After spending much of her career with GMA Network, Althea Ablan is hoping that her move to Viva Artists Agency (VAA) will open more doors for her—much like what happened to fellow former Kapuso star Bea Binene.

The 21-year-old actress officially signed with VAA in partnership with ALV Talent Circuit on Friday, August 7, at Viva Café in Araneta City, Cubao, Quezon City.

Present during the contract signing were her manager Arnold Vegafria, VAA President Veronique del Rosario-Corpus, and Viva Communications CEO Vincent del Rosario.

For Althea, the move represents an opportunity to become more active in mainstream entertainment while taking on roles that can showcase a more mature side of her as an actress.

“As an artista po talaga, gusto namin na lagi kaming active hindi lang sa social media, sa mainstream din po,” Althea told members of the entertainment media after the signing.

Her career move inevitably draws comparisons with Bea Binene, another former GMA Artist Center talent who later joined Viva and has since taken on projects across different platforms.

Bea has been particularly visible through Viva One, starring in ‘Golden Scenery of Tomorrow’ and currently appearing opposite Wilbert Ross in ‘Love U Lots’. She is also set to appear in the upcoming Philippine adaptation of the hit 2013 Thai horror-comedy ‘Pee Mak’.

Althea is now hoping her own transition will similarly lead to a busier and more diverse career.

More importantly, after growing up in front of television audiences, Althea said she now wants to establish herself as a “character actress”—signaling her willingness to move beyond the roles audiences have traditionally associated with her.

Althea began working with GMA Network in 2015 when she was only 10 years old.

She initially became familiar to Kapuso viewers by portraying younger versions of female lead characters. Her first television acting role came in Beautiful Strangers in 2015, where she played the young Kristine, the character portrayed by Heart Evangelista.

She went on to appear in programs such as ‘Magkaibang Mundo’, ‘Encantadia’, and ‘Mulawin vs. Ravena’.

Her biggest breakthrough came in 2019 when she became one of the three young leads of the hit afternoon drama ‘Prima Donnas’ alongside Jillian Ward and Sofia Pablo.

The series became one of Althea’s most recognizable projects and helped establish the three young actresses as promising Kapuso talents.

Following ‘Prima Donnas’, Althea appeared in ‘Happy Together’ and ‘Pepito Manaloto’ before returning to a lead role through ‘AraBella’ in 2023.

She subsequently appeared in ‘Open 24/7’, ‘Forever Young’, and ‘Maka’.

Now entering adulthood and beginning a new chapter outside the talent management group where she spent her formative years, Althea appears determined to reinvent herself.

Her move to VAA and continued management under ALV Talent Circuit could also give her access to projects beyond a single network, including Viva’s growing slate of films and streaming productions.

And if Bea Binene’s career trajectory is anything to go by, Althea could soon find herself exploring roles and partnerships that audiences have yet to see from her.