‘He was 17, and I was seven when he first saw me at Lea Productions. He told Aunt Siony to take care of me because he would marry me when I grew up. I wasn’t scared; I just looked at him and thought to myself, ‘He’s so handsome, he looks like Jesus Christ’
Tagged as “The Grand Slam Queen” and “The Pictorial Queen,” she is Victoria Lorna Perez Aluquin-Fernandez, known in the entertainment industry as Lorna Tolentino and to many as LT. The actress recalls her beginnings in showbiz, a career she started at seven years old.
“Nakita ng Tita Siony ko na mahilig ako umarte tapos nakita nila yung pa-audition na search for the young Susan Roces for a movie. Mga 1,000 kami na nag-audition at pinagpilian (My Aunt Siony saw that I loved acting, and then they saw the audition notice for the search for the young Susan Roces for a movie. There were about 1,000 of us auditioning, and we were shortlisted),” Lorna said.
Five years later, with a flourishing career and a starting income as a singer, LT took on the role of the breadwinner for the family.
“Noong time na 12 years old na ako, ako na ang naging bread winner ng family. Umaarte ako, may endorsements at nagkaroon din ng plaka sa Alpha Recording (When I was 12 years old, I became the breadwinner of the family. I acted, had endorsements and also received a plaque from Alpha Recording),” she added.
But like most child stars, LT went through an awkward stage but was lucky to still receive movie assignments. The actress can’t forget the support from movie legend Eddie Garcia.
“When I was 13 years old, alanganin ako matanda at alanganin na bata. Nagkaroon ako ng break, naging leading man ko si Tito Eddie Garcia na dati ko tatay sa mga pelikula (laughs). The first was doon sa Sariwang Damo sa Matandang Kabayo (I was caught between being too old and too young. I had a break when Tito Eddie Garcia became my leading man, who was once my father in the movies (laughs). The first was in Sariwang Damo sa Matandang Kabayo),” she said.
Love story
Lorna still remembers every detail of her first meeting with her husband, Rudy Fernandez. The actress said that the unexpected encounter happened in a movie studio.
“Seventeen siya at seven years old ako noong una niya ako makita sa Lea Productions. Sinabi niya kay Tita Siony alagaan mo ito kasi pakakasalan ko siya paglaki nya. Hindi ako natakot. Nakatingin lang ako sa kanya. Sabi ko sa sarili ko, napaka-gwapo naman nito kamukha nya si Jesus Christ (He was 17, and I was seven when he first saw me at Lea Productions. He told Aunt Siony to take care of me because he would marry me when I grew up. I wasn’t scared; I just looked at him and thought to myself, ‘He’s so handsome, he looks like Jesus Christ’),” Lorna recalled.
Lorna and Rudy got married on 24 June 1992 at The Chapel of the Ascension, Villa Escudero in Tiaong, Quezon. They had two sons who are also into acting — Ralph and Renz. Rudy’s passing on 7 June 2008 was a major heartbreak for LT.
“Maraming tinuro sa ’kin si Daboy na dala-dala ko hanggang ngayon (Daboy taught me many things that I still carry with me to this day),” she added.
One of the many things LT learned from Daboy and the movie industry is the complex yet exciting world of movie production. Together, they founded Reflection Films, which produced quality and mostly successful projects. One of these is the now-classic Kislap sa Dilim, which was shown in cinemas in 1991. The grand slam actress is thankful to have worked with notable filmmakers throughout her career.
“Kislap sa Dilim, pelikula ‘yan na produced namin ni Daboy. ‘Yan ang last film ni Direk Lino Brocka. ‘Yan ang maipagmamalaki ko. Dumaan ako sa halos lahat ng magagaling na direktor na andami-dami naituro sa akin (Kislap sa Dilim is a movie that Daboy and I produced. It was Direk Lino Brocka’s last film. That’s something I’m really proud of. I’ve worked with almost all the great directors, and they’ve taught me so much),” she said.
As a woman, Lorna said that her heart still beats for Rudy and that she is always inspired by him.
“Buhay na buhay pa rin ang puso ko, kailangan nandyan siya parati (My heart is still very much alive; it needs him to be there always),” Lorna shared.
A mother and a ‘lola’
Now at 62, LT is a grandmother to two beautiful granddaughters. Her first grandchild, Tori, has entered showbiz and is now under the management of ABS-CBN Star Magic. She admits that she is a spoiling grandma to her grandchildren.
“Yes, spoiled sa akin ang mga apo ko. Kapag nagkaroon ka ng mga apo iba na talaga (My grandchildren are spoiled by me. When you have grandchildren, it’s really different),” she revealed.
As a mother, Lorna said that she now values her quiet time and the opportunity to discover more about herself as a person.
“Noong nag-60 na ako, nag decide ako na unti-unti mag-move out sa mga buhay nila para matuto sila sa mga desisyon sa mga buhay nila, sa pagpapatakbo ng pamilya nila at ako naman, gusto ko magkaroon ng quiet time, ng ‘me time (When I turned 60, I decided to gradually step back from their lives so that they could learn to make their own decisions, manage their families and, for myself, I wanted to have some quiet time and ‘me time’),” she added.
And lastly, Lorna is thankful for a beautiful life that is always full of blessings and challenges, which have made her who she is today.
“I’m thankful for God’s many blessings. My life isn’t perfect. Hindi ako perfect gaya ng madaming tao (I’m not perfect, just like many people).
“May nagtatago ding monster sa loob ko… May mga monsters tayong kinakaharap sa buhay natin — challenges na kailangan nating malagpasan. At sa dami ng pinagdaanan ko sa buhay, grateful naman ako na nasa tamang path ako. Nasa sa atin na lang kung paano natin iha-handle ang mga monsters ng buhay natin (There’s also a monster hidden inside me… We all face monsters in our lives — challenges that we need to overcome. Despite everything I’ve been through, I’m grateful that I’m on the right path. It’s up to us how we handle the monsters in our lives),” she concluded.
