The Star In The Stars

After 11 years in the business, a real blockbuster of a film fest entry, constant TV time, and a lot more to come in the latter half of 2017, Julia Barretto’s hitting her best stride—and cheerfully sacrificing sleep

- Celene Sakurako

Julia Barretto is still in her TV makeup when she arrives at our cover shoot on a gloomy Sunday afternoon during the Independence Day long weekend. Comfortably dressed down in a fitted black tank top, tights, and athletic sandals, she enters the spacious flat in Cubao donning an infectious smile that is a stark contrast to the stormy weather. It’s been a long day, but Julia is unfazed. She courteously greets everyone in the room one by one—and gives makeup artist Lala Flores a big hug—before quickly sitting down to have her hair and makeup done.

As she chats with the team, she removes her TV makeup to reveal a bare face and fatigued eyes. It’s Sunday. The only day of the week when she’s not taping her teleserye A Love to Last or shooting an unnamed upcoming film with her onscreen partner Joshua Garcia. It’s also the only day of the week that she could have been in bed early; her work schedule for the other six days of the week typically runs from 5 a.m. to 3 a.m. There are countless excuses she could’ve easily used to get some much needed rest, but she didn’t make any. Instead, she’s chosen to come to our shoot, and she even discloses that she’s booked for another shoot after ours.