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Kaila Estrada: Talent Over Ties

July 15, 2024 @genzmagph

Fame comes with a price. While being born into a showbiz family can be a dream for many—with outrageous wealth, connections, and opportunities seemingly handed on a silver platter—these perks also come with a cost.

For children of showbiz icons, the spotlight can shine so brightly it burns. From the moment you are born into a famous family, expectations are already set. And in this age of social media, outsiders gain more access to your private life, giving them the power to bash and offer unsolicited pieces of opinion about how you live your life.

But Kaila Estrada begs to differ. While she’s proud of her parents’ achievements and takes pride in being called “Anak ni Janice,” the rising star proves through her current roles that she’s more than just a nepo baby. As the young actress who brought Achi Bettina to life in Can’t Buy Me Love, Kaila sheds light on her journey and the work she has put in to carve out her name in the industry.

Kaila Estrada Gen-Z Magazine — _{Suit by: Ega Francisco | Photo by: Em Baun}

‘I Didn’t Tell My Parents First’

With how effectively Kaila delivered her roles in Viral Scandal, Linlang, and Can’t Buy Me Love, the talent evidently lives on in the daughter of actors John Estrada and Janice de Belen. But while it’s easy to conclude that her parents helped her navigate the showbiz industry, the young actress revealed that when she finally decided to give the entertainment industry a try, they were not the first people she told.

Probably having seen the kind of life her parents lived growing up, Kaila wanted her life to be very private. In fact, she revealed that she didn’t think she wanted to act. “I didn’t think I wanted to be an artista.”

Instead, she started with modeling and became a content creator when social media became a thing. Eventually, she reached a point where she wanted to try everything. “There’s a saying that you’ll never be this young again, right? So, I was at that point where I was just wanting to try everything and discover what else I’m capable of. I was already 23. I was done with college. I was still working part-time as a model and then doing content creation. I was like, why not give it a shot and see di ba if it’s going to be for me?”

Knowing quite well how her parents would want to help her in any way possible, Kaila decided not to tell them first.

“I just didn’t want them to help me in that way. I just wanted to start. I wanted to navigate my way on my own without their help and see if I could do it.”

Kaila auditioned for Star Magic in 2020, right before the pandemic. Many thought her timing was bad with the pandemic and ABS-CBN shutdown, but the young actress believed in divine timing. “There’s a reason for everything, di ba? So, nagcasting ako sa Star Magic. I did the workshop, and then I auditioned for several things after a couple of months. The rest was history.”

‘I Wanted to Do the Best That I Can—That’s Where the Pressure Comes In’

With the high-caliber acting her parents are known for—John Estrada as Rigor in Batang Quiapo and Janice de Belen as Leona Roque-Fiero in the highly acclaimed Dirty Linen—Kaila takes pride in their accomplishments.

“I am so proud to be called ‘Anak ni Janice’—and I don’t mind if people call me that for the rest of my life.”

And with such acting prowess to match, many would think this would pressure Kaila. However, she shares that if there’s any pressure she feels, it’s not about wanting to be better than her parents. “I feel our journeys are very different. We’re different people from different generations.” She further adds, “I think the pressure really just comes from me wanting to do well, wanting to be good at my craft. I guess ‘yong pressure lang na nafi-feel ko is because I don’t want to fail. I want to do the best that I can. It’s more because of myself than them.”

‘I’m Always on My Toes—That’s What I Love About It’

Despite her current successes, Kaila admits she still feels insecure and vulnerable about her career. With each role, she feels there is much more to learn. “It’s not something that just happens once and then you’re over it, and then okay ka na. Everything is a new experience. You’re going to be preparing different characters. You’re going to be doing different stories. You’re going to be working with different people.”

Kaila shares that in her line of work, she can’t just settle and be complacent. “I feel like I’m always on my toes. I’m never really fully complacent, fully comfortable. But that’s what I love about it: there’s so much more to learn.” With every project, she learns more about the character and improves her acting. “I’m never really bored of anything. It’s always new, always fresh!”

‘You’re Never Not Going to be Afraid’

As a middle child, Kaila also identifies many similarities with her character Bettina in Can’t Buy Me Love. “She always appears to be strong; that’s why di siya masyadong kinakamusta. Because she seems like she can just take care of herself. So, she’s always overlooked.”

While Kaila loves doing things on her own and making decisions by herself—like joining show business—she also shares that this trait comes with a disadvantage. “I have that little bit of pride in me that I don’t like to ask for help. I don’t like to burden anyone with my problems. But what we don’t realize is that we’re also preventing people from being there for us. We don’t give them that opportunity because it’s so difficult for us to say that we need them.”

With this realization, she wants to inspire her fans to embrace fear and allow themselves to grow. “I feel inspired to fight the fear because it’s really fear that holds us back from pursuing what we want. And I’ve struggled with that. And I still struggle with that, it’s inevitable, and it’s part of our reality. It’s part of life. you’re never not going to be afraid.” Yes, failures and mistakes can happen, but they also provide an opportunity to learn and try again. And that’s okay.

‘Hopefully, My Being a Nepo Baby Does Not Discredit the Hard Work That I Do’

While it’s easy to conclude that Kaila had it all easy, she, like most celebrities, had to go through many auditions. And like many, there are roles she got and didn’t get. “It takes a lot of patience and determination. You’re never going to get the results immediately. So, sana the fire doesn’t burn out.”

Kaila is a firm believer that there’s always an opportunity for everyone. “You just have to wait. And it takes determination and patience. Stay hungry because you never know when your big break is gonna come—and you also never know when it’s going to be your last.” While doing so, she also puts great value on the people working with her, knowing that every project’s success is a result of a team effort.

Kaila remains grateful for the support she has received and the accomplishments she has made thus far, and she hopes to continue doing what she loves. “I feel like the support and recognition that I’ve gotten so far is already such a blessing. I’m really grateful for all of it.”

The promising actress also said that while some might see her opportunities as a result of being a nepo baby, she hopes that they also recognize her hard work.

“I know myself and I know the work that I put in every show, project, or character I’m given. I just hope that even though being a nepo baby is my reality, they’re able to sort of give me that space to see what I can bring to the table. Hopefully, my being a nepo baby doesn’t discredit the hard work that I do.”

In a world where it’s easy to be overshadowed by a family name, Kaila stands out by carving her path and keeping it real. She exemplifies that while a famous last name can open doors, it’s dedication, passion, and authenticity that truly leave a mark.