Actress Mutya Orquia. ABS-CBN News
MANILA — Young actress Mutya Orquia was only four when she first ventured into acting and joined showbiz as a child star.
She guested in the romance primetime drama, “Sabel” (2010), where she played the young Jessy Mendiola.
That was where Orquia was later discovered to play the lead in the fantasy series, “Mutya,” where she essayed the titular character of a mermaid created by Pablo S. Gomez.
She auditioned to be in that title role for that afternoon series. She also went into a workshop before she faced the cameras.
Then Orquia was cast in the series “My Binondo Girl,” where she played the young Jade Dimaguiba, the character who grew up to be Kim Chiu.
That was followed by “Ikaw ay Pag-ibig,” where Orquia worked with fellow child stars Zaijian Jaranilla and Xyriel Manabat.
Young as she was then, Orquia had to shuttle between her studies and taping. “Hindi naman ako nahirapan, choice ko kasi to act,” Orquia told ABS-CBN News. “Gusto ko din naman kasi ‘yung ginagawa ko.”
Neither did Orquia feel she was deprived of her childhood doing a lot of TV assignments. She successfully went into home study that’s why she also finished her school work.
“Gusto ko ‘yung acting,” Orquia said. “Hindi naman ako nahirapan sa pag-aaral because naba-balance ko naman ang studies ko at showbiz work.”
Orquia actually made her mark as the daughter of Richard Yap in the long-running daily morning series, “Be Careful With My Heart.”
There was a plan to turn the series into a film. However, that never materialized due to the conflicting schedules of the cast members.
Orquia was also in the Sunday kiddie show, “Goin’ Bulilit,” where she became a mainstay for seven years.
Before the pandemic, Orquia was in the ensemble cast of the late-afternoon series, “Pamilya Ko.”
For her future acting assignments, Orquia expressed her desire to work with KathNiel (Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla).
“I already met both of them but I want to work with them in the future,” Orquia said. “Si Nanay Sylvia [Sanchez], I really look up to her. But we’ve worked together a number of times. Inspiration siya sa akin.”
Orquia is now seen in PIE Channel’s weekly show, “Para Sa All,” where she gets to host. “The first time I read the script, na challenge ako agad kasi 14 pages,” Orquia said. “Ang haba din ng lines.”
“We have a prompter on the side, pero support lang ‘yun. You still have to know your lines. Maganda naman ang mga stories.”
Now 17 and in junior high school, Orquia dreams of going into aviation and become a pilot.
“What I really want is different from the rest,” Orquia said. “I’m also into motorbike. When I’m old enough to drive a motorbike around, I will buy one. Bawal pa kasi now.”
“I also do boxing. I enjoy everything that I do now. There are times when I don’t normally relate to other teenagers because I’m an actress. Siyempre, when you grow up, you get to play more different roles. But I enjoy the roles that challenge me that’s why I’m happy.”
Orquia wants to do action in the future, a character like the ones given to Maja Salvador or Angel Locsin. “Action without powers, like ‘Top Gun: Maverick,’ because Tom Cruise also plays a pilot there,” Orquia said.
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