Dream Bembang! - Sarah Christophers

Field Report

12:57 p.m. - I finally caught a glimpse of the MRT coming from my popularized C5-Ortigas-White Plains over EDSA route. A time when my one-day-old SE Z600 chose to sarcastically sing it's unfamiliar SMS tone - Read: "m hir na, wer r u?" - Sarah Christophers. To which I shamefully replied utilizing one of the sharper tools I prevalently possess, "Hir na jst lukin 4 parkin" - lying.

I had previously scheduled an interview with Sarah Christophers for 1:00 p.m. at the ELJ building in ABS-CBN land. After 15 minutes of pseudo-parking-space-hunting, I reached the congruently placed Starbucks of the Stars - Sarah's venue of choice, and as I entered the place - head-bowed as if praying, while my eyes maintained it's frontal vision - as if peeping, I realized I was in a Sarah-less-Ogie Diaz, Lito Cayetano, Angelica Pangaiban coffee shop. Has she left? Is she not one to be kept waiting by an unpunctual Bembang! Master?

Resort to texting in times of panic and when caught alone - text: "wer u?", reply: "jst hir nside".

At the location popularized by the "Friends" couch, sat a Mary Magdalenesque beauty, dressed in a sweater top equally black as her hair, quietly reading a book while exploiting her lame attempt to finish a piece of cake (which lasted until the end of the interview). Interesting that I did not notice. It is as if she could contain her overflowing aura at times when there really is no need for personality. Being the gentleman that I am only when needed, I approached her and introduced my self that I never knew existed. And so we talked, starting of course with apologies for my behindhand heroics, and talked, until it felt really comfortable, until it felt like talking to a friend of unawkward silences, until it was time to leave.

Start of Interview

Is Sarah Cristophers your real name?
Yup!

We'll ask the basic information first like age, birthday, etc.
Age, 18. My name is Sarah Cristophers. Haha!

Sarah Cristophers lang?
Sarah Jane Christophers

Birthday?
My birthday is on August 28, 1986.

What happened on your debut? Saan yung party?
Ang layo, Laguna. Parang ayaw kong mag-imbita ng tao! (giggles)

Parang private lang?
I only invited siguro mga around about 25 to 30 of my closest friends. Tapos we stayed there the whole day, tapos over night, ganun lang.

Walang cotillion? Ayaw mo ng ganun?
Ayaw ko. Ayaw ko ng mga ganung formal. It's not me. Hindi ako mage-enjoy. Alam mo yun, I don’t like yung for showbiz, tapos hindi naman ako mage-enjoy. Gusto ko, ako ang mage-enjoy.

College?
UST. I’m in third year, Business Administration.

Third year?
Medyo third year. Irregular kasi ako. So Bale may tinatapos pa akong units sa second year. So bale nasa gitna ako ng second year and third year.

Advanced ka ba?
Advanced ako ng one year. Pero not exactly kasi irregular ako. So matatagalan ako to graduate. So pag-graduate ko, I’m the same age as everyone else. So ganun din.

Why did you choose your present course?
Actually to be quite honest, I don't like my course. The thing is, it was the only logical thing at that time I guess. My mom wanted me to take up nursing, and I was like, my goodness! Hindi ko kakayanin!. I'm always absent and mahirap like with anatomy, and all these and that. Then I was thinking of Masscom. But it's not that they’re gonna teach me something na ‘di ko rin naman alam dito (showbiz). So, I went for business. But I really wanted fashion designing.

So why not take fashion designing?
Pagkatapos na lang ng Business Ad. Saka ko kukunin. There’s a course which is only two years.

Meron ka na rin bang mga designs na nagawa?
Ang thing lang kasi sa akin, marami akong mga ideas pero hindi ako marunong mag-drawing. So, hindi ko malabas. I can’t really express anything on paper.

Hindi mo ba na-try na ipagawa na lang yung mga ideas mo?
Mahirap kasi kapag pinagawa ko yung mga ideas ko, iba yung kalalabasan eh.

How about high school?
High school ko was home study.

Home study? Were you born here?
No. In Australia.

Sinong may foreign blood? Mom mo or dad?
My dad.

Ilang percent ka Filipina?
Well, half I guess.

How were you discovered?
I started out with commercials. Tapos after commercials came, I stopped and went back. When I came back I did commercials again. I really wanted to be an actress and there was even a time I randomly called ABS-CBN and asked how to audition. Then they connected me to someone and pretty much told me how to audition and everything. And then I went there.

What was the audition for?
I’m not even sure what it was for. And then after a while I didn’t hear anything. But then they called me back for another audition.

How were you discovered for your commercials?
I have a tita who is a commercial model. Then she introduced me to her agency. Then I started doing VTR’s.

What was your first commercial?
Jollibee! I was eight years old then. So ewan ko lang kung matatandaan nyo pa.

What are your other talents? You dance at MTB right?
Haha! Yes, I dance. I also try to sing. I try.

Syempre, acting!
Yeah, acting.

How about instruments? Do you play any musical instruments?
No. Wala eh.

Which do you think you are better or excel at? Acting or dancing?
I really don’t know. Although I do enjoy both. So I wouldn’t really pick one over the other. Pareho lang eh.

If they offered you an acting job for a TV series and a hosting job, which would you choose?
Which will I more go for? I’ll go for hosting. Kasi, at least hosting mabilis lang yun eh. Pag TV series, ang tagal ng taping nun. Tatapusin ko muna yung pag-aaral ko before I can do that.

Who are your closest friend in the business?
Actually the Berks cast is my closest. My best friends are Heart and Ketchup. And then, apart from them, sila Angelica, si Cholo yun, that’s pretty much it. Sila Pupi.

Carla Humphries?
Sila Madz (Carla Humphries) she's one of my closest friends also and Kuya Echo!

With the whole showbiz thing, excited ka pa rin ba?
I enjoy it! If I didn’t enjoy it, I wouldn’t do it. Oh, and it does pay good! So, it’s also that.

Hahaha! But do you have any hang ups in showbiz? Things you hate?
Ang nakakainis lang, yung mga tao feeling nila, may karapatan na sila to judge what you’re like. Like, hindi ka naman kilala pero, ay, mayabang yan! Blah! Blah! Blah! They think they have the right to have an opinion on everything. Although, they do naman pero parang sigurado kaagad sila, so they assume right away. And then, chismis! Gossip is always nakakinis. But well if it’s good then, ok lang.

Ano ba yung pinaka malalang chismis na nakuha mo?
Oh, wag na! Ang panget eh. Kasi ang pangit lang talaga dito sa Philippines, minsan talaga below the belt eh. Kaya hindi maganda.

Pero paano mo naman na-handle whatever that chismis was?
Ang nakakatawa, hindi ako yung sobrang affected. Mas affected pa yung ibang tao. Yung mga friends ko. Nakakatuwa. I know it sounds cheesy, pero totoo naman eh - if you know who you are and everything. Minsan rin kasi may ugali ako na I don’t care na lang what other people think as long as I know that I’m not stepping on anyone and I’m having fun and enjoying my life.

Ok good! If you're not in showbiz where or what would you be doing?
I wouldn’t be here. I’d be in Australia if ever.

My day isn’t complete without blank?
My phone! Ang babaw! Hindi diba parang pag wala yung phone mo parang you’re lost.

What is Sarah really like?
Depende sa mood. Moody! Pero hindi naman yung tipong schizo na moody ha! Ano lang, parang sa school loner ako. In school, it’s either mahahanap mo ako in class or nasa library ako. Ang bait noh! Mag-isa ako parati eh. Tapos makikita mo ako, I would just be reading most of the time. I’d be reading or doing something to keep myself busy. Pero apart from that, I have my times na ang daldal ko and makulit din ako.

Baka naman dahil parati ka wala sa school kaya hindi mo masyado ka-close yung mga tao dun?
Hindi naman. Kasi kung gusto ko naman, madali lang naman din makipagkaibigan. Siguro iniisip ko lang din kasi yung personality kailangan ng balance. Parang I need time for myself. Kasi like with work, especially in showbiz, it’s more on mingling. Syempre kailangan sometimes to make conversation a lot and all. So siguro it’s the only time that I have for myself, when I’m in school. So, I’d rather be alone and have time for myself.

Ok let's move on. Are your parents strict?
Hindi. My tita and tito are strict. Kasi my parents are in Australia, they are actually really "cool". Kaso dito hindi ako pwedeng lumabas without a chaperone!

Nakita namin kayo ni Heart sa Wasabi one time, were you with your chaperone?
Yup! Tito ko! Dun sa mga gimik ko, may chaperone talaga ako. Yung mga Wasabi times, yun yung mga first times na lumalabas kami!

So, how often do you go out?
Lately depende. May moods ako kung gusto ko lumabas o hindi. Pero I try to not let it exceed once a week. Kasi kapag twice na, parang sobra na. Pero sometimes if I’m not in the mood, I can go on months and months without going out. Ok lang. Kasi nakakasawa rin if you keep on going out. Pero lately, once a week I’ve been going out.

Near places only? Dish?
Hindi naman! Ang lapit naman sa ABS! Lumayo layo naman tayo ng konti sa ABS. Mostly Makati area.

Ok, what do you look for in a guy? Boyfriend? Boyfriends?
What? Do I have one?

Yup! or two?
Ay, hindi! Ayaw ko! Hahaha! Para namang man hater ang labas ko nyan! Hindi, wala pa akong boyfriend. Hindi pa dumarating.

Official yan ha! Walang boyfriend! So, bakit wala ka pang boyfriend?
Why? Hopeless romantic ako eh! I always have the notion na kapag "siya" na, alam ko na "siya" na.

Pero boyfriend lang naman eh.
Ayaw ko. I know it sounds funny, I know it sounds silly. Pero hindi naman parang divine intervention or anything, pero gusto ko may sign na parang "ito na ‘to!"

In other words, takot kang ma-broken hearted?
In a way, yes. And I haven’t had that feeling yet. So hindi pa siguro time.

So malamang marami ka nang tinanggihan? Syempre ‘di ba? For someone like you sa showbiz pa ang dami dyan! Lalo na sa UST! Sigurado yan!
Haha! Wala ngang kumakausap sa ‘kin dun eh!

Oh?! Baka naman natatakot. Kasi siguro iniisip nila snob ka!
Hindi naman ako mukhang nakakaktakot ah!

Hahaha! Bakit ka nga pala sa UST ka nag-aral?
Kasi it’s near the house, near Banawe.

May friends ka dun na celebrity din?
Wala masyado eh. Sino ba? Wala ako maisip eh. Actually si Madz (Carla Humphries) dun rin siya kaso lang layo ng building nya. We still haven't met in campus. Sa labas pa kami nagkikita.

Sa labas? Magulo dun ah! Saan? Sa Mayrics?
Nakapunta na ako dun! Kasi kabarkada ng pinsan ko yung may-ari. Sabi ko nga kay Eric maglagay siya ng couch tapos lunch kami dun. Kasi may lunch sila dun eh.

What kind of music do you listen to?
A lot of things. Pero nakakatawa lately, Jazz isn’t my thing pero lately, I’ve been into classical music. Like the whole Beethoven and Mozart.

Pero on your own lang? Not because of school?
No, on my own lang. Kasi iniisip ko, what’s so special about it? So I tried to listen to it, ang ganda! And I enjoy it.

What about today's music?
I love Maroon 5. They’re good. More of alternative. Sino yung band na kumanta ng Alcoholic? Starsailor! Saka The Street, aliw ako sa pag-kanta nila.

What about local artists?
Not really pero I love Bamboo!

Bamboo the band or "Bamboo"?
Pareho! (giggles) Ang lakas ng dating eh! Kawawa nga baby ko eh, ang payat na nya. Ang payat na nya ngayon noh?

Interview nga natin yun sa susunod! Anyway, what’s your schedule ngayon? What’s happening? Any shows?
Apart from school 6x a week, I have "Maid in Heaven" which is a weekday show then I have MTB on Fridays.

What’s your character in Maid in Heaven?
I dress like Britney Spears basically. Kikay-kikay siya. Bakit kaya ganun parati bigay sakin na role? Haha! And there’s like the whole love triangle.

Who is being partnered with you? Love team?
Love triangle siya for Aaron. Yung winner sa MTB TV Idol and he’s being partnered with me.

What about upcoming projects?
I don't know yet.

Do you have a website?
I’m not sure! I think so. I think there's one website.

Can we ask you to record an audio message for the Bembangers?
Sure!

Click here to listen to Sarah's message

Email Sarah a personal message

End of Interview

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Interviewed by Mark Verzo

On location photographs by Nikki Mercado

Off location photographs by Nelwin Uy

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