After a decade of growing up in front of the cameras, actress Althea Ablan is stepping outside her comfort zone and into a new phase of her career as she joins Viva Artists Agency (VAA) in partnership with ALV Talent Circuit.
Ablan officially signed with VAA and Viva Records as a fresh start and an opportunity to explore projects beyond the environment she has known for most of her career. According to the agency, the young actress is looking forward to more challenging roles in films and series as she continues to establish herself in the industry.
The move comes after Ablan spent 10 years with GMA Network, where she began as a child actress and gradually took on more substantial roles. She made her acting debut in “Beautiful Strangers” in 2015 and later appeared in “Magkaibang Mundo,” “Encantadia” and “Mulawin vs. Ravena.” She landed her first lead role in “Prima Donnas” in 2019 and went on to star in “AraBella,” with later appearances in “Open 24/7,” “Forever Young” and “Maka.”
According to Ablan, she left her former network without resentment. She sees the decision as a step toward discovering what else she can accomplish as an actress.
“I left GMA on very good terms, and we don’t burn bridges. You know that in our industry, our world is very small, so it’s better that we have good relationships with everyone. I think we’ll reach a point in our lives where we’ll ask ourselves, ‘What can I give?’ and I think this is the best time to step out of my comfort zone and explore new things,” Ablan said in a press conference.
“This is my personal choice, and I’m happy with my choice. I’m entering this journey with an open heart and zero bitterness,” she added.
Ablan said her manager, ALV Talent Circuit president Arnold Vegafria, told her that Viva was interested in working with her. The actress saw the offer as an opportunity to broaden her horizons, particularly because Viva works across films, television, digital projects and music.
“Knowing that Viva produces films, series and collaborates with other networks, which is exciting, I grabbed the opportunity and I trust my manager,” she said.
More freedom,
more options
The actress also sees greater freedom in her new setup, particularly when it comes to working with artists and companies outside a single network.
“Under Viva and ALV, you have the freedom to work with everyone, and it opens doors for me with other networks. I am open to work with GMA, Kapamilya and TV5, and doing digital especially now with social media,” Ablan said.
With that wider range of opportunities, Ablan is particularly eager to focus on acting. Although she is also set to explore music through Viva Records, she said her priority for now is to become the kind of actress who can do challenging characters.
“I’m focusing on acting since I really want to be a character actress. I’m really excited to do a lot of films under Viva and, of course, series. I really want to delve into more character-driven roles, like psychological thriller, suspense and, of course, drama,” she said.
“Even though I’ve been in the industry for 10 years, I still want to challenge myself, and I know that I still have a lot to learn. With Viva, I feel that I can fulfill that,” she said.
Beyond acting, Ablan is also preparing to explore music following her signing with Viva Records. While she is still determining the direction of her music career, she said she hopes to eventually release original songs, with OPM as a possible genre. She also expressed interest in collaborating with other Viva artists, naming Sarah Geronimo as one of the singers she would love to work with.
With the possibilities ahead, Ablan remains focused on the identity she wants to build in the industry.
Asked how she wants audiences to remember her, she concluded, “I want to be known as a really good actress. And now that I’ve entered the music industry, I’m looking forward to writing songs and having people listen to them. But I want to be known as a really good actress.”
