Fate never miscalculates. What is made for you naturally follows you everywhere and every time. And the same applies to Pinoy Big Brother Season 7 Big Winner Maymay Entrata, whose success the algorithm gods may not have given away in a finger snap. Before she was famous, Maymay had to overcome rejections. From repeat auditions in reality shows to talent competitions on television, the slope to stardom is too slim to tiptoe on.

“Bago ako naisalang sa industriya—ito talaga ’yong sobrang totoo, wala talagang echos ito—alam n’yo naman po, ilang beses akong nag-audition, ’di ba? So, ilang beses na akong na-reject at ilang beses akong hindi nanalo lalo na kapag iyong modeling na competition [ang sinasalihan ko] o kaya naman, [kapag] gusto kong mag-PBB,” Maymay shares with Metro.Style in a sit-down interview. “Ilang beses akong na-re-reject kahit saan,” she declares.

Being new in show business is no simple plug-and-play for anyone who aspires to last in a competitive world. It takes work and a lot of good old grit to face hardships in life while holding the fort all the same, and that is what Maymay showed her audience. “Nag-stick ako doon sa learning ko po talaga na kapag may dreams ka, dream big. [Dapat] marami kang options para kapag hindi maibigay sa iyo itong option 1, okay lang.”

Maymay Entrata Photography by Dookie Ducay

Trying her luck at television shows and failing shortly after auditioning shaped Maymay’s stoic character. From her newcomer attempts at Pinoy Big Brother, The Voice, and Pilipinas Got Talent to her now-coveted profile, Maymay’s climb to prominence was a true feat. Her talents, although raw, also required some gloss to it. Shortly after PBB, she worked on a Maalaala Mo Kaya episode but found it hard to dig deep into her emotions for a scene that required her to cry.

Luckily, while she questions herself and her abilities time and again, her management never ceases to nurture and mold her into the thoroughbred individual that she is today. “Iba silang mag-handle po talaga ng artista. Talagang makikita mo iyong alaga. Itinuturing nila kami bilang isang anak.” That is how Maymay introduces Star Magic to us. “May nagsabi po sa amin na, ‘Wala kaming nakitang mas tutok na kasing-tutok ng mga handlers ninyo.’”

With projects under her belt that she top-billed including the films Loving In Tandem (2017) and Princess DayaReese (2021), Maymay’s speed in the game promised to increase further. She has prevailed in different spaces alongside acting, such as fashion and music. As the first Filipina to walk the Arab Fashion Week in 2018, she is a spectacular force to reckon with.

Following the release of her music album “MPOWERED,” also, Maymay’s solo track “AMAKABOGERA” was nominated at MTV Europe Music Awards 2022 under the Best Asia Act category. Believe it or not, she tells us, she only learned how to sing sometime in 2021: “[Du’n] lang ako nakawala sa comfort zone ko—nakawala doon sa box na sinasabi nila.”

Her humor is a joy to behold, too, and her being just herself is that perfect finish to her well-liked persona. The fame that tends her name and career, though, is something that Maymay takes to the heart and not to the head. “Ang pinaka-natutunan ko sa Star Magic na lagi nilang sinasabi sa akin, ‘O, ’pag lalaki ang ulo mo, sino’ng unang babatok sa iyo?’ So iyon nga, huwag mo talagang kalimutan kung saan ka nanggaling.”

On Maymay: Ensemble by LSW

“Iyong ma-witness mo iyong blessing ng Panginoon na gano’n siya kalaki, overwhelming pero at the same time, humble [ka] pa rin [dapat], kasi nakaka-blind ’yon, e,” Maymay warns, looking back on her humble beginnings. “Papasok kami ng ABS-CBN, tapos sinabi ng guard, ‘Sino po iyong nasa van?’ Si Maymay po! ‘Ah, pasok po!’ Ah, kilala ako!” she recounts. “Ang lagi ko lang natatandaan, sabi ko, ‘Lord, thank You, Lord! Thank You po talaga. Lord, iba ka. Grabe!’”

On realizing what it takes to be a seasoned talent in entertainment, Maymay emphasizes: “Bago ka maging magaling na artista, maging mabuting tao ka muna, kasi madami namang magaling, e, pero nakakalimutan nilang maging mabuti. Dala-dala ko po iyon kahit saan ako,” Maymay guarantees, heeding that growth and humility are essential to the equation. “‘Pag nag-g-grow ako sa craft ko, mas lalo akong napapamahal, mas lalo akong naiintriga. Mas lalo akong nag-e-explore kasi the more you learn, the more na nabibigyan mo ng kulay ’yung craft mo.”

The Star Magic artists gathered for a 2022 year-ender cover feature, to cap Metro's celebration of the premier talent management's 30th anniversary in the industry. Photography by Dookie Ducay and Jharwin Castañeda

Related Story: Star Magic's 30th Anniversary Celebration Culminates With This Metro Cover Feature

Photography by Dookie Ducay

Creative direction by Eldzs Mejia

Art direction by Raff Colmenar

Sittings editor: Grace Libero-Cruz

Makeup by Owen Sarmiento

Hairstyling by Ernesto Jamelarin

Styling by Myrrh Lao To, assisted by Mack Bersalona, Josh Galang and Mai Chua

Interviewer: Grace Diez

Shoot coordination: Red Dimaandal and Kate Paras-Santiago