Since a little Shaina Magdayao was plunged into the limelight, she’s been unstoppable. Her beauty, talent, and charm are so timeless that we almost didn’t notice it has been 25 years.

In this episode of Tatak Star Magic Celebrity Conversations, Shaina walked down memory lane and shared the lessons and values she picked up along the way.

Like most child stars, the transition to a teenager and power actress was difficult in different ways for Shaina, especially since she didn’t choose the formulaic path. Instead of sticking with a loveteam partner, she worked solo. It was a disadvantage in the world of showbiz where ‘fame formula’ is calculated by means of having a loveteam partner.

At the same time, it was an advantage since different co-stars bring a variety of lessons and experiences. When she reached legal age, Shaina became more involved in choosing her projects. “I was just really firm na hindi ako ‘yung loveteam type,” she said, adding that everything just fell into place when she made that decision.

It was also at that time that she embraced acting as her fate. She didn’t go through auditions as a kid. Her workshops were real-life experiences on the set, and her acting coaches were her directors and co-artists.

“When I accepted the fact na hindi na talaga matatalikuran itong trabaho ko at itong mundo na ‘to, that was when I realized na, ‘Okay. I was put here in this position not for myself but to be able to share my God-given talent.’ For me, that’s the most rewarding thing because I have a calling of service,” imparted Shaina, who thought of becoming a nun when she was carefully weighing her purpose in life, which boils down to “service.”

Well, service could mean a lot of things. It dawned on her that she can still be of service to people through acting. That’s why she pours her best into every role, making sure that she’s going to be proud of her portrayal.

Shaina acknowledged that she’s also blessed with great projects such as “Tanging Yaman” and “Wansapanataym: The Movie” which somehow made her transition from a child star to lead actress a lot smoother.

And while she didn’t follow the typical formula in showbiz, she’s still found the right kind of ingredients to fulfillment and stardom, one of which is to always be up for challenges. The reason why she considers Samantha from “Asintado” as one of her most memorable characters is that Samantha taught her that antagonists can be multifaceted, contrary to what she believed growing up that characters are either just black or white.

“Kaya rin ako naka-relate sa kanya kasi lahat naman tayo imperfect. Lahat naman tayo tao lang at the end of the day. I wanted to understand why she ended up doing things, like, bad things.” She empathized with the character “to bring out her being human and a woman.”

Though extra hands-on in choosing her projects, Shaina takes orders from the management. She said that she will perform her best in any role that the management sees fit. Besides, she trusts ABS-CBN and Star Magic so much, as they’re like her second family.

“I have good people around me. I have been guided by my family, friends, ABS-CBN, and my Star Magic family, who practically raised me na rin.” Through them, she learned that longevity is determined by an artist’s level of “pakikisama” and respect, “When I’m on the set, I make sure na I treat everyone right and mahal ko ang mga crew.”

For Shaina, who we last saw on TV via FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano, to be called a Star Magic artist is a compliment, an honor. It’s a mark of excellence. Twenty-five years have passed and those years with Star Magic were precious, allowing her to carve her own niche in the riveting world of entertainment.

Play the video to watch Shaina’s full conversation with episode host, Gail Banawis.