“Di ko pa naiisip ‘yong legacy at this point. Gusto ko lang galingan.”
“Showbiz royalty” is a phrase Janine Gutierrez has heard for as long as she can remember—and for good reason, too. Her mother is Lotlot de Leon, whose adoptive parents are Nora Aunor and Christopher de Leon. Her father, Ramon Christopher, is the son of Pilita Corrales and Eddie Gutierrez. A lineage not merely of stars, but of industry legends.
Janine is part of that legacy by birth. And for someone who has spent all her life inside it, perhaps it was only natural that the question of her own legacy felt less pressing than what’s actually on her plate. For now, it’s the little things that matter.
“‘Yong masabihan ng, ‘Good job,’ ng direktor or ng mga tao na, ‘Inaabangan namin ang serye mo,’ ‘Inaabangan ka namin dito sa UK’—‘yon ang goal ko,” the actress says at her recent contract renewal with ABS-CBN and signing with its talent management arm, Star Magic.
Creative turning point
If you look at her career trajectory, it does seem that her success isn’t necessarily the product of a grand breakthrough, but the accumulation of smaller victories. From supporting roles, she eventually headlined afternoon and primetime series. Project after project, she built a reputation for her maturing talent—and, perhaps more importantly in showbiz, reliability.
While consistency laid the foundation, Janine points to one project in particular as a creative turning point that changed the way she saw herself as an artist. That was the 2019 film “Elise,” a nostalgic, multi-era romance in which she played the strong-willed, goal-oriented titular character.
“Ang ganda ng script when I first read it. And then, when I watched the movie, not from an actress’ perspective, but from that of a regular viewer, I found it really enjoyable,” she says. “That’s what really inspired me to do projects that I believe will make people happy, emotional, and inspired; projects I would proudly invite people to watch.”
Prestigious milestone
With that mindset, Janine went on to star in projects that would become some of the most significant of her career. Her turn in the neo-noir film “Babae at Baril” (2019), where she played a vulnerable woman pushed to the edge by society, earned her the Best Actress award at the 2020 Gawad Urian.
In the mystery drama “Dirty Linen” (2023), she received praise for her nuanced portrayal of a vengeful mastermind who disguises herself as a housemaid, with viewers and critics noting her so-called “mata-mata acting.” In “Lavender Fields” (2024), she stepped out of her comfort zone by playing a villain with occasional forays into action.
Meanwhile, “Phantosmia” (2024) might well be the most prestigious milestone in Janine’s filmography. Directed by Lav Diaz—a badge of honor in itself—she played a woman forced into prostitution in an arthouse film that brought her to the red carpet of the 81st Venice International Film Festival.
“Looking back, may mga natupad ako na pangarap ko lang dati,” she says. “Unti-unti na silang natutupad.”
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“Looking back, may mga natupad ako na pangarap ko lang dati. Unti-unti na silang natutupad”
Now, with digital media opening doors for cross-border collaborations and global distribution, Janine has allowed herself to set her sights beyond local shores. That’s why she couldn’t be more thrilled to star in two upcoming series with major streaming platforms: the psychological thriller “The Loyalty Game” on Prime Video and the sapphic horror “Balaraw” on Netflix.
“Another dream is to be part of projects made by Filipinos in the Philippines that will be shown abroad or at international festivals. That’s inspiring. It allows us to showcase our culture worldwide,” says Janine, who is also starring in this year’s Cinemalaya entry “Mag-iina,” a film based on the Palanca-winning play “The Corridors.”
Not too proud to ask
But despite her growing stature, Janine, now 36, still sees herself as that wide-eyed beginner who started out 15 years ago. True enough, she’s never too proud or too embarrassed to ask questions. After all, she says, she will always be a student in the never-ending learning process of acting.
“At first, I thought asking for advice was something negative. But now I believe it’s an asset. Regardless of how long you have been in the industry, you should always put in the effort and keep your beginner’s heart,” she says. “That’s what will contribute to your growth as an artist and as a person.”
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If there’s one piece of advice that has served her well, it’s that every emotion comes from truth. Whether you’re tired or pressured, nervous or daunted by what the script demands, “you just always go back to what you feel,” Janine says.
And this is something she will carry with her as she continues to take on the little things that may one day build her own legacy.
