Maris Racal Inspires Fans w/ Heartfelt Message After Major Win
MARIS RACAL – Fresh from her Best Actress victory, Maris Racal touched the hearts of many as she opened up about failure, resilience, and choosing to keep chasing her dreams.
Kapamilya actress Maris Racal became emotional after receiving the Best Actress award for her critically acclaimed film, Sunshine, during the 9th Entertainment Editors’ Choice Awards (The Eddys) held on Sunday, July 5.
Before expressing her gratitude to the organizers and members of the judging panel, Maris first acknowledged the talented actresses she competed against in the Best Actress category, including Mylene Dizon, Barbie Forteza, Angelica Panganiban, and Charo Santos-Concio. She said it was already a great honor to be nominated alongside such respected and accomplished actresses.
Maris also shared that the moment she read the script for Sunshine, she immediately realized the weight of the responsibility entrusted to her as an actress. The film tackles abortion, a highly sensitive and controversial issue in the Philippines. Despite the challenges, she knew she would have many people supporting her throughout the journey of bringing the story to life.
She dedicated her Best Actress trophy to the film’s director, Antoinette Jadaone, and to everyone who worked on the movie.
During her acceptance speech, Maris drew a meaningful parallel between herself and the character she portrayed.
“Sunshine is a girl who had so much promise, who had big, big, dreams, who had such a bright future—pero nadapa, nagkamali. This feels so familiar to me,” she said.
“I know the feeling of losing everything. Matatanong mo sa sarili mo if titigil mo na lang ba. Burado na ba sarili mo—pero hindi. Sa story ni Sunshine pinili niya mabuhay mga pangarap niya.”
“This award is for all the Sunshines in this world. Sa lahat ng mga kababaihan, sa karapatan natin piliin sarili natin. Sa lahat ng nadapa, bangon lang,” she added.
Meanwhile, Jericho Rosales won the Best Actor award for portraying former Philippine President Manuel L. Quezon in the film Quezon.
Maris’ emotional victory comes months after she was involved in a widely discussed controversy involving her on-screen partner, Anthony Jennings. The issue surfaced after his former girlfriend, Jam Villanueva, made allegations that the two allegedly had a relationship. The controversy erupted at the height of the popularity of the “SnoRene” love team from the romantic-thriller series Can’t Buy Me Love, headlined by Donny Pangilinan and Belle Mariano.
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