IN CONVERSATION WITH LIZA SOBERANO

interview JANA LETONJA

One of the most sought actors in Phillippines, Liza Soberano, made her US acting debut in Focus Features film ‘Lisa Frankenstein’ this February. In addition to her work on-screen, she is an ambassador for Save the Children. Her advocacy and philanthropic work have led to significant advancement of children’s rights in the Philippines justice system.

Liza, you made your US acting debut earlier this year with your role in feature film ‘Lisa Frankenstein’. How did you land this role and how exciting was making your US debut?

A lot of hard work from my amazing management team and an audition. One of my managers happened to be really good friends with Zelda and set me up on a general meeting with her to kind of introduce her as someone who could sort of be like my big sister figure in the industry. After that initial meeting with her, I invited her out again for another dinner and that one was serendipitous because as we were eating, Zelda got the call from the studio saying her first feature just got green lit. It was honestly the first time I had ever heard that term. As she was sharing the good news with us, Zelda asked me if I’d like to audition and I was like “Why me?” She was like “You have a lot in common with the character I had in mind for you” and the rest is history.

What did you enjoy the most about this comedy horror film?

I really enjoyed how bizarre the story was and definitely the fact that it takes place in the 80s. It was reminiscent of the type of films I loved watching growing up and it was intended to be like that. Zelda and Diablo made this as a love letter to the films that inspired them to get into this industry in the first place. I thought that it had just the right amount of comedy, romance and horror, which was a very specific tone I’ve been looking for quite some time now as an actor. Definitely a niche genre which I personally haven’t seen much of, at least in the mainstream, in a while.

How has this role changed your career since the film’s release?

I would say that it’s definitely opened up more opportunities for me, especially in the States. It was also a new experience for me, so it brought a new range of excitement and learnings. 

When did you discover your passion for acting, and how did you approach pursuing it as a career?

I started acting when I was 12, but it wasn’t till I was 16 that I really fell in love with the art form. I initially saw acting and modeling as a tool to produce resources to help my family and eventually fell in love with storytelling and the camaraderie that comes with creating art. These days, I see acting as a tool for self-expression and a platform for activism. 

Having worked on many Asian productions, how nervous were you for the filming of your first US production?

I was very nervous. I had all these misconceptions about Hollywood. I remember thinking that everything was going to be so different, from the rules on set to the set language. Good thing Zelda and I became friends before filming, so she really made sure I was comfortable on set and always encouraged the cast to hang out on our off days. The genuine bond and connection outside of the set is what made the filming process such a breeze. I’m really grateful to have had such a wonderful cast and production team for my first time filming experience in the States. 

Besides working in acting, you are an ambassador for Save the Children. Tell us more about your work with this organization and why it is so dear to you.

I became an ambassador for Save The Children Philippines in 2021 after supporting the organization for 6 years. My childhood years were a bit rough. There was definitely a lot of traumatic events that shaped my young mind into thinking about children’s rights. As I got older, I started wondering who gets to make these rights? How do laws upholding these rights get passed? I eventually stumbled upon Save The Children and was so inspired by the founder, Eglantyne Jebb’s story. I started making donations and sponsoring children from all over the world. Then I discovered that Save The Children had HQ in the Philippines, so we connected over a small online campaign that they actually collaborated with my niece on and then we started working together. 

In the past 3 years of working together, we’ve proudly accomplished so many great things for the Filipino children, raising the age of consent from 12 to 16 being one of the major ones. It is work like this that makes me proud and accomplished with myself. I feel that my real value as a human being is to inspire change at a macro level given the circumstances of my career. 

When you are not filming, how does your usual day off work look like?

I would say I don’t have “usual” days because every single day looks different for me. Some would think that’s chaotic, but I quite enjoy the spontaneity and flexibility that comes with my line of work. These days, now that I have my own production company, I mainly spend a lot of time developing my current slate of projects. Some days are jam packed with meetings, some days just require a lot of reading, scripts, books and articles. I am however about to start acting classes next week, which I’m very excited about. So starting next week I will have some sort of a routine. 

Having now made your US breakthrough, what are your next career goals?

I would love to land my next role in a really cool US based project. To be more specific, it would be an absolute dream to be in a Disney project or any A24 project.

What can you share with us about your next upcoming projects?

Well, the next project I have lined up is something that I’m also executive producing and it’s going to be filmed in Asia. We’re aiming to hit theaters with this project in December 2025.

talent LIZA SOBERANO

photographer SHAIRA LUNA

producer KIMI FELICES

production design JUSTINE BUMANLAG

production assistant JUSTIN SOBERANO & YANA PAMULAR

styling LYN ALUMNO

hair RENZ PANGILINAN

makeup ANTHEA BUENO

special thanks to CROWNING FLORY for lights & MICK QUITO for camera