Louise Delos Reyes: From actress to pastry chef

Louise delos Reyes is back as part of the lead cast of Viva Films’ latest horror flick, Pasahero. The actress said she is exploring a new journey as pastry chef. 

“Pandemic days that time walang kasiguraduhan ang lahat. Kailangan natin mag-isip ng back-up plan. Hindi na tayo bumabata (There was so much uncertainty during the pandemic. I had to think of something to to do as I am not getting any younger). I’m already 32 years old,” Louise said.

She thanks her Viva Films producer Vic del Rosario for her first break as a pastry chef. 

“Sa TESDA ako nag aral ng culinary. ‘Di ko kinakahiya ‘yun. After matapos ng course, nagsabi ako kay Boss Vic and siya ang nagbigay sa akin ng break. Ginawa niya ako apprentice kaya mas marami pa ako natutunan (I studied culinary in TESDA. I am not ashamed to admit it. When I finished the course, I asked Boss Vic for help and he opened opportunities for me to grow as a chef),” she said.

At the press conference, the film’s cast was asked whose ghost they would want to talk to and Louise chose that of her past instead of her parents.

“Ayaw ko ring maging masyadong mabigat kung sasabihin ko ‘yung parents ko. Siguro ‘yung ghost ng past self ko. Ikukuwento ko lang sa kanya kung ano ‘yung mga pinagdaanan namin, napagtagumpayan namin together. Ang sasabihin ko sa kanya na, ‘Huwag mong iisipin na mag-isa ka kasi you have your family, you chose your family and your friends.’ Gusto ko lang din siyang yakapin kasi ‘yung ghost ng past self ko, walang pagmamahal sa sarili niya (I don’t want it to be too heavy if I choose to talk to my parents. Maybe the ghost of my past self. I will just tell her what we went through, what we overcame together. What I will tell her is, ‘Don’t think that you are alone because you have your family, you chose your family and your friends.’ I just want to hug her because she had no love for herself),” she said.

The actress said she never shared about this episode in her life because “it’s a taboo topic dito sa Pilipinas (here in the Philippines).

“There was a time in my life when I thought… Kahit surrounded ako with friends… Nangyari ito habang may trabaho ako, surrounded with friends, at ngumingiti sa lahat ng fans. Nagkaroon ng inner struggle that I will not be enough, I am not good enough, I will never be enough.

“Lahat ng iniisip ko noong time na ‘yon, ‘How can I end this?’ because I was in so much pain to the point na ‘yung sakit na ‘yun naging sobrang stagnant, na ‘yun na ‘yung emotion ko. Hindi na ako nakakaramdam ng happiness. I didn’t feel fulfilled sa lahat ng ginagawa ko (All I could think of at that time was, ‘How can I end this?’ because I was in so much pain to the point that it became a lind of stagnant feeling — it became my only emotion. I could no longer feel any happiness. I didn’t feel fulfilled in anything I did).”

Delos Reyes somehow eventually overcame her negative emotions by deciding to pour her energy into learning something new — a sweet resurgence in pastry.