Seven years after being crowned Miss Universe, Catriona Gray is opening a new chapter—one that places her in front of the camera in a role that demands vulnerability, discipline, and growth. Her acting debut comes with The Loved One, a Valentine’s release that marks her first foray into narrative filmmaking.

Gray said the decision was not rushed, but rooted in alignment.

“Siguro, hinihintay lang namin ng perfect timing and ’yung tamang project,” she shared. The moment clicked when the material—and the team—felt right. “How could I say no with an incredible director, Irene Villamor, and also an incredible cast?”

Stepping onto a film set for the first time brought both excitement and pressure.

“Excited ako, but also pressured. Pressured is the right word,” she admitted. “I really wanted to do a good job. I don’t want to be the weakest link in the film.”

That intensity pushed her beyond familiar territory. Acting workshops, close mentorship, and full immersion became part of her daily routine. “Very out of the comfort zone for me, but I was really so supported in the whole process,” she said.

The nerves peaked on her first day of shooting. “I was so nervous talaga kasi talagang new arena for me. I was observing everything—how they do the blocking, how they prep the actors,” Gray recalled, adding that curiosity helped steady her confidence as she asked questions and learned on the fly.

Sharing scenes with seasoned performers Anne Curtis and Jericho Rosales proved grounding. “They were both so kind and they really kind of paced me through it, which I really admire,” she said. “They don’t need to do that, so that really speaks volumes about their character and also as actors.”

While the door to acting is now open, Gray said she is in no rush to take on another role.

“It needs to speak to me. It has to align with me as a creative also,” she said, stressing the importance of learning and collaboration.

The Loved One opens on 11 February, positioning Gray’s debut as a Valentine’s offering rooted in emotion and signaling a deliberate new direction in her creative journey.

A musically focused year ahead

Parallel to film, Gray is also deepening her return to music. She said the spark came from her holiday single Every Christmas, which reignited her songwriting drive.

“I’m actively writing music, so I hope to see a full body of work come out this year,” she shared.

Currently shaping five to six tracks, Gray said her focus is cohesion rather than charts. “I really just want to create a body of art,” she explained, noting reflective themes drawn from adulthood, love, and self-reckoning. “Some of them are reminiscent of my journey in adulthood… looking at myself, my younger self, and who I am now.”

Collaboration remains central to the process. “I’m collaborating with a lot of different people. Some are joint concepts, some are my own,” she said.

Art as a shared experience

Beyond performance, Gray continues her cultural advocacy as an ambassador of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Now in her seventh year with the commission, she underscored its community-driven mission.

“Here at NCCA, like every year, they’re always trying and encouraging community engagement with the arts and that’s something I really admire,” she said.

For Gray, art flourishes when it is accessible. “Art doesn’t thrive in a closed room. It’s really something that’s meant to be shared, that is meant to inspire, that is meant to be felt.” She also cited the commission’s resilience during the pandemic and its broad embrace of disciplines—from film and architecture to dance and spoken word. “Filipinos are so talented, and our art deserves to be spotlighted and recognized.”