KEY POINTS
- At the peak of her showbiz career, Janette Mcbride left the limelight for love and had to work as a waitress to make ends meet.
- She now lives in Australia with her husband and son, pursued teaching and acting.
- After noticing a gap in the market for improvisation that typically focuses on comedy, she decided to create a telenovela-inspired improvisation since her background is in television and film.
After experiencing setbacks in her career as a celebrity in the Philippines, Filipino-Australian Janette McBride discovered a new sense of purpose through teaching and improvised acting.
Life during and after the limelight
When Janette turned 18, she was selected to join Star Circle batch 8. She started her acting career with the TV series "Tabing-Ilog" and gained significant recognition in 2000 for her role as Madeline in "Tanging Yaman." Janette also hosted "Talk TV." Despite her early success, she left the entertainment industry to move to the United States for love.
"I was young, rebellious, and didn’t have any guidance. It led me to make an immature decision to quit showbiz and move to America. I struggled with depression for four years," she recalls.
Janette and her ex-partner moved to America, where she took on a job as a waitress to make ends meet. Recounting her initial struggles, she said, "My first job after showbiz was working at a restaurant. I felt lost and sorry for myself, finding it hard to adjust to normal life and missing potential opportunities."
Despite the challenges, Janette managed to complete her high school diploma in United States. She adds, there were rumours at that time circulating about her being pregnant, which she vehemently denied.
She decided to leave the relationship, took on a teaching job in the Philippines and met her now-husband, Benson during a church single retreat in the Philippines.
A fresh start in Australia
In 2015, Janette returned to Brisbane with her now-husband, Benson, and decided to pursue higher education. They also share a son, whom they consider a blessing after struggling with infertility for five years.
"The redeeming factor is I finished a degree and was able to return to theatre and work in education. I now have the best of both worlds," she shares.
For the past 12 years, Janette has been dedicated to the field of education. This year, she embarked on a new chapter by joining the Queensland University of Technology as a student support in the faculty of health.
She also enrolled in theatre classes focused on improvisation and instantly fell in love with it.
After noticing a gap in the market for improvisation that typically focuses on comedy, she decided to create a telenovela-inspired improvisation since her background is in television and film. She partnered with her Brazilian friend to establish "Pasiones" and they are currently performing in theatres in Brisbane.
Today, she is using her experiences to teach and inspire others while continuing to pursue her passion for acting.
