Her overnight rise to stardom may sound like a Cinderella story, but Carla Abellana is still the girl you’d be happy to bring home to mother. Life in the spotlight, family bonds, and faraway dreams: the wish this doll-eyed beauty’s heart makes isn’t what you think.

Words by Christian Yambing
Photographs by BleachNStain.com
Styling by Prisara Morales
Makeup by Yuki Geraldo for Make Up For Ever
Hair by Dino Ilamas for Franck Provost

The “double-take” has been around for as long as men and women have existed together on this Earth. The most basic pre-requisite for the “double-take” is for one exceptionally beautiful member of one gender to walk past a crowd consisting mostly of the opposite sex. This generates a common two-step reaction: first, to glance upon the subject once, and then look away dismissively. And second, to look back again upon realizing that the creature before you is one of the most beautiful you have seen in your existence.

But society and common sense now dictate that attraction to the opposite sex cannot be totally defined by simply the knee-jerk reaction to a passing beauty. People now are wiser and more selective in finding people who deserve their earnest attraction. Now, people look for true character in their opposites. This, however, is a challenge for many of us. And so, to get a quick fix, people tune in to their television sets for a dose of instant gratification of that one thing all men and women look for.

For 45 minutes and five days a week, the show Rosalinda captured many people’s attention. It had the classic soap elements that first captured the Filipino audience during the early 1960s. But Rosalinda also had the charm of the original Latin telenovela of the same name, which first hit our screens in 1999. This time, however, instead of the much-loved actress Thalia, Rosalinda was portrayed by newcomer Carla Abellana.

Ever since Carla’s first dive into showbiz seven months ago, she has taken most of the country by storm. She has appeared on almost every local magazine cover. Billboards and advertisements of her endorsements have been popping up along Manila’s busiest roads. And, in effect, everything that has her face on it has merited a “double-take” from every man and woman in the country, Abellana’s gracious beauty easily inviting sheer and unadulterated admiration.

Nevertheless, people often forget to remove the mask of a character being played from the one who wears it. So on one Friday afternoon, Carla is figuratively stripped to her barest form, revealing herself as a character far more charming than the one she plays on television.

She smiled as she entered the room, obviously catching the attention of the people in the studio. After taking a quick moment from an already hectic day to grab a bite to eat, she sat down and waited patiently for the make-up artist to apply what was needed for the shoot.

The photographer asked her, “May I take a photo of you before the artist puts your face on?” Carla smiled in agreement, but her manager kindly interrupted, saying, “I’m sorry, but we would prefer it if she was already done with her make-up when you begin the shooting. She has an image to maintain.” It does make sense; she is the Face of countless product endorsements. And it is a job after all. But it begs the question, “What kind of person was Carla before she entered the limelight?” The smile that she quickly put on gave a peek of the real Carla beneath.

Why? Easy.

How many TV personalities would never leave their homes, and have their photo taken, with a naked face? It somehow makes them feel incomplete. However, Carla agreed to having her picture taken even when she was barest—she just wasn’t allowed to do it. And that is an experience that most people can relate to—waking up and walking outside undone—because it is real, “everyday stuff.”

One might be surprised as to why Carla is this way, being so prepared even without having a proper “face” on. It’s thanks to how she was raised. Carla recounts that even when her grandmother, father, and mother (her whole family, practically) were actors, they were never really “showbiz” and stayed far from the limelight.

She excelled in high school, bagged a cum laude in AB Psychology in DLSU—which she credits to extra hard work—and then went on to a day job like everyone else. But it was when she had left the corporate world to become a pre-school teacher that opportunity presented itself—a new career path that she had never really considered before.

When she was first asked to consider becoming a TV star, she tells me, she had said to herself, “Nevermind, I don’t need it. I have a stable job. I work from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. I receive a good salary on the 15th and 30th. And most importantly, I am happy as I am now,” and even adds that “showbiz was never part of the plan.” But even with her conviction at that time, the winds of fate can change suddenly. With her mother’s guidance and the family’s blessing to encourage her, she decided to take the big leap, and so began her career.

“The stress was something that I had never experienced before. Showbiz was a completely different, crazy world that I was unfamiliar with,” says Carla in her straightforward, open way, keeping her eyes and attention focused on me despite the hairdryer buzzing against her ear. From a background completely devoid of acting, Carla was dropped right into the middle of everything, and all of a sudden she “was Rosalinda, a lead actress in my own show,” she remembers. It’s like being given a restaurant, without even knowing how to light a stove. Fortunately, just as some people happen to naturally have a talent in gastronomy, Carla had the talent for acting. She suddenly smiles for no reason, as if remembering something that never fails to make her happy, and shares that her family is the reason she is able to get through each day.

Her mother, Rhea Reyes, who was a famous actress in the ‘80s, is one of the inspirations that drives her in everything she does, whether as a teacher or as an actress. “My mom is a single parent; she got married young, had my sister at a young age, and even worked early,” shares Carla. “She’s the breadwinner not just of our family but of the whole household, and there are 15 of us in the house.”

And despite the bright future that holds a movie project and a contract with Universal Records, her dream remains simple. “Hopefully one day, I want to give my mom her own house. That’s my dream—to give back to my mom.” To some a wish like that might be odd, or perhaps generic, but the simplicity of a dream does not make it any less noble. After all there is nothing more natural for us than to love our mothers, and Carla wants nothing less.

Like any other twenty-something, Carla, who’s been an advocate of PAWS (Philippine Animal Welfare Society) since 1997, voices out her dismay towards corruption and the unfortunate events that are all tied to our country and its government. Showing concern over the coming elections she firmly insists, “We must exercise our right to vote.” And even if she’s not endorsing any politician in the May 2010 elections, what matters is that she herself is prepared to vote and encourage people to do likewise, because people just might listen to their favorite telenovela star.

The mood lightens as all the preparations are being finished. Ironically, there is a reversal of roles, with Carla doing more of the storytelling and talking.

She recalls the times when she would go out of the country with her family, traveling around Asia. Giddily and quite authoritatively, she states that Bangkok is the best place to be, because of the shopping. Spas are, hands-down, her guilty pleasure, as well as a special time she gets to spend with her mother.

Everything is finally done to prepare her for the shoot. She looks exactly like the girl in her billboards and advertisements. Carla almost looks like a doll, with her porcelain skin, her beautifully dark hair, and almond eyes that are so deep and comforting. But after revealing herself in a light that is almost never seen by the public, one can’t help but feel a bit thirsty.

Carla revealed a part of herself in the time it took for her make-up to be put on, and it naturally leaves many questions unanswered. But it does answer something: that she was worth knowing even for such a short time. And that if a “double-take” were made when she passed by, it won’t be because she is one of the most beautiful young actresses in our time, but because of a personality and life that we sincerely yearn to learn more about

Love talk with Carla Abellana

What for you is the perfect date?
Carla: “Hmm... one that is full of surprises. Not one where everything is planned and predictable. I don't have to be brought to an expensive restaurant. But a date somewhere far would be nice, away from the city. Even if it’s just to Tagaytay.”

Flowers vs. Chocolates?
Carla: “Flowers. Although they wilt and die, they have their charm.”

Describe your ideal guy:
Carla: “Three qualities that I look for in my ‘Ideal Guy’: he has to be a gentleman; he has to be respectful; he has to be understanding.”

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