No bashing can stop Cecille Bravo from pursuing acting in ‘Aking Mga Anak’

There’s really no stopping Cecille Bravo from pursuing acting—something she never imagined doing, yet here she is, wholeheartedly taking the brave step.

Known for her dynamic presence offscreen as a fashion icon, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Bravo now explores the world of acting as part of the ensemble cast of Aking Mga Anak—an advocacy film by director Jun Miguel, produced by DreamGo Productions.

The film held its red carpet premiere on August 4 at a mall in Mandaluyong, featuring newcomer Jace Fierre Salada as Gabriel, with Juharra Zhianne Asayo, Alejandra Cortez, Madisen Go, and Candice Ayesha. A moving tale of five children brought together by pain and bound by hope, it’s a powerful tribute to resilience, love, and friendship.

It also had advance screenings in Iloilo on August 9 and 10. Its nationwide release is set for September 3 as distributed by Viva Films.

Taking the leap into acting

Before joining the cast of Aking Mga Anak, Cecille Bravo had no formal background in acting.

“Wala nga e!” she revealed. “Siguro parang mahilig lang akong sumayaw. Kumanta wala akong boses. Konting acting nung ano ako siguro elementary high school, parang mga dramatics club, pero wala talagang formal ano education or training.”

(None at all. Maybe I just liked to dance. Singing, I don’t have the voice for it. A bit of acting in elementary and high school in dramatics club, but no formal education or training.)

Despite being new, Bravo embraced the challenge of her role.

“Nag-second [thought ako]. Nag-isip din muna kasi syempre nga hindi naman ako talaga artista. Medyo mahirap din yung role,” she admitted. (I had second thoughts. I thought about it first because I’m not really an actress. The role was also quite challenging.)

“At ngayon talaga po, sabihin ko sa inyo, kabado ako. Hindi ko malaman kung excited ako, natutuwa ako o gusto kong maiyak. Dahil ito na, this is it,” she said. (And now, honestly, I’m nervous—I don’t know if I’m excited, happy, or about to cry. Because this is it.)

“At dito, titingnan n’yo na ang acting ko. Sasabihin n’yo na talaga if I did a good work. And hopefully I did. I tried my best po talaga.” (Here you will see my acting. You will really say if I did good work. And hopefully I did. I really tried my best.)

Lessons from this advocacy film

Beyond the craft, Bravo hopes the movie delivers a lasting message about the value of children’s strength and the role of parents.

“Napakadami [na lessons]. Sabi ko nga sa inyo, minsan hindi natin nabibigyan ng impact or ng tamang paggalang, pagtingin ng mga anak, ang mga bata. Pero magugulat pala kayo… sila yung magbibigay sa atin ng inspirasyon to be strong,” she said. (So many [lessons]. Sometimes we don’t give children the respect they deserve. But you’ll be surprised… they are the ones who inspire us to be strong.)

“Kaya nga talaga ang masasabi ko, manggagaling sa atin kung anong klase nating palalakihin ang ating mga anak,” Bravo emphasized. (That’s why I can say—it depends on us what kind of people our children will become.)

She also shared a parenting insight she values deeply:

“Para po sa akin, kausapin natin ang mga anak natin. Huwag natin silang lolokohin sa sitwasyon sa buhay para ma-prepare sila. Huwag nating parang sabihin sa kanila na anak okay kung hindi naman okay, pero it’s how… kung paano niyo ito sasabihin sa mga anak niyo.” (For me, we should talk to our children. Don’t lie to them about life’s situations so they can be prepared. Don’t just tell them it’s okay when it’s not—it’s about how you tell them.)

On bashing, privacy, and her career plans

When asked about how she deals with bashing, Bravo admitted she chooses to ignore it.

“Wala akong paki. Hindi ko binabasa,” she said. (I don’t care. I don’t read it.)

She also noted that she values her peace of mind over reacting to negative comments.

On the topic of privacy, she shared that she prefers to keep her personal life away from the public eye.

“Sa akin, basta trabaho lang. Hindi ko kailangan i-share lahat.” (For me, it’s just about work. I don’t need to share everything.)

As for her future career plans, Cecille expressed her openness to more acting opportunities.

“Kung may maganda pang project na darating, why not? Basta may matutunan ako at may maibahagi rin,” she said. (If another good project comes along, why not? As long as I can learn something and also share something in return.)

Catch ‘Aking Mga Anak’ starting this September 3 in theaters nationwide.