A first-time teleserye actress who’s mostly done modeling, Kaila Estrada has been described as a “revelation” by viewers of the ABS-CBN drama “Viral Scandal.”

In the ongoing primetime series, Estrada portrays Raven, who is consumed by envy as she witnesses her father favor his other family. Her portrayal of Raven’s yearning, struggle with alcoholism, and later on, spiteful rage has earned Estrada praise online in recent weeks.

“It makes me emotional to even think about it,” Estrada said of the feedback to her debut teleserye performance. “It makes me realize that hard work really does pay off, and now I’m seeing it pay off.”

Estrada, however, isn’t resting on her laurels. Pointing out she’s only just started being a professional actress, Estrada said she actively listens to comments on her work, particularly through social media.

“I’m still trying to learn how to take compliments. I don’t really know how to properly react. Criticism is also good feedback. You learn from people who watch you. I like to stay on Twitter and be informed about what people are saying about scenes that I’m in or what I did,” she told ABS-CBN News.

While acting runs in the family — Estrada is the daughter of screen veterans John Estrada and Janice de Belen — it wasn’t until recently, in 2019, when she finally decided to immerse herself in the craft.

Estrada, 25, took workshops under Star Magic at the time, and two years later, in June 2021, got to ink a management contract with the ABS-CBN talent agency. For Estrada, that momentous day signified fully committing to a new career, of being an actress.

That Estrada has drawn acclaim early on is an indication of her natural gift, as well as her willingness to learn. She credited her co-stars in “Viral Scandal” — the likes of Charlie Dizon, Jake Cuenca, and Dimples Romana — for helping her calibrate her own acting process.

BECOMING KAREN

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“An interesting takeaway” for Estrada, given her latest acting project, is that her process for portraying Raven did not apply for her latest role.

Estrada will play Karen Bordador in the former radio DJ’s life story to be dramatized in “Maalaala Mo Kaya,” which will be aired as a two-part special on March 12 and 19.

For one, since “Karen is real,” Estrada poured special attention to the characterization based on Bordador’s real-life demeanor and physicality.

Estrada also did research on Bordador’s life, which helped in lending truth to her performance. Bordador was detained for five years for a drug-related case starting in 2016. She and her former boyfriend Emilio Lim were acquitted and released in June 2021.

After being freed, Bordador sought to resume her showbiz career, including by becoming a celebrity housemate in “Pinoy Big Brother.”

‘ARTISTA NA TALAGA AKO’

The significance of having a lead role in “MMK,” the longest-running drama anthology in Asia at 30 years, is not lost on Estrada.

“Now I can really say, ‘Artista talaga ako!’” she quipped. “I mean, ‘MMK’ has been around for the longest time. Everybody’s been on ‘MMK.’ All the really amazing artistas that I look up to have been on ‘MMK.’ It’s so surreal.”

Estrada was admittedly in disbelief when she was given the role, not long after her teleserye debut via “Viral Scandal.”

“I always get anxious about having new projects, because I put a lot of pressure on myself because I want to do really well. But I’m always full-on. Even if I’m scared to do it, I always tell myself, ‘I’m going to do it.’ You never know when an opportunity will come again. I don’t want to miss any opportunity,” she said.

Now with an “MMK” stint to add to her still-short but expanding resumé, Estrada said she looks forward to more opportunities to better herself as an actress.

“It’s always a new experience. There’s so much to learn, and it’s new every single time, and I feel it’s going to be that way all the time,” she said.