Turning dreams into reality one step at a time, Francine Diaz graces the MEGAStyle cover with her head held high, but feet on the ground
When the name Francine Diaz rings a bell, the word “star” automatically comes next. As one of this generation’s biggest names, the actress is proving her impact in the industry with her back-to-back projects, engagements, and endorsements today. But to her fans and those who know her by heart, Francine is not just a star—she is the sun radiating a yellow shade of positivity with a side of warmth in her personality. Perhaps this is why, after everything, she deserves her cloud nine status up in the sky.
In her shoes
“I thought na when you become an artista, life would be so easy, like it will all be glitz and glam, pero hindi.” At a young age, Francine knew the grit it would take to survive show business. Recalling the days when she had to audition for roles, she opened up on the uncertainty that her early beginnings entailed. “Dati, usually, they would send their ‘approved’ message ‘pag 12 midnight na. It was really hard for us na maghanap ng mauutangan. Sometimes, ‘pag wala kaming mautangan nang ganu’ng oras, sasabay kami ni Mama kay Papa sa motor niya. Ihahatid muna kami ni Papa sa ABS before siya magwork, because nag-Grab delivery before si Papa.”
Truly, no feat ever comes easy even for the brightest stars today. Those experiences of Francine—coupled with a memory of her late grandfather waiting for her appearance on TV—pushed her to be more critical of her craft. When she shared that, in another life, she would have pursued medicine, it made perfect sense. At an early age, Francine understood that a personal dream is not just for oneself, but for others as well.
From joining commercials and portraying bit characters as younger counterparts of actresses like Erich Gonzales and Ellen Adarna in Be My Lady and Pasión de Amor, respectively, Francine finally stepped outside the shoes of these roles and owned her first iconic character as Cassie Mondragon in Kadenang Ginto. The rest was golden history.
Step by step
With the said show taking her career to greater heights, Francine took on more roles that further honed her skills as an actress. While she continued to play younger versions of actresses Angel Locsin and Kim Chiu, she also began playing characters of her own.
During the pandemic, the actress was in lock-in tapings for Huwag Kang Mangamba; Click, Like, Share; and Bola Bola. After the successful run of “KyCine” with Kyle Echarri, she is now working closely with her good friend, Seth Fedelin. Today, “FranSeth” is one of the most sought-after pairings, as seen on Dirty Linen and soon on Fractured.
With the roles she has played—with or without a partner—one can wonder: How different is the Francine today from the young, dedicated child star? “The Francine today is still the same, but with a little bit of ‘thrill,’” she begins explaining. “She still gets shy, especially when there’s a lot of people she’s not familiar with. She’s in the middle of an introvert and an extrovert, and she still likes being alone, especially when she’s super stressed. She still likes vintage stuff and everything na luma.”
“She would speak her mind—not like before na she’s just always tahimik, kaya most of the time, people would always say na she’s such a snob. Mas nag-eexplore na rin siya when it comes to her outfits, and she gained confidence also.”
True to her word, Francine’s old soul side shows through her personal decisions, including fashion. While others ride with the trends of today, she maintains her style in as simple as mixing and matching with her own eye of consideration if it looks good on her. Showing more of her adventurous side, she shares, “I actually want to try the Y2K style trend, but I always think it’s not bagay sa’kin. I feel like may binabagayan din kasi na tao ‘yung trend na ‘to.” With her acting and style versatility, Francine can prove herself otherwise.
On flight mode
“I’ll be wherever life takes me!” exclaimed Francine when asked who she will be in a decade or two. As a public figure exposed to the realities of life at an early age, the 19-year old takes her future seriously, too. “Apart from acting, I want to try to start a business, [because] I think it will help me more rin na makapag-ipon for my future.”
“Sobrang importante na you really know yourself, [at] kailangan you’re always eager to learn more. Don’t be too comfortable ‘pag nakaka-receive ng good comments about your performance. Embrace the opportunities na maibibigay sa’yo. Most important of all, have faith in God and in yourself.”
Nowadays, she is constantly in motion. Tapings, shootings, vlogs, and many more commitments on her schedule. One can lose sight during this swift wild ride to stardom—but not Francine. She may be in flight mode, but she is fighting hard to keep her feet on the ground. The secret? Her family. “Hindi ko man sinasabi sa kanila all the time na minsan, I’m confused kung tama pa ba ginagawa ko or hindi. [But] once I remember the hardships we went through, [it] is enough for me to realize na tama ‘yung mga ginagawa ko, and I can’t just quit when I get exhausted. Because in the first place, they are the reason naman talaga why I always give my best and why I always work hard.”
Older and wiser as she revels in her cloud nine career state, Francine shares her wisdom on what it means to be that warm ray of sunshine to many: “If you really want to be successful in the industry, you have to be strong. No matter what happens, kailangan parati mong piliing bumangon.”
