Actor Tony Labrusca was simply cutting hair back in Canada until he decided to change the landscape of his life by going back to the Philippines.
Labrusca was all of twenty years old when he realized what his future might be if he would set aside his life as a barber.
“The biggest U-turn ko is ‘yung pagbabalik ko dito sa ‘Pinas kasi nong twenty ako ay hindi ko na alam kung ano ang gagawin ko sa buhay ko kasi nagtatrabaho lang ako. Minimum wage lang ako. Nag-aaral akong maging barbero tapos naisip ko lang, ‘ito na lang ba ‘yung magiging buhay ko?’” he said in an online press conference for his latest movie, “U-Turn” for Star Cinema.
(My biggest U-turn is when I returned to the Philippines. When I was twenty years old, I didn’t know what to do with my life. I was just working and only received minimum wage. I was studying to be a barber but I thought, ‘Is this all that my life is going to be?’)
Labrusca went to Manila without knowing what job he will get, without money, and with only the conviction that he will at least be going to a place that is his home.
He also divulged that he did three jobs while in Canada, one being an apprentice in a salon because he can’t afford to go to a school to study haircutting. When he returned to Manila, all that he was all poised to do is to also cut hair.
“Nu’ng pumunta ako sa ‘Pinas ay wala akong balak na mag-artista. Ang gusto ko lang gawin, gusto kong maggupit ng mga tao dito kasi akala ko nga ay ‘yun lang ang gagawin kong trabaho,” he said.
(When I went to the Philippines, I don’t have any plan to be an actor. What I only wanted to do is to cut hair because I thought that was all that I would do.)
Upon arriving, his savings of $300 eventually got depleted because he got so addicted with playing games in an arcade, even walking everyday to go to Glorietta. He was thus left with no choice but to look for a job.
“Kaya ako nag-artista kasi noong naubos na ‘yung pera ko, pumunta ako sa sa mga VTR-VTR,” he recalled (That’s why I decided to be an actor. After I ran out of money, I went to VTR shoots.)
Labrusca has since found success as an actor, starring in a viral McDonald’s commercial, the film “Glorious” with Angel Aquino, the TV series “La Luna Sangre”, and online boy’s love series “Hello Stranger”, among others.
Starting Oct. 30, “U-Turn” will be available for streaming via KTX.ph, and iWant TFC and website. It may also be accessed through pay-per-view via Cignal and Sky Cable. JB
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