Snooky Serna is back on screen in My Father’s Wife, airing weekdays at 2:45 PM on GMA’s Afternoon Prime. Her return to the Kapuso network has been warmly received—but beyond the on-screen comeback is a woman who, after more than five decades in the industry, is speaking more candidly about what beauty and worth really mean.

“Mas nabibigyan ng halaga ang ganda kaysa sa talento.”

Appearing recently on Fast Talk with Boy Abunda, the 59-year-old actress shared her thoughts on the long-standing emphasis on physical appearance in showbiz. With calm conviction, she offered an insider’s perspective that resonated with many viewers.

“I feel that ganda is nabibigyan ng more attention or more focus, more importance than talent, in my opinion,” she told Boy. “Mas nabibigyan ng kahalagahan ang physical appearance. Iyong talent will come much later on.”

It’s a view shaped by years in front of the camera — and a hope that audiences and young stars alike can help shift the narrative.

“Sana iyong talent muna ang tingnan. Iyong kagandahan, darating din iyan. Ma-i-improve na iyan as time goes by.”

Looking back with clarity

Snooky also reflected on how her own relationship with beauty has changed. As a younger actress, she admits, vanity came with the territory.

“Noong bata ako, I was very vain,” she admitted with a smile. “Akala ko noong araw hindi, but in retrospect, naku, isa ako sa mga gandang-ganda sa sarili. Tingin nang tingin sa salamin.”

But today, it’s a different story — one that values inner strength over surface perfection.

“Now I realize—corny as it may sound, contrived man—beauty should be internal more than physical. Yung outward appearance natin, fleeting naman iyan eh. Mawawala din iyan. Wrinkles will happen. Sa akin nangyayari na. Nakikita ko na ang mga kulubot sa forehead—and I accept them. I’m happy, it’s part of my story.”

Still standing, still shining

Snooky’s career spans everything from Lino Brocka’s Wanted: Perfect Mother at age three to her reign as one of the original Regal Babies of the 1980s. Today, she’s marking 55 years in showbiz — still working, still evolving, and still speaking her truth.

While My Father’s Wife puts her back in the spotlight, Snooky’s real transformation is offscreen: a deeper embrace of herself and the industry she’s helped shape.

At 59, Snooky Serna isn’t trying to turn back the clock. She’s moving forward — with experience, perspective, and a career still very much in bloom.