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MANILA – Actress Jodi Sta. Maria was supposed to be out of the limelight since 2005 after deciding to build her family in the United States.
But fate – and God – had different plans for her.
Sta. Maria shared in an interview with PUSH that ABS-CBN was already grooming her to be the next host and lead actress when she chose to start her own family and pack her things for the US.
“In 2005, I left for the States because I wanted to start my own family. During that time, ABS-CBN was kind of building up to be the next host, to have my own teleserye. But then pinili ko yung having a life in the States kesa sa buhay ko sa show business,” she said.
She needed only one year abroad to realize that her heart is really entrenched in showbiz.
A year later, she returned to the Philippines and headed her way back to ABS-CBN, hoping she could still push through with the projects originally planned for her before she left.
But, it did not happen. She had to start reestablishing her career.
“You have to re-establish yourself. It’s like starting from scratch. Yung spot na yung iniwanan mo, someone is willing to replace you,” Sta. Maria continued. “Wala talagang indispensable sa industriyang ito. So, I had to reestablish myself.”
It took the award-winning actress long years before she got her break such as the hit daytime series of Kapamilya network, “Be Careful With My Heart,” in 2012.
According to her, her decision to leave in 2005 and years she waited for her time was a humbling experience which made her realize that it was preparation for her heart to what was to come.
“I didn’t know that ‘Be Careful With My Heart’ was coming. During that time of waiting was so crucial. It was a crucial period. Na-realize ko na kaya pala nangyari yun, God was building my character and preparing my heart. He has to ready me for the blessings that about to come,” Sta. Maria said.
Sta. Maria took off from that series with Richard Yap and has secured a teleserye with ABS-CBN every year since then.
Early December, Sta. Maria was named as the Best Actress for a Leading Role in the Asian Academy Creative Awards for her role as Dr. Jill Ilustre on the series “The Broken Marriage Vow.”
