Sarah Geronimo is a girl who always knew what she wanted.
And what she wanted was to be Michael Jackson, King of Pop!
She was going to be a great performer just like him.
When she caught his music, she always stood up to groove and sing. The moves just came somehow. She twisted hip and knee, bent the waist, shimmied the shoulder, with a confidence surprising in a four-year-old kid from a struggling family.
She was also a very shy kid who did not like calling attention to herself, but when the King of Pop came on, that was it— she was transformed.
Sarah, now 35, says: "Maliit pa lang po ako sumasayaw na ako ng Michael Jackson. Yun talaga yung gusto ko.
"Wala po talagang naisip akong iba, na maging doktor, maging teacher. Hindi talaga…Gusto ko talagang maging Michael Jackson, yun talaga po.”
She says of herself: “Yun po kasi yung passion ko talaga. Nung maliit pa lang ako, yun yung core ko, e."
But lest she be misread, she adds: “Hindi po siya na parang, ‘Oh, I have the talent. This is really what I want to do. I love doing this.'"
She just simply wanted to perform like Michael Jackson.
And then it became not just Michael but other artists, too. She wanted to be Grammy winner Beyoncé, she wanted to be Mr. Pure Energy Gary V!
Hers was a desire and a reflex that would not go away. And she was going to be darn good at it—she was going to be a total performer!
She had a bit of push from the start, certainly.
Viva Entertainment, which manages her, gave her the title "Popstar Princess," an inspired marketing move. ASAP, the high-rating Sunday variety show of ABS-CBN, began announcing her as no less than "Popstar Royalty," after which others become mere subjects.
From there, Sarah worked hard, maybe harder than very few before her, to earn those titles. Until one day, she became all of—top-tier singer, astounding dancer, box-office actress, favorite rom-com female lead, TV darling, in-demand endorser, huge concert star, dream client, and triple threat.
On her way to the top, she charmed a legion of fans that has stayed with her, loyal and fierce, through the years. Everyone now knows that no one touches Sarah G and gets away with it.
It does not stop there for this genuine talent.
After 21 years in the entertainment world, Sarah continues to want more, but the wanting has evolved. This time it is bigger and this time it comes with purpose.
SARAH GERONIMO: 21 YEARS IN THE INDUSTRY
Her journey to fame was no easy ride. She got real help, yes, but nothing was ever just handed to her.
She had to do the ground work. From the time she was declared grand winner of Star for a Night in 2003, a singing competition hosted by the revered Regine Velasquez that aired in IBC-13, to two decades after, Sarah has been one hardworking artist.
Unbelievably, she was just 14 then, and yet the years that followed were moments, hours, and days—of discipline, training, and rehearsals; of experimentation with image and style, of diet and exercise, of being closeted from parties that girls her age went to; of keeping away from sweets that hurt the voice, of rushing through commutes, of following directions, and of memorizing cues and scripts.
Generally, years of behaving like a little adult.
Yet today, thinking back, Sarah says it feels like the years have gone by so quickly.
She tells PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal): “Sa totoo nga, hindi ko napansin na parang two decades na pala yun. Parang ang tanda na po, di ba?”
This happens during her sit-down interview and pictorial at the PEP office on May 22, 2024, which lasts five-and-a-half hours and goes smoothly, thanks in good measure to Sarah not being a diva.
She is bubbly, yet not loud, throughout the shoot. Her quick smile keeps the air light.
Occasionally, she cracks jokes that ease the tedium ahead—the makeup session, the change of outfits, the deliberations among stylists and shoot producers; working out the poses and pegs, waiting for photographers and videographers to calibrate lighting and scene; the constant checks of the monitor, the tests on mood and tone of visuals, and the coordination between Sarah's team and the PEP.ph team that must be kept smooth and going.
The process is not quick or easy, let it be known to those unfamiliar with the trade. It is also a process that Sarah has known for over two decades.
She quips, still on the subject of how fast it's all come to pass: “Mas napapansin ko yung mga na-expired na produkto sa pantry namin, na from 2021 ay 2024 na pala ngayon. Yung gano'ng kabilis ng panahon ngayon.
“Noon kasi parang dahil sobra po akong na-busy sa trabaho, at saka almost the same yung ginagawa ko, parang di ko po namalayan na, ‘Wow, yun na pala, two decades na pala.’”
Long an A-lister in the local entertainment scene, the singer-actress has remained in demand, something for which she always feels grateful.
Sarah is smart and knows too well the fragility of fame. She actually admits to a constant worry, that of losing her audience.
This takes the PEP team aback—Sarah G not having an audience? She has fanatics for supporters!—but she goes on: “Sa estado po ng buhay ko, saka sa career ko, may pangamba na parang, ‘Shocks, may manonood ba? Mayroon bang mag-i-stream ng music ko?’ Ganyan.
“I think normal naman po ata yun. Kasi we're in show business. Business pa rin naman. Naglalabas pa rin po ng pera to produce materials."
She understands, is what she's saying, that audience patronage is needed to keep a show going. Money is never a small issue in entertainment.
“So, siyempre, we're expected also na, yun nga, make returns din. And producer na rin po kami. So, alam ko."
Just last year, Sarah and her husband Matteo Guidicelli opened in the Alabang area where they live, their G Studios, a two-story, 200-square-meter, multipurpose building for events, shoots, and recordings, and also launched G Productions, their own production company for mounting concerts and creating music videos.
Sarah reveals that Matteo handles the management and financial end of their businesses: "Ako po, mas sa creative side. Yung asawa ko, mas sa business.”
Sarah's own concerts, shows, and records are co-produced by G Productions and Viva Entertainment, the company that has handled Sarah’s career from the time she was declared Star for a Night in 2003.
SARAH AWAY FROM THE LIMELIGHT
Sarah was seen less and less after her controversial wedding to Matteo on February 20, 2020. Largely, circumstances dictated this. That said, these did not go contrary to her own personal inclinations.
Read: Sarah Geronimo and Matteo Guidicelli love story: A timeline
In May, her home network, ABS-CBN, lost its franchise, and by July had to shut down as the end result of the machinations of Rodrigo Duterte, then President.
This happened just as the COVID-19 pandemic was looming large, confining people to their homes for their own safety.
The circumstances provided Sarah a well-deserved break from the spotlight, and gave her good time to attend to her new role as wife and homemaker.
Read: Sarah Geronimo & Matteo Guidicelli on honeymoon, finally
The public still got bits of her life on social media—but this was not as Sarah, the performer; it was as Sarah, married lady.
Photos and videos trickled online, showing her living a cushy life with her husband, their leisure and travels, her time with the in-laws, plus her moments with her pets.
Around this time, too, Sarah discovered a big passion for baking.
Her appearances as a guest in vlogs began showing a different side to her. It showed her right smack in the kitchen, often in an apron, sometimes also with a cap.
Read: Sarah Geronimo managing household chores well in new home with Matteo Guidicelli
Asked about these rare, if sudden, appearances, Sarah keeps it light: “Part po nun, by choice. But ako din po nakukulangan sa labas ko. Kaya sabi ko, more raket pa diyan.”
She lets it slip that she wants to do another music album, then adds, “Ano naman, inaayos naman po.”
She also says that, while she hasn't been as visible as she once was, she is definitely raring to perform and entertain. It remains a big want today, just as it was when she was a kid.
In her words: “Actually, yung pagmamahal ko po kasi sa music at sa kanta, yun yung entertaining people.
"Parang maliit pa lang ako, yun yung gusto ko po. So yun yung hindi siguro nakukumpleto.
"Ganun naman yata talaga po pag artist, e. It doesn't stop."
Acknowledging that audience interests change, as do an artist's chosen creative direction, she does say that the end could come: “But, siyempre, reyalidad ng buhay.”
But, no, she is not walking out just yet.
Beaming, she recounts, “Nung isang araw nga po napanood ko si Mick Jagger, and he's turning 80. And nagtu-tour pa rin siya,” referring to the Rolling Stones front man.
"Sabi ko, ‘Shocks… posible pala ito, ‘no?’”
SARAH THE DREAMER
Sarah—full name Sarah Asher Tua Geronimo—was born in Santa Cruz, Manila, on July 25, 1988.
She is the third among four children of Delfin Geronimo and Divina “Divine” Tua Geronimo. She has two sisters, Jonnah Rizzie and Sunshine Grace, and a brother, Ezekiel Gabriel.
According to Sarah herself, her showbiz career started as early as when she was five or six years old.
Her bio in www.sarahgeronimo.ph brings that even lower, to age four, when she appeared in some TV shows, doing so up to age nine.
She was part of the kiddie show Penpen De Sarapen, which aired on RPN-9 (1987-2001), and was unnoticeable then among a bunch of kids.
She also appeared in the ABS-CBN youth-oriented show, Ang TV, says her website, and was a bit player in the 1995 Star Cinema movie, Sarah… Ang Munting Prinsesa.
In the movie's poster, a very young Sarah Geronimo can be spotted in the background, along with 25 other kids, just behind the movie’s main star, Camille Prats.
She was only age seven then. Also the same age when she performed solo for the Papal Nuncio in his 1995 visit to an enthralled, predominantly Catholic Philippines.
Growing up, Sarah braved many auditions. She performed at shopping malls and hotel lounges, and entered many singing competitions. It was non-stop trying to get into showbiz.
Remembering her many rejections, convinced then that showbiz was not for her, Sarah cracks this joke today: “Kahit ngayon nga po, gusto ko nang gumive up."
Seriously, she says, she always wanted to quit. “Palagi po. Palagi. At yun yung ayaw na ayaw ng tatay ko. Nung bata pa po ako, ayaw niya yun sa akin.
"Kasi natatandaan ko po, bago po ako sumali ng Star For A Night, ilang beses po akong nag-audition, parang three times.
"Tapos wala… hindi po ako natatanggap. Kasi maliit pa lang po ako nung magsimula. Mga six years old, five years old.
"Tapos walang nangyayari. Umabot ng 13 years old, wala pa rin."
Recalling more of those times, she adds: “Nung maliit ako kasi, walang nangyayari sa ginagawa ko, e. ’Tapos nabaon sa utang yung parents ko just to support me.
“Sabi ko, ‘Dad, ayoko na po talaga.’ Sabi niya, ‘Anak, pag di ka sumubok ngayon, wala kang aasahan.’”
Clearly, Sarah soldiered on because her father and mother had faith in her talent and were dead certain their daughter would make it big one day.
Talk about parents being right!
In 2003, Sarah got her biggest break as a singer when she emerged grand winner of Star for A Night among 11 grand finalists that included now-big names Mark Bautista and Angeline Quinto.
Sarah muses, “Pag nag-give up ka sa sarili mo, talo ka talaga. Kasi walang ibang pu-push, tutulong sa ‘yo kundi sarili mo.
“It’s a decision that you have to make. You have to help yourself.”
SARAH ON PERFORMING ONSTAGE
Sarah first became known as a belter. Over time, she proved herself to be more than that. Rightly, she became known as a performer, the kind of artist who can both sing and dance.
In the local music scene, only a handful can be called “performers,” and among them Sarah is a cut above.
“Yung pagbibirit, dala po ng hirap ng buhay talaga,” Sarah comments, following this with a contagious laugh.
In 2011, as the media reported, she took a trip to the United States for voice and dance lessons. If these made for her later jaw-dropping performances or simply enhanced what was already there, raring to get out, is up for argument.
What is not contested is that Sarah’s name is often top choice when fans and celebrities alike are asked to name an artist they are truly impressed by.
They usually also point to Sarah’s effervescent and in-control persona onstage, a stark contrast to her introverted and near silent persona off it.
Intimating her thoughts on this to PEP.ph, Sarah says: “Ngayon ko lang parang na-realize na may nagsabi sa akin na parang, ‘Ba't gano'n Sarah, 'no?'
"Some people say na put-on lang yung ginagawa mo. Na pag nakikita ka namin sa stage, na nagpe-perform, and nakadamit ka, put-on… masyadong put-on, hindi authentic.’
"And, and I realized, oo, put-on nga talaga, because si Sarah off-cam, sobra pong mahiyain. Sobra talaga.
“Na-realize ko yan when I took a break. Tapos, hiyang-hiya akong makiharap sa mga tao.
"Kasi yung asawa ko po very engaging and yun po siya talaga. And makuwento yung asawa ko.
“Ako yung [mahiyain], doon na lumabas na parang, ‘Ay, eto pala [ako].
“I agree naman. Ano siya talaga, role kasi po siya, e. Pag nasa stage ako, hindi na si Sarah na mahiyain, hindi nagsasalita.”
But Sarah, she herself tells, is another person altogether when surrounded by family and close friends.
“Yung sobrang daldal ko, gusto na nila akong itapon. Kasi matabil na po ako, ganun. Matabil na yung dila ako.”
Like a typical artist, Sarah is a complicated mix of bravado as celebrity onstage, receding in the background when in a crowd, stingy with words before the press, a blabbermouth among people she's totally comfortable with, and back to being a bring-it-on performer when the lights turn on.
SARAH’S OPINION OF EMERGING ARTISTS
Is Sarah threatened by budding new artists who may become the new idols?
Sarah answers thoughtfully: "Hindi po siya threatened, e. It’s inspired.
“Inspired and challenged ako kasi, personality ko, I want to be effective in my job.
‘Yung pera na nilalabas ng tao to see me perform, ayokong sabihin nila, ‘Sayang yung binayad namin.’
“Gusto ko pagkatapos nila ako mapanood, ‘Grabe, sulit, yung bayad natin ng tickets,’ yun yung gusto ko. Yun talagang mapasaya ko.
“So, seeing these great, these young, excellent performers now, nai-inspire ako at natsa-challenge ako, sa totoo lang."
She ends with, “Alam mo, kung meron pa ako mai-improve sa sarili ko, I'm willing to do it.”
SARAH’S EXPECTATIONS
About her acting career, Sarah has this to say: “S'yempre, ang dami ko pong gusto kong ma-explore na roles, yung roles na, alam ko sa sarili ko, kaya kong gampanan."
She pauses, adds: "But at the same time, ito na po yung parang conflicting na sa isip ko, na parang as an actor, as a singer, parang ano siya, e, very powerful kasi yung materials that we do.
"It can affect our minds, di ba po? It can somehow shape our decisions, di ba?
“Parang, pag nakapanood ka ng isang pelikula, and ganito yung napanood mo, ma-apply mo sa totoo mong buhay. So, doon ako very careful."
Then she says something completely frank:
"Gusto ko ganyan, dark. Gusto ko ganito. But kung mapapalayo ka naman sa faith mo, sa beliefs mo, e, di, wag na lang."
She mentions being open to the “dark” roles, but follows with this caveat: “Gusto ko'ng may redemption. Laging may redemption. Lagi po. Yun talaga.”
In fact, she adds, if she can find a story along these lines, she would truly want to do another film with John Lloyd Cruz.
Sarah is referring to her leading man, John Lloyd Cruz, with whom she did a very successful film, A Very Special Love (2008), with its sequels You Changed My Life (2009) and It Takes a Man and a Woman (2013).
The film series centered on the love story of Miggy Montenegro (John Lloyd) and Laida Magtalas (Sarah) crossing over many years. All three were blockbuster hits.
These gave John Lloyd and Sarah the titles Box-Office King and Box-Office Queen three times, in 2009, 2010, and 2014, at the Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Scholarship Foundation's annual Box Office Entertainment Awards.
They also starred in the romantic comedy, Finally Found Someone (2017). Today, Sarah is clearly open to partnering in another movie with John Lloyd.
But, she says: “Hindi na lang po puwedeng yung parang Miggy and Laida. So, hinahanap namin, kailangan may maturity na silang makita sa amin.”
It's five years since Sarah completed her last film, Unforgettable (2019), where she portrayed Jasmine, a woman with special needs who goes on a long journey, accompanied by her clever dog, to reunite with her beloved grandmother, played my Gina Pareño.
The movie did not give the box-office returns of her rom-coms, but Sarah received praise from film critics for her acting, with one film reviewer hailing it as Sarah’s “best performance to date.”
SARAH ON BALANCING PRIVATE LIFE AND CAREER
PEP asks Sarah, is she giving priority in the next years to her private life over her career?
“Alam niyo, naiisip ko po yan. Napanood niyo po yung The Idea of You?
"Yung kay Anne Hathaway na she fell in love with a younger boy, and then she chose a quiet life, private life, love, family.”
The 2024 movie stars Anne and British actor Nicholas Galitzine.
Sarah also mentions Daisy Jones & The Six, a TV series loosely based on the life of Fleetwood Mac, a rock band in the ‘60s, where the protagonist also chooses a quiet life.
These two projects resonate with Sarah, who also says she's been looking at how Gary Valenciano, singer-dancer-actor, has balanced career and private life.
“Ako, sobra po akong nabibilib kay Tito Gary, kung paano niya kinurve yung own path niya.
"Na hindi siya nagpadala sa pressure ng showbusiness, ‘You have to do this to stay relevant. You have to do this to, kumbaga, to basically please the world.’
“Careful po ako to stand my ground. And aminado naman po ako na, siguro, yung pagka-artist ko, I wanna do this, I wanna explore this."
Does Sarah see herself making the choice to stay or to leave?
“So, to answer the question, oo naman, opo naman, darating naman po yun.
“And I have to prepare myself for that. Noon pa lang, inaano ko na yung sarili ko na hindi ito permanent.
“Definite po sa akin na as long as may maibibigay pa ako, di ba, sa music, sa pagpe-perform, go lang po.
“And, as long as may gusto pang makinig, mapanood ako—go lang.
“Pagka wala na, pag naramdaman ko na wala na—graceful exit na.”
SARAH ON THE BEST AND THE WORST IN THE INDUSTRY
PEP asks Sarah what the best and the worst in the entertainment industry is.
The worst?
“Pag nasa entertainment industry, we all know what sells, di ba, po?
"Yung mga bawal, yung mga controversial. That’s what sells. So, I think that’s what’s worse about being in the industry."
She warns, “At pag nagpadala ka, malulunod ka talaga: drugs, sex… lahat ng di okay sa mata ng Panginoon, ‘yan.”
The best?
“The joy, the happiness that you are able to bring sa mga tao.
“Yun yung tumayo ka lang, may maiiyak pa sa tuwa. Wala ka namang ginawa.
“Parang ito yung nakikita ko noon kay Michael Jackson: the effect you give sa mga tao.
"Positive effect, yun. Yun yung the best for me.”
Then she exclaims: “Yun po ata yung purpose, pag sinabing purpose!”
SARAH, THE FURMOM
When asked what a normal day is like for Sarah nowadays, she says it is being at home with her pets.
“Ano lang kasi talaga, homebody lang talaga po ako. Hindi ako malabas talaga na tao. And mas gusto ko to spend time with my mga alaga, mga fur babies ko."
She volunteers, “Alam niyo, mas gusto ko silang kasama talaga kesa sa tao. Iba yung peace na nabibigay nila sa akin.
“Maybe because they don't talk. They don't judge.”
Thinking aloud, she adds, “I don't know, baka hayop po ako in my past life. So, kahit na hindi kami mag-usap with words, may connection na.”
Sarah, with Matteo, has five dogs: Theodore, Liya, Nuka, Dakota, and 04.
Last year, they welcomed to their family a cat named Fruity.
Attesting to his wife’s affinity with their fur babies, Matteo said in an interview by Philippine Tatler in 2022: "Her level of love for them, it's a different level."
SARAH ON SUCCESS
For Sarah, who has enjoyed applause for so long and remains a huge star, success is no longer about fame or awards.
“Yung pag may peace ka lang po. May inner peace ka talaga sa lahat, ng bagay— relationships, relationship unang-una with yourself, which is, parang work in progress pa po ako.
“As a person, as a woman, and as an artist, parang ang dami ko pang hindi pa nagagawa.”
One thing is certain, Sarah is now following her heart’s desires, not what other people want for her.
Her newfound love for baking during the pandemic, for instance. It's a simple thing. But this led her to taking up a short course in baking at the culinary school of Heny Sison.
In May 2024, Sarah announced, through Matteo’s YouTube channel, that she is finished with the baking course and that she is now a pastry chef.
Chef Heny affirms this: “Pastry chef na siya ngayon. It’s a revelation, ha. May talent pala siya talaga, not only in singing and acting, but also in baking and cake decorating.”
Eventually, Sarah says she wants to put up a food business that serves not only breads and cakes but dishes as well.
Read:
Sarah harks back to family to explain her love for food.
Her mom is Kapampangan and, as to be expected, is a good cook; her father is from Malabon, another culinary bastion. When times were tough for the family, they turned to food for a living.
Today, her family runs Geronimo’s restaurant in Tandang Sora, Quezon City.
Coincidentally, her husband Matteo’s family owns Da Gianni Cucina, an Italian restaurant, with branches in Alabang and BGC Taguig.
SARAH ON GIVING BACK
Sarah currently has more than 30 endorsements, a figure hard to match by any celebrity. It also confirms her popularity as an influencer.
Sarah is not blind to her numbers. In fact, these made her search for some time now for a way to give back.
And she says she just found it in her most recent endorsement, The Generics Pharmacy (TGP), which carries effective health products at good prices.
Sarah says, “Itong mga brands na ito, they're there for a reason. And kami, as endorsers, as brand ambassadors, kinuha kami for, s'yempre, for a reason.
“So, I'm willing to do that with them: create change. The number one goal naman ng TGP is to help people.
“It would be nice na ako pumunta sa mga barangay. Magbigay ng mga gamot. To bring it closer to people…Kasi ang mga mahal din po yung mga gamot na nga.”
WHO IS SARAH MOST GRATEFUL to?
Top on Sarah's list, she names her parents Delfin and Divine.
“Magulang po talaga po. Nanay, tatay ko talaga…
"Una sa lahat, syempre, yung buhay po na binigay sa akin ng mga magulang ko, di ba? Parang hindi mo ‘yan... you don't know how to repay for that.
“So, yun… magulang ko, and lahat ng naging bahagi ng journey ko."
Next in Sarah's list: "Boss Vic, Popsters, lahat ng naging part ng journey ko.”
Boss Vic is Vic Del Rosario, chairman and chief executive officer of the Viva Group of Companies. Popsters is what Sarah’s loyal fans call themselves, in a take-off from Pop Princess and Pop Royalty.
Read: Boss Vic del Rosario: a trailblazer in Philippine Entertainment
SARAH CONTINUES TO KNOW WHAT SHE WANTS
And so, what is next for Sarah?
“I'm just gonna keep loving music, and the goal is to inspire people, to touch people's lives, and use my platform.
"Create change, positivity. Yun…yun lang. I think, yun lang, e.
“At lagi kong sinasabi sa asawa ko, ‘Love, we do not need a lot. Simpleng buhay, basta payapa at masaya. Yun.’”
PEP got it right the first time: Sarah's goal just got bigger, and to that she has just added purpose.
We might as well hail the royal princess: Love live!
PRODUCTION CREDITS:
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Jo-Ann Maglipon
SHOOT PRODUCERS: Karen Pagsolingan, Rachelle Siazon
TEXT& INTERVIEW: Jo-Ann Maglipon, Bernie Franco
COORDINATION & SOCIAL MEDIA: Nikko Tuazon
CREATIVE DIRECTION: Igi Talao
PHOTOGRAPHY: Artu Nepomuceno
ASSISTED by Choi Narciso, Aaron Carlos
STYLING: Joy Bernardo of StyLIZed Studio
ASSISTED by Stephanie Satorre, Julie Moore
MAKE-UP: Gela Laurel
HAIR: Kiel Otilla
VIDEO & BILLBOARD PRODUCERS: Rommel Llanes, Teddy Garcia, Katrina Gangcuangco
SPECIAL THANKS: TGP (The Generics Pharmacy): Joanne Dawn Arceo, Group General Manager Drugstore Segment; Aileen Natividad, Deputy General Manager TGP; Mark Angelo Eblamo, Retail Marketing Manager TGP; Chai Garcia of Viva Artists Agency
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