MANILA -- Actress Nathalie Hart is now engaged to her Australian boyfriend. But details of her altar date are kept from the public and she prefers to keep it that way.

“Before, I was a lot open with my relationship,” Hart told ABS-CBN News. “Then, we were about to tie the knot. A week before my wedding date, we canceled.

“I feel it will be nice to really get married before I share a lot of things. I’ve learned so much from my past mistakes. You don’t need to tell everyone.”

What is important to Hart is her family members, who are mostly based in Australia. Her brother is here in Manila with her, as well as her four-year-old daughter, Penelope. They are her priority once she announces details of her wedding.

“It’s not so embarrassing with the public,” Hart maintained. “You need to explain to your family, as well. I’ve learned to take a step back and wait.

“It’s not only me. I also have a child to think about. What about my daughter? What about her feelings? Does she feel good? Does she understand there’s another person coming into my life?

“If that person is really meant for you, then so be it. I don’t want to make things complicated. If it’s really the two of us, then, let it be the two of us. That person will have to be a stepfather to my child.

“People think it’s easy to start again, especially if you have a child. There will be problems. You have a lot of traumas that you need to fight. It’s really hard. I can’t even explain it.

“I’m not hiding my love life because I am embarrassed. I’m doing it because my family is part of it.”

Hart took a break from showbiz when she had a long vacation last year in Australia, where her family is based.

“It was actually good to be with family,” Hart said. “I’ve been living here in the Philippines for so long and I haven’t seen my own family in Sydney.

“It was really nice to be there again and I was looking at things that I wanted to really do there. Having a break was actually a great, special time for me. I really needed it.

“I went to Sydney last year. My whole family is there, so I don’t have any family member here in the Philippines, except for one brother. My daughter is also here. It was my first time to be with my family again since 2018.

“I never had a chance to hang out with them. The last time I was with them was when my dad died five years ago. It was really a good feeling to be with them again.”

'KUNWARI MAHAL KITA'

Hart recently wrapped up a romance-drama, “Kunwari Mahal Kita,” where she plays the wife of Joseph Marco. Also in the cast is Ryza Cenon. Roderick Lindayag directs.

In 2016, Hart worked with Marco in Emmanuel de la Cruz and Crisanto Aquino’s “My Rebound Girl.”

“In our first movie, I only had three lines with Joseph,” Hart said. “This one is more of a proper movie because I am one of the main characters. This is a major film and different.

“It was fun working with Joseph. He’s so relaxed when he works. I like his character and personality. Parang mag-barkada lang kami ‘pag magkasama kami. I feel like I can talk to him like my brother. Gwapo si Joseph, but when I look at him, I feel like he’s my brother.”

“Si Ryza naman, it was my first time working with her. She’s so nice, so humble and on top of that, she’s so easy to work with. Napaka-professional niyang tao.

“Si Direk [Lindayag], I’ve worked with him before. This is our second time to work together. It was also so easy to work with him.”

Working in “Kunwari Mahal Kita” was such a breeze for Hart. “I didn’t feel like working,” she said. “It felt like nagbakasyon lang kami sa Pangasinan, where we shot."

Even if “Kunwari Mahal Kita” is a family drama, Hart said she didn’t have a hard time doing it.

“The only thing that you had to do with your feelings, iiyak ka na. Akala kasi ng mga tao, madali lang umiyak. Hindi ka naman pwedeng umiyak na pangit lang. It should come smoothly, while you’re talking.

“I think that’s the only hard part. How to cry na hindi ka over acting. I think I managed to do that now na hindi na ko nahihirapan umiyak in front of the cameras.”

SINGLE MOM

Being a single mom is constantly a challenge for Hart. Her four-year-old daughter still does not have an idea her mom is a celebrity and an actress.
“Wala pa siyang alam,” Hart said of Penelope. “Ang alam niya lang to tell me, ‘Mommy you’re so pretty!’

“When I put on make-up, she would ask why I’m putting on make-up. I tell her, Mommy is working. Now, she’s copying me. Kailangan may lipstick when we go out.”

Does she shield Penelope from showbiz or public moments?

“I don’t really care,” Hart said. “I post a lot of things about her but she doesn’t have her own account yet. I feel there’s no point. Maybe later on it’s a lot better if she just has her own account.

“When I was growing up, I was a very shy child. When I grew up, it was so hard for me to put myself out there. Weird because I ended up being an artista and I’m shy. You have to say hi to everybody.

“I want Penelope to have that quality na hindi siya nahihiya sa tao. She knows how to handle herself. Hindi siya sheltered.”

Is Penelope interested in showbiz? “I was trying to do a VTR for her, ‘Hi, I’m Penelope. I’m four years old and I’m from the Philippines.’ Walang kwenta. No chance na tumawid.

“Maybe later on when she’s older but not now. Those were three lines, pero hindi niya magawa. You need courage and confidence to do it.”

Motherhood has apparently mellowed Hart. “It also gave me a lot of responsibilities,” she admitted. “Dati, okay lang kahit anong oras ako magising basta wala kang trabaho. Now it’s different.

“You do have to plan your day. It actually made me a healthier person. I’m not saying that I had vices. Now I’m more mentally stable when I had a child. It slowed me down, gave me purpose. gave me responsibilities and made me a better person.”

When Penelope expresses her desire to venture into showbiz, Hart will allow her daughter. “As long as kaya niyang pagsabayin ang studies niya and career,” she reasoned. “Kung hindi niya kaya, she has to study first before she focuses on her career.

“Napaka-importante ng education. Even for me, I am going back to school this year. I’m doing an online school in Sydney. I’m taking up Psychology. I feel that’s really important na gawin ng mga bata.”