SYLVIA SANCHEZ ENJOYS BEING MOM-IN-LAW TO MAINE, ZANJOE

With her strong acting chops, it's hard to imagine Sylvia Sanchez as a struggling actress. But early in her acting career, Sylvia was just that. It took her three decades before she achieved fame.

- BOY ABUNDA

The seasoned actress revealed she never had a smooth journey to stardom, especially because there were people who belittled her acting capability. However, she never allowed the harsh remarks to let her spirit down. Instead, it served as a challenge for her to prove her worth as an actress.

"Sometimes, I would hear them belittling me but I didn't care, or they would look at me from head to foot na sobrang nakakapanliit. Then, they would say, 'She doesn't know how to act,' within my hearing distance. Nandoon ako at hindi ko alam kung hindi nila ba ako nakita o sadyang pinarinig sa akin," revealed Sylvia when she recently sat down for "The Talk" segment of "Fast Talk with Boy Abunda."

No insult deterred her from working hard at her craft; instead, she told herself that one day, with the right project, they would see her.

True to her words, Sylvia has become one of the country's top actresses with acting recognitions. She received her first acting award as Best Supporting Actress at the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) in 1992. She was also named the Movie Actress of the Year at the 37th Star Awards for Movies for her performance in "Coming Home."

Among showbiz personalities, Sylvia sees the kind hearts of Maricel Soriano and Janice de Belen. She recalled how she would skip classes in high school whenever Maricel starred in a movie "tapos nung artista na ako, nandito na siya sa harap ko, kaeksena ko na. Baguhan pa ako, wala akong stockings, wala akong costume na kailangan kasi wala pa akong perang pambili. Siya yung nag-provide."