‘Tunay Na Buhay’: Isabelle De Leon recalls start of her showbiz career

At 25 years old, Isabelle De Leon is an accomplished actress, singer and songwriter who is now trying her hand at beauty pageants.

The Kapuso star is among the 40 hopefuls competing at this year's Miss World Philippines.

In an episode of "Tunay Na Buhay," Isabelle shared how her life in the spotlight began.

As early as 4 years old, Isabelle was exposed to the industry when her father Dean attended a scriptwriting workshop. Since it was just the two of them, he brought her with him.

Screenwriter Ricky Lee spotted her and suggested to her father that she try out for auditions. Lee would later become Isabelle's mentor.

At 6 years old, Isabelle entered the showbiz industry after bagging a role in the 2000 soap "Munting Anghel." She also wowed with her performance at "Magnifico" (2003) which earned her the FAMAS award for Best Child Actress.

Despite the early exposure to the industry, Isabelle doesn't think she missed out on a healthy childhood.

"Feeling ko wala naman akong na-miss out sa childhood ko, kasi I really savor every stage ng aking buhay, yung aking teenage years, and all that. I see acting as a way of playing, parang naglalaro ka lang naman," she said.

As she grew older, Isabelle branched out to music.

After composing dozens of original songs, she released an album, "LoveZone."

She eventually returned to acting. Her recent projects include "Magkaibang Mundo" (2016), "Super Ma'am" (2017), My Guitar Princess (2018), and Dragon Lady (2019).

Despite acting for most of her life, Isabelle is uncertain if she will grow old in the industry.

"Ang dami ko pong gustong i-explore, and ang dami ko pa pong gusto ring makilala ko pala, na kaya ko pala gawin yun, or ma-explore pang iba't ibang mundo. Pero one thing is for sure, hindi mauubos ang aking passion at zest to explore life," she said.

Now, she is starting yet another journey: becoming a pageant queen.

The actress-singer officially introduced herself as Candidate no. 1 of the Miss World Philippines 2019 competition last week.

Despite having no prior experience in this new challenge, Isabelle is working hard to train for it, determined to live without regrets.

"Do not let your fears become bigger than your dreams," she said. "Don't be afraid to strive for perfection, because although you'll never achieve it, it will push you to live past your limits and your comfort zone." — Jessica Bartolome/BM, GMA News