Kapuso actor Paul Salas spoke about a situation in which he was on the verge of quitting show business.
Salas shared this revelation with the members of the Entertainment Press during the media interview for the finale of GTV’s The Lost Recipe, where the young actor was a supporting cast.
He recalled, he was 16 at that time and was excited about landing a more serious role in a soap opera.
“Noong 16 ako, nagkaroon ako ng drama at more mature role,” he said.
Salas, like many other former child stars, struggled to make the transition from youth-oriented projects to heavier characters.
“Sanay pa ako dati, kasi mahirap pong mag-switch from child actor to mature roles. Nagkaroon po ako ng opportunity noon tapos puro big stars pa kasama ko,” he admitted.
Moreover, he found himself unable to deliver in a crucial scene.
“Naalala ko before, ‘di ko magawa ‘yung isang eksena, sobrang bigat na eksena. Hindi ko talaga magawa. Siguro umabot kami ng buong araw. Tapos hindi na lang pinalagpas, sabi sa next day na lang kung kailan magagawa mo ulit,” Salas revealed.
Salas admitted that the taping incident affected him that much to the point he considered quitting the entertainment industry.
“Sobra akong na-down doon kasi bakit ganun? Ako nga ‘yung pinili nila tapos ‘di ko magagawa.
“May point of giving up na ako sa showbiz noon, after nung eksenang ‘yun pumasok ako sa kotse sabi ko, ayoko na, ayoko na. Umayaw na talaga ako,” the former StarStruck Kids admitted.
However, after some thought, the young Kapuso actor realized that the pressure had simply gotten to him as he was overwhelmed and desperately wanted to prove his acting prowess.
“Mas mahirap kasi kapag nag-iisip ng ganun e. Parang ‘pag masyadong kang nag-o-overthink para sa sarili. Mas hindi mo magagawa.”
But acting was really in his heart, so he persevered until he was adamant about not quitting and promising to improve any role he does.
“So na-realize ko noon bakit hindi ako maging relaxed, isipin ko kung bakit ako nagsimula sa showbiz. Isipin ko ulit kung ano ang passion ko. Passion ko ‘to so. So relax and gawin mo.
“Huwag kang masyadong mag-overthink kung magagawa ko ba ito o hindi. Basta gawin mo lang kung ano ‘yung passion mo, gawin mo lang kung ano’ng trabaho mo, intindihin mo lang,” he added.
He also shared that his family helped him to continue his passion and career for acting.
Salas could now say that, at the age of 22, he has finally adjusted and is continuing to improve.
“Na-help ako nila dad sa ganun, ng family, mas gumaan na ‘yung sarili ko. Nagawa ko na rin sa wakas tapos nakapag-adjust na rin ako hanggang ngayon. Nag-i-improve pa rin hanggang ngayon,” he said.
Paul Salas is the eldest child of Michelle Solinap and 1990s Universal Motion Dancer Jim Salas.
He began his career in 2004 as part of GMA Network’s talent search StarStruck Kids, with Miguel Tanfelix, Bea Binene, Sandy Talag, and others. He starred in some Kapuso shows such as Mulawin (2005), Encantadia (2005), Majika (2006), and Asian Treasures (2007).
In 2005, he won Metro Manila Film Festival’s Best Child Performer for Shake, Rattle and Roll 2k5.
Salas transferred to ABS-CBN in 2008 and was cast as Uragon in the live-action fantasy series Kung Fu Kids. Following that, he then appeared in numerous television shows as a young version of the main cast.
In March 2018, he returned to GMA Network after nearly 9 years with the Kapamilya network. Salas signed a contract with GMA Artist Center on May 17, 2018.
In 2020, he co-starred with Kapuso actors Dingdong Dantes and Jennylyn Mercado in the Philippine adaptation of the South Korean drama series Descendants of the Sun as a soldier.
Salas also appeared as a supporting cast in the recently concluded hit GTV series The Lost Recipe, starring Kevin Miranda and Mikee Quintos.
