We’ve always been smitten by her youthful, girly charm matched with her unparalleled talent that we’ve seen so early on in her acting career. At a sweet, young age of 12, Barbie Forteza started taking on lead roles in primetime tween shows and TV dramas alike, showing that she has the star factor and brilliance needed to carry major television projects on her shoulders that audience can truly fall in love with.
Nails by Posh Nails
Nails by Posh Nails
It was only a matter of time when she was finally hailed as “Kapuso Primetime Princess,” derived from her many successful drama hits and movies from her mother company, GMA Network.
Nails by Posh Nails
Acting is a passion and talent that luckily Barbie had discovered at a tender age, too. She recalled being as young as 8 years old, and already staring at the mirror, channeling emotions, rehearsing and watching herself cry. It was hugely influenced by the films and television dramas she would watch after school with her mom.
“My mom is a big fan of Sharon Cuneta, as well as Nora Aunor and Cherie Gil,” she said.
“So siyempre, ‘pag kakatapos ko ng school, kung ano yung pinapanuod ni mama, ‘yun din yung napapanuod ko. Tapos parang na-aamaze ako, kapag umiiyak yung mga artista. Naaapektuhan din kasi ako sa mga eksenang ginagawa nila,” Barbie narrated.
(“So of course after school, I would watch whatever my mother was watching. And I was amazed by how actors would cry. I was affected by the scenes they were doing,” Barbie narrated.)
She found out for herself that just like the stars she would watch on TV, she too could cry on cue.
“At a very young age, I think I was as young as 8 years old, masyado akong hooked doon sa pagnood ng mga eskena nila. Tapos parang na-encourage ako. So minsan, kapag kunwari ako lang mag-isa sa kwarto, humaharap ako sa salamin, tina-try ko umiyak. Tapos, nagagawa ko naman. Minsan nag-eeksena ako sa salamin, ganyan, tapos nagagawa ko.”
(“At a very young age, I think I was as young as 8 years old, I was so hooked with the scenes. I was encouraged. So whenever I’d be alone in my room, I would watch myself in the mirror and try to cry. And I was able to do it. I would create scenes in the mirror, and I was able to do it.”)
One day, Barbie mustered up the courage to finally tell her mom that acting was something she wanted to pursue seriously.
Luckily, her mother was on-board to support her with her dream of being an actress. Soon, she started starring as a young talent in TV commercials for major brands such as Jollibee and Nido.
Nails by Posh Nails
Nails by Posh Nails
“Thankfully, I had several TV commercials before. Then, naka meet po kami ng agent na parang nagpapa audition both sa GMA and sa ABS-CBN. So, doon po nag start yung TV and film journey ko.”
Acting Breakthrough
In 2009, Barbie starred in her first major production as the young Jodi in the hit Filipino remake of “Stairway to Heaven,” which was originally an internationally acclaimed Korean TV drama. The next year, she starred in her first lead role in “First Time” which was followed by many leading characters in various TV dramas on primetime.
From her first lead role as Cyndi Gomez in the tween television series “First Time” at 12 years old, to her various female lead characters in TV dramas like “The Half Sisters,” “Meant to Be,” and “Anak ni Waray vs. Anak ni Biday” and acclaimed movies like “Mariquina,” “Laut,” “Tuos” and “Almost a Love Story,” it was apparent that Barbie was always poised to define a new generation of Filipina actors.
Later on, she gained wider recognition after starring in even more well-applauded primetime TV drama series “Maria Clara at Ibarra,” which became a huge Netflix series in the Philippines, as well as “Maging Sino Ka Man,” and “Pulang Araw.”
Barbie shared how she herself would get attached in some of the the roles she plays.
She particularly fell in love with her character in GMA’s hit historical drama “Maria Clara at Ibarra.“ The series was based on the novels “Noli Me Tángere” and “El Filibusterismo” written by the Philippines’ national hero, José Rizal. The female lead that Barbie played in the TV drama was also based on the lead female character of the legendary novels.
“Napaka lapit po talaga sa puso ko ni Maria Clara ‘Klay’ Infantes in ‘Maria Clara at Ibarra’. Dahil bukod sa napaka ganda ng pagkaka sulat ng character niya, her character has become very personal to me. Kasi nung time na ‘yon, parang I decided na i-akma talaga kung sino si Barbie sa character ni Klay. Para talagang, solid talaga yung character niya. Like, kakapitan talaga siya ng audience. Kailangan talaga ng personal reference eh. Kaya rin kada hikbi, kada sakit, ramdam talaga. So ayon, kaya she’s very close to my heart. She’s very special to me. Marami akong natutunan sa buhay, at pati na rin sa kanya along the way as I played the character. Ako, as an actress, I would say na malaki yung naitulong sa akin ni Klay as to how mature I’ve grown as an actress.”
(“The character of Maria Clara Infantes in ‘Maria Clara at Ibarra’ is very close to my heart. Aside from the character was beautifully written, her character has become very personal to me. During that time, I decided to really put Barbie in the character of Klay. Her character is really solid, like the audience can cling into it. It needed personal reference that’s why every sob and every pain, you could truly feel it. She’s very close to my heart. She’s very special to me. I learned a lot in life and from her along the way as I played the character. As an actress, Klay helped me a lot as to how mature I’ve grown as an actress.”)
Adelina in “Pulang Araw” is another iconic character that Barbie truly adores.
“Si Adelina naman, parang tinrato ko siya bilang nakababata kong kapatid, kasi nagsimula yung character niya na sobrang bata. So pinabata ko rin talaga yung sarili ko. Kahit na yung character niya lived at the time of the war, parang sobrang fragile niya. Pero para sa akin, siya yung pinaka strong. Siya yung pinaka malakas kasi hindi nawala ‘yong pagmamahal sa puso niya sa kabila ng gyera.”
(“As for Adelina, I treated as my younger sibling, because her character also started at a very young age. So I made myself act really young too for the character. Her character lived at the time of the war, she’s so fragile. But for me, she was the strongest character. She was the strongest because her love did not fade despite the war.”)
New Territories
As Barbie has always been known with her usually sweet, nice, yet strong female characters in her more than a decade of acting career, she’s set to enter new territories in the upcoming GMA Primetime drama “Beauty Empire.”
This time, she’s playing another strong female lead character — a generally kind, yet vengeful, cunning one.
Barbie is Noreen Alfonso, an aspiring beauty entrepreneur who also dabs in being a beauty influencer. She’s a sweet girl who suddenly had to make big decisions in life to avenge her murdered sister.
“Noreen Alfonso in ‘Beauty Empire’ uses her being underdog to her advantage. She competes with Shari, the character of Kyline Alcantara. Parang pinapalabas ni Noreen kasi palagi na ang magaling, ang matalino, at ang nakakaisa ay si Shari. Without Shari knowing na she’s doing a lot. It’s a very interesting character. My character has a lot of layers.”
(“Noreen Alfonso in ‘Beauty Empire’ uses her being underdog to her advantage. She competes with Shari, the character of Kyline Alcantara. Noreen makes it seem that Shari is the best one, the brightest one, and that she’s always ahead of everyone. Without Shari knowing that she’s doing a lot. It’s a very interesting character. My character has a lot of layers.”)
“Our show ‘Beauty Empire’ is very interesting. We tackle beauty, and beauty at its core. We will also tackle about family, murder– we will really go there. We will go that dark, and we will also show a little bit of love angle, too.”
While she is playing a character that’s totally something new and distinct compared to what she’s done before, Barbie noted that she can resonate to some of the layers of the character of Noreen.
“The story revolves around family. Dahil ako man po sa sarili ko, I’d like to say na I’m very family-oriented. Noreen’s actions are hugely impacted by her love for her family.”
“Malapit ho talaga ako sa pamilya ko, sa kapatid ko kahit nasa Chicago siya. We always keep in touch. Hanggang ngayon, I am proud to say that I am guided by my family when it comes to decision-making. Especially, ‘pag masyado nang mabigat ang kailangang pagdesisyunan. I always involve my family. And ‘yun talaga yung core ni Noreen. Dun talaga manggagaling ang lahat. Yung paghihiganti niya, yung mga pangarap niya sa buhay, lahat naman ay para at dahil sa pamilya.”
(“I am very close to my family, even to my sibling who’s already based in Chicago. We always keep in touch. I am proud to say that I am guided by my family when it comes to decision-making. Especially, if the decisions are too heavy. I always involve my family. And that’s the core of Noreen. Everything comes from her love for her family, her revenge, her dreams in life– everything is because of and for her family.”)
Beauty Under Pressure
Just like competing beauty influencers Noreen and Shari in the upcoming TV series “Beauty Empire,” Barbie is not sheltered from the toxicity brought by the social media.
“I admit that there was a time where I felt overwhelmed with the toxicity of social media. I am pretty exposed to the world of social media, of course. But there was a time that it felt like everyone got too involved with my life. To the point that it became toxic for me.”
“So at that time, I decided to fly to Chicago and be with my sister. To really relax and to breathe. And then after that, I taught myself to have a wider understanding that maybe, it is just that people care about you, or they care about me. Whether it be in a good way or a bad way, the people know you, they notice you. They just wanna get inside your head.”
“So parang yung gano’n, mas ginusto kong intindihin yung mga tao na nagto-throw ng hate towards me on social media. I feel like it is a reflection of them, more than of mine. So it’s really them, and not my doing. So I decided to have a deeper understanding towards them.”
(“So it’s like, I really chose to understand those people who throw hate towards me on social media. feel like it is a reflection of them, more than of mine. So it’s really them, and not my doing. So I decided to have a deeper understanding towards them.”)
“I know some who throw shade at other people because they can’t handle their own weaknesses. Or they’re going through something and it’s their defense mechanism. And so, I think I’ve gained deeper understanding of that.”
“And so every time people would throw hate or shade at me, I try to understand them really. And I just, I don’t respond anymore. I don’t say anything on social media. I just let them be. I see it as, it is their way to cope, and to reflect on themselves. Sometimes, when we say something out loud, or when we put something out there on social media, the more we realize something about ourselves. So I give them the time. I give them that time for themselves.
“I give them space they need para ma-realize nila na, hindi ko naman siya talaga kilala. Kasi natutuwa po talaga ako na marami din nagsasabi sa akin na, ‘pasensya na jinudge kita agad.’ Oo, (and I was like,) at least you can come to that realization. Kaya rin pinanghahawakan ko yan na I just give them the time and space. And they’re just human. They’re humans, they’re dealing with themselves. And I really admire those who are admitting their mistakes in the end.”
Noreen may be vengeful, but clearly, Barbie is not the new character she plays on TV. This young star still proves that sometimes, the fiercer mindset one could have, is actually choosing to have the heart and empathy for other people—no matter what pain or stress those people have caused you.
Now that’s what people should aspire to mean when they say they want to embody real beauty and a genuinely strong character from within. Sometimes, it’s about still choosing to be kind even if it is tough. In this crazy world when it is easy to be a Noreen, it’s good for the soul to still be like Barbie Forteza.
Watch “Beauty Empire” this June 16, 2025 on Vui, and on GMA on July 7, 2025 .
—————————————————-
Shoot Producers: Marane Plaza, Aiza Gaufo, and Kathrina Vapor
Photographer: Angelo Willis
Stylist: Janra
Styling Associate: Vincent Dacoy
Makeup Artist: Toni Aviles
Hairstylist: Fatima Mercado
Nails: Posh Nails
Special thanks to Lux Lourgie
Thank you to Illo’s Party Trays
Tune in on another episode of #StylishPodcast, this time with Barbie Forteza. Coming this June 2025.
—————————————————————
Stylish Magazine is “your source of self-love, style & inspiration” first introduced in June 2020. Our television series format, Stylish TV, once ranked one of the Top 50 Most Watched Multicultural Shows in the USA, can be streamed on iWantTFC and be watched on TFC (The Filipino Channel) in more than 50 countries. Watch it online here.
Style Visionary Network is a lifestyle-business online platform where #WeCreateVisionaries. Also introduced in June 2020, Style Visionary Network is also the digital home channel of media brands Stylish Magazine and Stylish TV.