Kris Bernal said she “felt special” when she did her first guest appearance on TV5’s noontime variety show, Sunday Noontime Live (SNL).
A former exclusive artist of GMA-7 and its talent arm, GMA Artist Center, she appeared in TV5’s SNL on November 15, 2020.
It was her first time to share the stage with Piolo Pascual and Maja Salvador, ABS-CBN stars who are the show's flag carriers.
Kris said she was not expecting to be included in the show's closing number together with the stars.
She related in PEP Exclusives during her guesting this December, “When I became part of the closing for Sunday Noontime Live, I was expecting, ipupuwesto ako sa mga likod ng mga artista.
“Pero inilagay nila ako beside Maja, beside Mr. Piolo Pascual. Parang naramdaman ko na I’m something, I’m someone para makasama ka doon.”
And it meant a lot to Kris that for the first time in a long while, she had a solo production number in the show.
She recalled, “For a long time din, I couldn’t remember the last time na nagkaroon ako ng solo prod, ng solo dance.
“Doon din sa SNL, binigyan nila ako ng solo dance number. So sabi ko, ‘OMG, nasanay ako na laging may kasama sa prod, pero ngayon solo na naman!’
“So parang naramdaman ko na, ‘Ay, may career pa pala... may career pa pala! May talent pa ako!’”
KRIS ON JOINING CORNERSTONE
Kris’s exclusive contracts with both GMA-7 and GMA Artist Center expired in March 2020.
In September 2020, she revealed scouting for a new manager because GMA Artist Center decided not to renew her contract as well.
And then, weeks after her first SNL guesting last month, Kris announced she has signed up with Cornerstone Talent Management, which is headed by Erickson Raymundo.
Cornerstone’s TV arm, CS Studios, is the line producer of SNL, with Albee Benitez’s Brightlight Productions as its producer.
How did this happen?
Kris told PEP Exclusives, “It all started when Cornerstone reached out to me to be their guest on TV5’s noontime show, Sunday Noontime Live.
“So when I got the inquiry they also told me if I’m interested to be part of the Cornerstone family.”
That was also the time when Kris was in talks with other talent management outfits.
But after a series of meetings and negotiations with Cornerstone executives, Erickson Raymundo and Jeff Vadillo, Kris decided to join them.
She said, “In all honesty, I think made the right decision and everyone also. Like from my showbiz friends, they were congratulating me.
“Kasi kumbaga in my 13 years in showbiz, ang nag-handle lang talaga sa akin was GMA Artist Center.
“Of course, very grateful ako kasi inaalagaan talaga nila ako. Hindi ako makakarating dito kung hindi ako well-managed. So malaki ang utang na loob ko sa kanila.”
Explaining her choice of manager, the 31-year-old actress elaborated, “Naramdaman ko rin na star ang treatment sa akin ng Cornerstone.
“Kahit hindi naman ako star at wala akong karapatang maging star, iyon ang pinaparamdam nila sa akin.
“So lahat ng inquiries, lahat ng projects, before they get them or before they approve it, they make sure na it will bring a greater value for me as an actress. Hindi lang basta-basta.
"So, ang sarap-sarap lang din kasi, at least, we have one vision one goal of putting a greater value to my image, to my career, to my image, to my placing in the industry.”
Stay tuned for Kris’s full PEP Exclusives interview here on PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal).
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