In an exclusive interview with MEGA Entertainment, Liza reveals how her new vlog series called Liza in Korea is a lesson on entertainment, entrepreneurship, and experience
Growth makes you go places, and for Liza Soberano, it has taken her to South Korea. The country has always been part of the actress’ past, with some of the fondest memories in her life and career taking place in different parts of the nation. Now that she is seeing the world from a renewed perspective, it only feels right that South Korea is part of her itinerary. And this time, she brings us along with her in her newest vlog chapter, Liza in Korea!
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A day before the launch of her 15-episode series, the 25-year-old took the time to sit down with MEGA Entertainment and talk more about what to expect from her Korean adventures. Always one to bring that element of surprise, she also revealed another career decision that for sure, will be something to watch out for.
An elevated look on entertainment
Last night’s debut episode featuring top Korean content creator WonJeong is just the tip of the iceberg on what we should expect from the actress-model’s journey in the landscape of Korean culture. Short form content such as TikTok videos is not new to her, but shooting back-to-back videos with someone whose reach extends to almost 56M followers? That’s surely a learning experience on entertainment. “Best duo!” the TikTok star remarked as they wrapped up their last video challenge.
“It’s so fun to see how creative they can get with their careers and the way they present themselves,” Soberano pointed out, touching on the collaborations that we will be witnessing in her vlog series. After WonJeong, she will conquer the realm of dancing with a renowned choreographer and Street Woman Fighter contestant as well. “What I found really interesting about that experience with her is just how fun they are able to make things. I learned about their lives beyond what we see on social media and everything,” she expounded.
In the upcoming episode next week, we will witness the kid inside the Careless artist as she explores Lotte World, an amusement park in Seoul.
An expanded view on entrepreneurship
With a more mature outlook on life, the actress explained that part of the adventure was the business side of things. “We went to small scale businesses such as a restaurant owned by an actor here, all the way up to a conglomerate that manufactures clothes and owns a bunch of retail stores [in] the country,” she mentioned. “It was a good mix of both sides of entrepreneurs, and I learned a lot.” Besides these establishments, a Korean brand called Lacimer will be something that fans and viewers should keep tabs on.
Along the conversation, there was a slight shift in her energy. She affirmed that skincare, makeup, and other fields were her interest. However, media production tops them all. With her next words, there was a firm yet contained excitement on her end, still maintaining her composure. “I’m starting my own production company, actually, in the next three to six months. Actually, I’m in Korea right now to learn more about that,” Soberano revealed, briefly sharing her film class with director Dan Villegas for this venture.
The artist is definitely no stranger to owning her own identity, much less her creative pursuits, be it a passion project or an actual business. And with her zeal to hone her craft in front and behind the camera, she is on the right course. Again, this is a part of her whose hope rests on treating every opportunity as serious business. “Before I get into anything, I’m just really trying to learn and explore my creativity.”
An emphasized take on experience
It would be a shame to catch up on Liza without bringing Hope in the picture. While Liza in Korea highlights the star’s strengths as an individual in the limelight, it also sheds light on the simple yet essential parts of her core. One of the ways Hope comes out naturally? Through food. “I have the palate for Korean food. What’s interesting about this series is I got to try more of the traditional style food. Also, some mainstream dishes that a lot of us know and love such as ramyeon and jjajangmyeon.”
As a doer in nature, though, she’s been itching to learn how to make a dish that she has been craving—samgyetang. “I would love to cook that because it’s a really healthy dish, but also very hearty and comforting. It’s kind of like their version of arroz caldo.”
Whether we’re talking about the version of herself then, today, or tomorrow, we always circle back on entertainment. At this point, it is already deeply ingrained in the artist’s life. Delving into the effort and approach of both Korea and the Philippines in honing talents, she discussed the main difference between the two. “With Korea, people like to specialize in things. In a K-Pop group, each member has a specific role they play. In the Philippines, we’re kind of trained to learn everything—to be a host, dancer, singer, actor. Be well rounded in a sense.”
After her catch up with the press that day, Liza’s next agenda would be filming for DIVE Studios’ Hwaiting. When MEGA Entertainment asked where she wanted to make an appearance, “Any Korean variety show” was her response, stressing the distinctive elements of the variety shows and games of South Korea. “I like to watch MBC’s I Live Alone. As an artist myself, I think that’s like a side of me I wish a lot more people appreciated. [There’s] so much effort and work we put into being the best versions of ourselves for our viewers and for our fans. And how we prepare for things just in general. I think we can learn a lot from that,” she concluded.
Photos: LIZA SOBERANO
Featured Image: CARELESS; Photography SHAIRA LUNA