Today we’d like to introduce you to Princess Punzalan.
Princess, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My mother was a broadcaster and one of her colleagues who had a TV drama show asked if I could be the replacement for their child actress who was ill. She asked me if I would want to do that and I said yes. I enjoyed the whole experience, and the people in production said I was a natural. That started me into acting. My mother, at first, just allowed me to act during Christmas or summer vacation or at the most, if it was a weekend so I would not have to miss school. Just before I turned 18, she asked me if acting was something that I really wanted to do as a career.
Then, she looked for a manager for me. Not long after that, I became a co-host in a Sunday TV variety show, had my own TV show (drama anthology) and a movie contract. I continued to work as an actor for many years in the Philippines. Then I got married in 2005 and moved to America. I decided to go back to school to become a Registered Nurse, thinking that I can always go to Manila if I wanted to work as an actor, and be a family woman and nurse in the US.
In 2018 I got cast in a movie, “Yellow Rose” and while making the movie, the director asked me why I was not pursuing an acting career in America because she thinks there are a lot of roles for me and that she knows I can do it.
My husband was very receptive to the idea of me pursuing an acting career here in the US. I researched on YouTube on how to do it and found Wendy Alane Wright who loves to help actors do things the way things are done in the industry. Through her Facebook Group called Talent Managers for Actors (TMFA), I learned more things and found my acting coach, Billy Hufsey. Then I met my agent Aileen Bailin through Billy. I continued practicing what I learned from Wendy and met my manager, Brandon Cohen through the TMFA FB Group.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
So far, it has been smooth but it probably won’t be at the pace a lot of people would want it to be. But I believe that things happen at the proper season. The blessing is that I found Wendy and learned how to get my marketing package that agents and managers look for before they take people in their roster. It took me a year to complete my online profiles and resume right. And now, because of the pandemic, the theaters are closed and my first American feature film that was supposed to have been shown the first week of May got postponed. But while we have this stay-at-home order, I am continuing with my acting classes and practicing my self-taping skills.
Tell us about your work – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am mainly a dramatic actor. I have always been relaxed and passionate about exploring real emotions. I am proud to say that I have always had great working relationships with the people I have worked with this past few decades I have been doing this. I have personally gone through difficult times and I can relate to most emotions that are required in the scripts that are given me and am at the stage in my life where I have learned to accept what is and change what I can. I am far from perfect but always try to be a better version of myself.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
ABSCBN gave me the role of Selina Matias, in the TV series, “Mula sa Puso” and I was able to use my past experience with an abuser to create an effective characterization of a villain. She was kind of like Gollum in the “Lord of the Rings” where she switched from being nice to being evil in a smooth manner. People in the Philippines started to love to hate me that I got type-casted as a villain after winning an acting award for that TV series.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.princesspunzalan.com
- Instagram: @realprincesspunzalan
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PrincessPunzalanActor
- Other: imdb.me/princesspunzalan
Image Credit:
“Mula Sa Puso” – ABSCBN
“Yellow Rose” – August Thurmer
“Dancing On My Own” – Alexandra Cuerdo
“The Story of Us” – ABSCBN
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