It be a rough time out here as the generation who is ruining everything, but Daniela Stranner has some wise words for you.
Related: 6 Fun Facts About Daniela Stranner That’ll Make You Love Her Even More
If you’ve spent any amount of time on the internet, especially on social media, you’ve probably heard of terms such as: “main character syndrome”, “entering my villain era”, “my villain origin story”, and the like. One of the greatest song lyrics to come out in recent years comes from none other than pop royalty Taylor Swift, who in her hit song “Anti-Hero”, unapologetically announces: “It’s me, hi! I’m the problem, it’s me.”
Is this awareness and meta commentary a sign that we as a society are devolving into a state of absurdism as a reaction to increasingly harsh living conditions? Perhaps. But if we’re zeroing in on what this might be telling us about Gen Z, it may be pointing us towards their biggest strength and weakness: empathy.
The Mystery of Gen Z
Daniela Stranner, the 22-year old Filipino-German actress whose short but illustrious career includes roles in Make It With You and Love at First Stream, most recently finished her stint on the Kapamilya teleserye Senior High as the hateful Z and made her mark with a formidable acting performance. Her delivery of the bait-and-switch kontrabida with a tumultuous backstory was extremely layered and nuanced, earning her much acclaim and attention.
Makeup by Thazzia Falek (@thazziafalek)
More than just a fictional telling, the series reflected the real dynamic that goes on among Gen Z, something the young actress was quick to point out. “It’s great that we’re very aware sa mga bagay na ganito circling around mental health. Pero at the same time it [makes] us very sensitive din. Sometimes ang hirap lang makafeel ng sadness or anger kasi sensitive ka, pero at the same time you understand where the other person is coming from.”
If it is indeed true that Gen Z’s biggest crime, really, has been that of extreme caring, which can occasionally lead to a feeling of numbness, then this incoming generation of leaders is in a unique position to learn from past mistakes and acknowledge the multiplicity of the individuals around them. If we are so acutely aware of how everyone is feeling, then we can find a way to bring everyone to the table.
Are we the villains, really?
It’s almost a joke at this point (except it’s not even that funny) how consistently older generations love to trash-talk the generations that follow them. Since Zoomers represent the subsection of the population that is set to inherit the largest share of political and economic influence in the next few years, they are currently on the chopping block.
Dress by Ara Madri (@aramadri), Shoes from ANDANTE (@andantefootwear)
But where exactly does the disconnect come from? Daniela proposes, “Mas comfortable na po kasi yung generation namin in voicing out our feelings – mga sentiments namin, ganyan. And siguro po na-shock din yung mga older generation kasi nung sila hindi nila pwedeng gawin yun. Kaya siguro namimisunderstand nila ‘pag pinaprioritize namin feelings namin over keeping the usual toxic ‘hayaan mo na’ concept.”
This generationalism has led to a host of problems that, on an everyday scale, looks like annoyance among relatives and growing rifts between us and our elders. On a larger scale, this behavior has led to a “death of expertise” – when you’re young enough to feel you know everything, you lose the opportunity to learn from those who have experienced a different world than you have.
Who are the real heroes?
Stranner, having portrayed young characters who engage in both admirable and dubious behavior, knows a thing or two about what it means to be the hero and villain of the story. “A hero likes being recognized as a hero, while a villain stays in the dark lang,” she expresses. “A big chunk of this siguro is a hero is okay to be recognized as a hero dahil we all know na they are the good ones. While villains, di rin sila proud sa ginagawa nila kaya they stay in the dark lang.”
Corset Top and Skirt by Jaime Olinan (@jaimeolinan)
But despite the toxicity of online discourse trying to depict things just as black and white, if there’s anything we can take away from this, it’s that the line between villainy and heroism is extremely fluid. Where you fall on the spectrum is influenced by context, circumstance, and, most importantly: choice.
The choice to become better versions of ourselves is difficult but always available. Daniela is well aware of this, and looking back on her career and how much she’s grown in the past few years, had some things to say. “A lot has happened that has been an eye-opener for me. Looking back, I really was just a kid back then. I’m still young, pero the beauty of life kasi is: even though you’re still young, there is always a younger version of you that needed improvement in certain aspects. Now I have different opportunities in improving something na my future self will probably achieve din. That’s growth for me.”
Growing Into Your Villain/Hero Era
In interviews discussing her family life, it becomes apparent that the sophistication that Daniela brings to her acting and worldview comes, in part, from a well-connected, intergenerational family life. It is this respect in both directions that makes Stranner an exemplification of the values that us Zs need to create a path forward that is kind, understanding, and open to possibility.
Red top by Antonina (@ninaamoncio), White jacket and skirt by Wilbur Lang (@wilburlang)
As the Alphas and iPad kids are coming around the corner, an important thing to ask ourselves is this: Are we satisfied assigning cut and dry roles such as “hero” and “villain” in a similar fashion to how our forefathers did? Or are we instead going to take a more active role in growing with our youngers so we can adapt to this brave new world and face it together?
Dress by Marian Zara (@marianzara), Stockings by Dottie Chan (@dottiechan_official), Shoes from SM Parisian (@smstore #SMParisian)
“Never be complacent on how things are at the moment kasi change is inevitable,” voices Daniella. “Di po talaga sya naiiwasan kaya lagi dapat ready ka kasi di natin alam how life works. Wala pa po nakakafigure out talaga kung papano design ng life ng bawat isa.”
Wise words from a young woman who has been through the end and back.
Everyone is both the hero and the villain of theirs and others’ stories. What matters is to take things in stride and learn from them.
Creative and Fashion Direction and Styling ANDRE CHANG
Art Direction GELO QUIJENCIO
Photography JAN MAYO
Photographer’s Assistant ELDON CALOPEZ
Fashion Assistant KURT ABONAL
Stylist’s Assistant MARIA PAZ GAMUS
Makeup Artist THAZZIA FALEK
Makeup Assistants GEORGE FLORES and JOHN VILLALINO
Hair Stylist MJ RONE
Wigs LYNELLE HOUSE OF HAIR FASHION
Nails PRECY TAN
Shoot Assistants ANDRE CESAR and JAMES JACINTO
Production Design SPLINTERPROPS
Videography FAVOUR AJAH and BIMPOMAN
Video Direction FAVOUR AJAH
Shoot Coordination JASMIN DASIGAN
Shot at STUDIO LAJ
Editor-in-Chief MAGGIE BATACAN
Brand Manager ELYSE ILAGAN
Managing Editor RAFAEL BAUTISTA
Marketing Supervisor SOPHIA SAMALA
Social Media Associate SHANE SY
Special thanks to: PATRICK LAZOL and WILBUR LANG of FASHION INSTITUTE OF THE PHILIPPINES- ORTIGAS MAIN, JENNIFER SEVILLA and LYNELLE HOUSE OF HAIR FASHION, STUDIO LAJ, BEA D. BENAVIDEZ of SO FAB!, and RUSSELL D. ILAYA of SM PARISIAN
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