From Maris Racal to Ranz Kyle, SB19’s Josh, and more, these celebrities and personalities prove that careers aren’t set in stone and it’s never too late to do something different.
It really is true, the only thing constant in this life is change. While we all wish to have that dream career that lasts for most of our lives, the reality is that it doesn’t happen often. It’s possible to feel that the career you have now is not the career you wanted or would like to do something else. It’s normal to think this way and it’s something that celebrities have gone through, too. They originally started out with a certain career path but are now a completely different one. Here are 11 celebrities and personalities who shifted careers.
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BENEDICT CUA
These days, you may know Benedict Cua as a social media influencer, YouTuber, actor, and musician. But did you know that before he became a content creator, he used to work in the business world? He graduated with a degree in Business Management from De La Salle University in 2013 and worked at Nestle Philippines for three years. At one point, he even reached the position of a key account executive.
GRETCHEN HO
Gretchen Ho got her claim to fame as a volleyball player. First, she played for the Ateneo Lady Eagles for five years, including two times where she played in the finals. She then played professionally for the Petron Blaze Spikers in the Philippines Super Liga and even helped the team to a championship win in 2014. But Gretchen, who holds two degrees from Ateneo, wouldn’t limit her talents to playing sports. As of late, she is a TV host, reporter, correspondent for ABS-CBN, and a frequent face on Umaga Kay Ganda. Earlier this year, she transferred to TV5 to join Frontline Pilipinas as a sports anchor.
MAINE MENDOZA
You could say that Maine Mendoza becoming an actress was an accident. Initially, Maine had a different career planned for her. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Hotel, Restaurant, and Institution Management Major in Culinary Arts from CSB. She also interned at the upscale The Sagamore Resort in Bolton Landing, New York for six months of training as a chef. Maine first used Dubsmash (remember that?) as more of a hobby, but soon built a following on the app. She was then scouted by GMA and invited on Eat Bulaga, and the rest, as they say, is history.
MARIS RACAL
Believe it or not, there would have been a chance that Maris Racal would have gone by Dr. Racal. The actress, singer, and PBB alumni studied Medical Technology at the Trinity University of Asia before stopping due to her busy schedule. She has said though that if she weren’t in showbiz, she would be a doctor or healthcare frontliner. Considering that she’s only 23 years old, who knows if Maris would actually go back to school to become a doctor.
MARVIN FOJAS
Marvin Fojas is one of the most popular Filipino TikTok creators. With over 7.7 million followers on the app and counting, Marvin has entertained millions with his funny skits and videos. It seems that Marvin was born to be an entertainer, but he used to work in a completely different field. Marvin is a licensed pharmacist and that was his day job for five years. In October 2020, he announced that he was quitting his job to pursue his passion, content creation, full time.
RAIZA CONTAWI
Beauty content creator Raiza Contawi has amazed fans with her impressive makeup skills. She has more than 600,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel which makes her one of the larger beauty gurus in the local makeup scene. But before she was a content creator, Raiza used to work in corporate as a financial analyst and marketing assistant. She actually has a B.S in Commerce from FEU, but she quit her job to pursue content creation full time.
RANZ KYLE
Ranz Kyle has made a name for himself as one of the most popular content creators in the Philippines. With over 14.3 million subscribers, his YouTube account is one of the most followed in the Philippines. But before he became the content creator that he is today, Ranz actually used to be in a boy band. The group was called Chicser and it was a six-member group composed of him and his long-time friends in school. Ranz also acted in a few TV shows and movies when he was younger.
ROBI DOMINGO
As one of the most popular hosts in the country, Robi Domingo is a familiar face on TV. But it wasn’t always meant to be that Robi would have a career in the entertainment industry. He graduated from Ateneo de Manila with a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Sciences. As the son of two doctors, Robi was initially supposed to go to medical school but didn’t to focus on his showbiz career after his appearance on PBB. As more and more opportunities came in Robi’s way, he has yet to enter medical school and continues his career.
SANDARA PARK
As part of the K-Pop girl group 2NE1, Sandara Park, or more commonly known as Dara, entertained millions around the world with their performances and was one of the first K-Pop groups to really make an impact outside of Asia. But before she became a K-Pop idol, Sandara was already a household name in the Philippines thanks to her movies and music. She competed in Star Circle Quest in 2004 and made it to second place behind winner Hero Angeles. Dara then stared in a few movies like Bcuz of U and Can This Be Love and released a few songs including the hit In or Out. She and her family then returned to South Korea where she eventually signed with YG Entertainment.
SB19’S JOSH
SB19 is proof that you should never give up on your dreams no matter how hard things go. From being ignored and disrespected, the group is now one of the top acts of the Philippines and a rising star internationally. All five members look like they were born for the stage, but they used to live different lives before their debut. Take Josh for example. Before he became an idol, he used to work as a call center agent. Maybe you even talked to him once on the phone when trying to call customer service. He’s also not the only member to leave behind a different career to be an idol. Pablo used to work in real estate while Ken was a college student studying architecture before he entered ShowBT Philippines.
WIL DASOVICH
Before Wil Dasovich became the high-profile YouTuber and vlogger he is now, he used to work in a different career. He studied business in college in California. When he first came to the Philippines, he started out as a model. Wil was actually discovered by a talent scout during his stay in the country and did a series of ads for both print and video. He even dabbled a bit as a host. In fact, if you watch Wil’s older videos, they’re about his career as a model and TV personality.
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