Gela Atayde shares the number one acting tip she got from mom Sylvia Sanchez

Growing up immersed in teleserye production, Gela Atayde, the daughter of Sylvia Sanchez, has always been fascinated with acting, thus the likelihood of joining showbiz was always close by.

“I would always be wherever my mom was. After school, doon na ako nag-aaral sa taping niya and the tent wherever her standby area was,” she said in this episode of Kapamilya Chat. By tagging along with her mom and siblings to teleserye shoots, Gela saw acting as an art form and it established her respect for people working behind the cameras.

But, she clarified that she wasn’t pressured by her family. The truth is she’s always wanted to become an actress. At 4, she auditioned for Goin’ Bulilit, then honed her theatre skills in high school and took up Communication Arts in college. She loves watching movies and series. Everything she does is related to the field of entertainment.

Though the desire and possibility have always been there, it took a while for Gela to make her first foray into acting. She said her mom asked her to decide carefully. She remembers what Sylvia said: “Are you sure? It’s not something you would always love because it’s hard.”

After a thorough process of weighing her options, Gela finally decided to give showbiz a try. And the best part is she’s able to integrate her first love, which is dancing, into the new career that she knows she’s going to love as well.

“Sometimes I question pa na hindi ko alam kung paano gagawin lahat. Pero at the same time, I’m also like, I’m here, everything’s aligning and I just want to do everything no matter how tired I am,” she smiled when asked how it feels to finally be where she’s at.

For her first acting project, Gela will be joining Andrea Brillantes, Kyle Echarri, Zaijian Jaranilla, Xyriel Manabat, and JK Labajo in the coming-of-age series “Senior High.” Her mom is also part of the cast.

Gela recalled that she was with Kyle, one of her best friends, when her mom told her that she was cast in “Senior High.” She didn’t want to believe it at first until her managers confirmed the news. Gela is glad that everything is put together perfectly. It’s so cool that she gets to work with her mom, her friends, and people she grew up watching like Xyriel and Zaijian in her first project.

Gela shared that her mother doesn’t meddle with her work. She said that there are people who aren’t capable of teaching what they’re good at, and her mom is one of those. There was only one piece of advice Sylvia gave: “Be yourself.” And this wouldn’t be hard to follow in her first project since she’s very similar to her character. She also mentioned that “Senior High” would have a shocking narrative.

With Star Magic guiding her steps, Gela is looking forward to more exciting things in her career. She wishes to work with her siblings Arjo Atayde and Ria Atayde, as well as Judy Ann Santos, her ‘ninang’ and her mom’s co-star in “Esperanza,” which she loved watching as a kid. She wants to learn from Nonie Buencamino and Shamaine Buencamino, too.

When it comes to dancing, she’s looking forward to more collaborations with AC Bonifacio on ASAP Natin ‘To. Gela is also set to represent the country at the 2023 World Hip Hop Dance Championship with her group, Legit Status.