, Hudgens said that she's excited to do her duties as a global tourism ambassador for the Philippines.
"Time has always been on my list, of course. But it never happened. I get to come here with my mom and sister. This is a hub for my family and I get to be here with my family," said Hudgens, when asked what took her so long to visit the Philippines, during a media conference held at Manila House at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig last March 31.
Hudgens, star of the film series "High School Musical," traveled with her mother Gina, and sister Stella to the Philippines. Last Friday, they left the country after a seven-day stay filled with beautiful souvenirs.
"It's really interesting coming here and beautiful. It's eye-opening. Just the family aspects of the Philippines is something that is prominent and so strong. I've always been close to them - my mom and my sister. That definitely comes from my heritage," she said. "I feel like I was definitely raised very American, except for all the rice and the adobo and the pancit."
Vanessa, 34, also believes that this was the perfect time to visit the Philippines.
Asked to describe the Philippines, she said: "It's a little bit of everything. It's got paradise, it's got a metropolitan city. It's got kindness, everybody is so warm, so friendly. The people here are unique. Everyone is just so warm. The hospitality is unmatched. It's just a little magical place."
Aside from Palawan, Vanessa said that she hopes to visit Cebu and Mindanao soon. She was also fascinated by adobo and tinikling.
"Nobody made me eat anything. I'm a pescatarian, but in Palawan I was sitting there and there was a plate of chicken adobo just staring at me. And I was like, 'you know, this is my first trip to the Philippines. This is as authentic as it's going to get. I'm eating chicken adobo, and I did. It was so worth it. I don't eat chicken again anytime soon. There's a time and a place for everything," she said.
Hudgens said that she wants to try the tinikling, a traditional Filipino folk dance using two bamboo poles on the ground.
"The tinikling which is my favorite thing ever. I'm going to buy a pair of sticks so that I can make my friends do it and I could practice at home. Next time I come, I'll do the tinikling," she also said.
Hudgens revealed that Filipino Broadway star Lea Salonga inspired her to become a singer.
"I feel like probably the only Filipino that I really knew who is in the business is Lea Salonga. Honestly, she's a big reason why I sing and how I sing. She really inspired me to record and keep on at my dream. I mean, that's what it's all about," she said, adding that she hopes to meet her soon.
"Raising two girls in America, I try to infuse the Filipino culture. Kindness is No. 1 as not forgetting who we are, and being true to ourselves. That's the only way how they can be good examples for other people. "Kindness is always No. 1 in my vocabulary. Just put restrictions on little things, blaming things that don't matter. At the end of the day, family is so important than love, forgiveness, happiness, and living a wonderful life. Be happy," Gina added. Hudgens honored her mom for being so supportive. "I am what I am because of her. We are all products of our parents, especially our mother. But my mom has always been very supportive, very kind, and very humble." About her dream role, the Filipino-American star said: "There are so many stories to be told. So many genres that I haven't done yet. There's still a lot to be done. I still feel there's still a long road ahead of me. I am excited to do things that I haven't done. That's always what excited me the most, to tell different kinds of stories from different walks of life, and give a voice to people who don't have a voice. And also lean into the magical elements of what films are. I haven't done a fantasy." Hudgens is currently in a relationship with Major League Baseball outfielder Cole Ticker. When King of Talk Boy Abunda asked her a hypothetical question if she would like to get married in the Philippines, Vanessa smiled and said: "If it was just me and my fiancé eloping, yes!"
The film will showcase her close relationship with her Filipino mom and sister. It will also highlight Hudgen's journey as an American-born, half-Filipino who made it as one of the world’s most recognizable stars. The project was shot in Palawan and Manila. It was produced and directed by Paul Soriano, director of the 2019 Tokyo International Film Festival Main Competition entry, “Mañanita” and the Manny Pacquiao biopic, “Kid Kulafu”. Soriano also produced “A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery” (2016) which won a special film award at the Berlinale International Film Festival and “Transit” (2013) which became the Philippines’ entry for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the [86th Academy Awards](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/86th_Academy_Awards). “We are honored to work with Vanessa on this film project. It’s inspiring to note that with everything she has achieved in life, she wants to discover her Filipino roots and pay homage to her mother’s country. Hopefully, this opens doors for many more collaborations to come,” says Soriano, who also serves as a Presidential Creative Adviser to the Philippines’ Government. Hudgens, who has most recently been seen in Lin Manuel Miranda’s “Tick, Tick…Boom!”, has always been proud of her family history, with her mother venturing to the United States at the age of 25. “I feel like ours is such a relatable story to so many women all over the world,” Hudgens said. “The more that we can share, the more we can lift each other up.” The Hollywood star began her career in the world of musical theater at 8. But she found global fame in Disney Channel’s sensation “High School Musical”. Since then, she has become an established star, with credits including “Spring Breakers”, “Gimme Shelter”, “Bad Boys for Life,” and the Oscar-nominated “Tick, Tick…Boom!” Hudgens executive produced and starred in the films “The Knight Before Christmas”, and all three installments of “The Princess Switch” for Netflix. She is set to star in the upcoming films “French Girl”, and “Bad Boys 4”. She is represented by CAA, Untitled Entertainment, The Lede Company, and Ziffren Brittenham.
Aside from Palawan, Vanessa said that she hopes to visit Cebu and Mindanao soon. She was also fascinated by adobo and tinikling.
"Nobody made me eat anything. I'm a pescatarian, but in Palawan I was sitting there and there was a plate of chicken adobo just staring at me. And I was like, 'you know, this is my first trip to the Philippines. This is as authentic as it's going to get. I'm eating chicken adobo, and I did. It was so worth it. I don't eat chicken again anytime soon. There's a time and a place for everything," she said.
Hudgens said that she wants to try the tinikling, a traditional Filipino folk dance using two bamboo poles on the ground.
"The tinikling which is my favorite thing ever. I'm going to buy a pair of sticks so that I can make my friends do it and I could practice at home. Next time I come, I'll do the tinikling," she also said.
Hudgens revealed that Filipino Broadway star Lea Salonga inspired her to become a singer.
"I feel like probably the only Filipino that I really knew who is in the business is Lea Salonga. Honestly, she's a big reason why I sing and how I sing. She really inspired me to record and keep on at my dream. I mean, that's what it's all about," she said, adding that she hopes to meet her soon.
\* Raising Vanessa and Stella
Gina said that she always reminded her daughters to be kind when they were kids.
Vanessa Hudgens and King of Talk Boy Abunda
"Raising two girls in America, I try to infuse the Filipino culture. Kindness is No. 1 as not forgetting who we are, and being true to ourselves. That's the only way how they can be good examples for other people. "Kindness is always No. 1 in my vocabulary. Just put restrictions on little things, blaming things that don't matter. At the end of the day, family is so important than love, forgiveness, happiness, and living a wonderful life. Be happy," Gina added. Hudgens honored her mom for being so supportive. "I am what I am because of her. We are all products of our parents, especially our mother. But my mom has always been very supportive, very kind, and very humble." About her dream role, the Filipino-American star said: "There are so many stories to be told. So many genres that I haven't done yet. There's still a lot to be done. I still feel there's still a long road ahead of me. I am excited to do things that I haven't done. That's always what excited me the most, to tell different kinds of stories from different walks of life, and give a voice to people who don't have a voice. And also lean into the magical elements of what films are. I haven't done a fantasy." Hudgens is currently in a relationship with Major League Baseball outfielder Cole Ticker. When King of Talk Boy Abunda asked her a hypothetical question if she would like to get married in the Philippines, Vanessa smiled and said: "If it was just me and my fiancé eloping, yes!"
\* Exploring PH
Hudgens explored her Filipino lineage by starring in an international documentary film produced by TEN17P that brought her to her mother’s homeland, the Philippines, for the very first time.
The film will showcase her close relationship with her Filipino mom and sister. It will also highlight Hudgen's journey as an American-born, half-Filipino who made it as one of the world’s most recognizable stars. The project was shot in Palawan and Manila. It was produced and directed by Paul Soriano, director of the 2019 Tokyo International Film Festival Main Competition entry, “Mañanita” and the Manny Pacquiao biopic, “Kid Kulafu”. Soriano also produced “A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery” (2016) which won a special film award at the Berlinale International Film Festival and “Transit” (2013) which became the Philippines’ entry for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the [86th Academy Awards](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/86th_Academy_Awards). “We are honored to work with Vanessa on this film project. It’s inspiring to note that with everything she has achieved in life, she wants to discover her Filipino roots and pay homage to her mother’s country. Hopefully, this opens doors for many more collaborations to come,” says Soriano, who also serves as a Presidential Creative Adviser to the Philippines’ Government. Hudgens, who has most recently been seen in Lin Manuel Miranda’s “Tick, Tick…Boom!”, has always been proud of her family history, with her mother venturing to the United States at the age of 25. “I feel like ours is such a relatable story to so many women all over the world,” Hudgens said. “The more that we can share, the more we can lift each other up.” The Hollywood star began her career in the world of musical theater at 8. But she found global fame in Disney Channel’s sensation “High School Musical”. Since then, she has become an established star, with credits including “Spring Breakers”, “Gimme Shelter”, “Bad Boys for Life,” and the Oscar-nominated “Tick, Tick…Boom!” Hudgens executive produced and starred in the films “The Knight Before Christmas”, and all three installments of “The Princess Switch” for Netflix. She is set to star in the upcoming films “French Girl”, and “Bad Boys 4”. She is represented by CAA, Untitled Entertainment, The Lede Company, and Ziffren Brittenham.