- Toni Gonzaga’s acting in her iconic ‘I love you, Piolo’ commercial made her rise to fame in the early 2000s
- But initially, she revealed, she was just chosen as one of the extras
- She shared the team just tested her and it was really an unexpected blessing
Who would forget Toni Gonzaga’s acting in the iconic “I love you, Piolo” Sprite commercial which led her to fame in the early 2000s?
Celebrating her 20th year in the showbiz industry, the actress revealed that playing such role was truly an unexpected blessing as she was initially cast as one of the extras in the video ad.
“While waiting, they just tested me,” she told the well-respected host Boy Abunda in an interview. “Sabi nila, ‘I-try mo ‘tong isang ‘to.’ Wala pa nga akong pangalan non, e. ‘Ito’ lang. This girl’. Naku, doon sila nagkamali. ‘Yong pagkakaturo nila sa aking ‘yon. Sabi ko sa sarili ko, ‘Naku, ibibigay ko nang lahat ‘to. Ito na ang chance ko sa buhay ko.’”
Her best effort, on the other hand, seemed to have no impact back then.
“Naalala ko pa noon, e ‘di sumigaw ako, tapos may isang nag-chuckle lang doon sa group. Sabi ko, ‘E, ‘di balik na lang ako sa pagka-support dahil wala rin namang nag-react,'” she said.
But then, not long after she accepted defeat, some good news came.
“Pagbalik ko sa upuan ko, lumapit sa’kin,” she recalled. “Sabi niya, ‘Oh, ikaw na raw. Ikaw na ‘yong lead.’”
“Tumakbo ako sa CR, tapos isinarado ko ‘yong cubicle. Tapos napaupo ako sa sahig, tapos iyak ako nang iyak. Kasi first time kong naka-experience ng ‘yes.’ Iyak akong nang iyak. I had to compose myself tapos hinihintay na akong lumabas,” the actress continued.
Watch that memorable ad of 2002:
Now watch Toni Gonzaga’s Sprite TVC in 2014:
