Stephanie Henares will serve as one of the new faces for Asia's leading animé and youth entertainment channel, Animax.
The 22-year-old model-host was formally introduced as an "Ani-mate" at the relaunch of Animax staged last May 31 at Conway's Bar of the Makati Shangri-La Hotel in Makati City.
Stephanie's job as an Animax VJ includes introducing upcoming shows, hosting TV vignettes, as well as sharing exclusive webcasts, news and updates touching on the regional youth scene.
"It is really something I never expected and I'm really grateful!" an excited Stephanie told PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) after the event.
Clinching the job never came easy for Stephanie as she had to audition and compete against other eager aspirants across Asia.
"They asked me to make a bio-data and it's not just any kind of resumé because you have to make something out of it, like compile pictures and really come up with something nice. I also had to videotape myself at home and send it to them while at the same time brush up my animé knowledge. It was hard!" she laughed.
The rejuvenated cable TV network will now offer more than just animé shows and well-loved Asian series programs.
"Basically, what we are trying to do is interact more with the youth viewers not just in Asia but around the globe," explained Stephanie.
ALL IN THE FAMILY. Hosting Animax incidentally brings to mind the same route taken by Stephanie's cousin: actress-host Rhian Ramos.
Rhian used to host a lifestyle variety show titled Mad Mad Fun for the same network back in 2007 before turning her full attention to acting.
Stephanie—who is also hosting Q11's X-Life and PLDT's WatchPad's My Campus My View—said she's not really thinking of being an actress, although the thought crosses her mind once in a while.
"I still need to learn a lot of things in this field [hosting], so I think it is much better for me to concentrate first before thinking of branching out," explained Stephanie, who bears a striking resemblance to showbiz talk show host Pia Guanio.
"Meron din naman," smiled Stephanie when asked if there are acting offers.
And like Rhian, Stephanie too has to constantly deal with harsh criticism that all projects earned were merely a product of family connections and influence.
Stephanie is the daughter of GMA Artist Center head Ida Henares and director-producer Ronnie Henares.
How is she dealing with all the negative talk?
"For me, they just don't know me well enough for me to get affected [by the criticism]. If they were my close friends and they said that, then fine. But I think they need to know me first before they can say anything like that," replied Stephanie.