Lovi Poe on Married Life, Upcoming Projects, and More

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PHOTO: KARL KING AGUÑA

When she launched her showbiz career as a teenager in the mid-2000s, detractors wrote Lovi Poe off and tittered that she only got into the industry because she was the daughter of the King of Philippine movies Fernando Poe Jr. Today, she can boast an enviable multi-faceted career across drama, horror, and comedy films and TV series, including a turn as the female lead in the hugely popular ABS-CBN teleserye Batang Quiapo with Coco Martin. Soon she will star in a Hollywood independent feature film called Bad Man with American Pie's Sean William Scott.

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Building relationships

To make things even more interesting, Lovi threw marriage into the mix, with a secret engagement and surprise wedding to her long-time beau, filmmaker Monty Blencowe. Together, they head production company C'est Lovi.

Married life is great, she happily shares. "Being married teaches me to have a more balanced life. All my life all I knew was work. I have been working since I was 15. I wake up in the morning with only one purpose, go to the shoot and hopefully nail it, and make my directors happy, then I go back home. It is a cycle I have been doing for so long. Now I am being taught how to balance and slow down."

Even rest was not in her vocabulary. "I have learned that resting is a good thing," she says now. "In trying to find balance in my life, I get to replenish and recuperate. To be honest, it's hard, but that's what life is all about, right?"

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PHOTO: KARL KING AGUÑA

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She runs a busy schedule and now calls back home, but she made time for a quick homecoming when Esquire Philippines caught up with her. She says she flew home for a very important reason.

"I flew back home for my dog Phoebe," she says sadly. "She was not doing very well. 17 years old na siya. She had a tumor and I had to come home and let her go." She tears up remembering her beloved pet. "She has been with me through all the things I have been through. For 17 years, I had Phoebe by my side. We grew up together."

The passing of her pet taught her to value moments more, she explains. "I wish I could have given more. Siyempre, when you are young, you get busy with so many things, and life gets in the way. We tend to lose track of other important things. I am very passionate about my work, but now I also want to be passionate about life, through the relationships that I have built."

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PHOTO: KARL KING AGUÑA

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Production values

While production of the film wrapped up months ago, she is still over the moon about the Bad Man project, calling it 'a dream come true.' When asked what aspect of local showbiz she wants to bring to Hollywood, she laughs and says, "Trailers! I mean, that would be great. Just kidding. Every director, every team I worked with, has a different style, and you learn from all of them."

On the flip side, she can think of at least one thing that she'd like to bring from Hollywood back home. "They do less scenes at every shoot day," she says. That for me was a surprise. It gave us more time to have different takes on a scene. With the teleseryes I have done, we do about 20 scenes a day. I have even done 50 scenes a day and in 48 of those, I was crying," she grins. "I'm not complaining. That was great training for me. That shaped my work ethic, na first take pa lang, I give my best already."

PHOTO: KARL KING AGUÑA

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Through C'est Lovi, Poe says she hopes to help Filipino talent shine globally. "This is something I feel strongly about, and we have been working on it for the past few years. We have talented directors and actors in our industry, and one of our goals is to showcase their talent and have other people see what we can do. I believe everyone deserves a spot in whatever they want to be a part of."

The production company is already developing a movie that will cast local and international talents, to be helmed by Heneral Luna director Jerrold Tarog. The film is based on Philippine mythology and will be shot in the country to showcase its beauty, local talents, and narrative.

PHOTO: KARL KING AGUÑA

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A modern Filipina

Her beloved Batang Quiapo character Mokang pursued excellence in hopes of a better future and did everything for the people she loves, even giving her life in the end. That is how modern Filipinas are, Lovi shares.

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"She is someone who can do it all, who does not have limits," she shares about her character. "That's how women are: they can be mothers and go to work at the same time, and still give 100 percent to both."

PHOTO: KARL KING AGUÑA

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"There's just so much on our plates as women," she adds. "And we are also being judged all the time, whether you choose to work or choose to stay home to take care of your family. But I think being a modern woman is about having that choice. Every woman is different, and we should not put them in a box to meet expectations. At the end of the day, we are all human, and we are all here to do our best."

She does have words for those who doubted her at the beginning, and she starts with a teasing "Well…" and a laugh.

"I told you so!" she laughs again. "I'm kidding. I actually want to say 'thank you'. I am actually very grateful to them. I basically worked hard to make myself happy, not because I needed to prove something to them. I don't even think about it anymore, I actually forgot that a lot of people doubted me. But you know, it's okay. It's just how it is. People won't believe you until you do it."

PHOTO: KARL KING AGUÑA

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And for people who have to deal with doubters and detractors, Poe has this piece of advice. "If you have a clear goal, focus on that goal. Everything else is just noise. Surround yourself with the right people. There will be days when you don't believe in yourself and you are going to need your best friends, your sister, your mom—the ones who actually believe in you more than you do. Eyes on the target, and make sure that you are enjoying the process too. Also, make sure na wala kang tinatapakang tao. When you achieve your goal, it really is the best feeling."

PHOTO: KARL KING AGUÑA

Story: Maan D'asis Pamaran
Photos: Karl King Aguña
Editor-in-Chief: Paul John Caña
Production: Paolo Chua
Styling Direction: Paolo Chua
Creative Direction: Igi Talao
Design Direction: Igi Talao

Lovi Poe Is a Strong Female Lead

Building relationships

Production values

A modern Filipina