Liza Soberano is pulling back the curtain on the realities of chasing her Hollywood dream, revealing that life in Los Angeles has come with financial sacrifices, constant rejection and the challenge of rebuilding her career from the ground up.

Since relocating to Los Angeles to pursue opportunities in the American entertainment industry, Soberano said she has had to give up the financial security she once enjoyed in the Philippines.

“Obviously, money is the biggest thing that I’ve sacrificed because I could be here in the Philippines doing the same thing I’ve been doing since I was 12, making lots of money,” she told Edward Barber on the Painfully Human Podcast.

“I could be easily just doing that and still making the same amount of money that I used to, but now I don’t. That’s what I sacrificed to be living in LA and in discomfort.”

Soberano also addressed criticisms she received after moving abroad, particularly comments suggesting that her career had faded.

“When I first moved to LA, it really hurt me when people would say, ‘Oh, laos na siya. We don’t see her anywhere. Oh, laos na siya. She’s only doing these small little influencer gigs,’” she recalled.

The actress stressed that those projects have been necessary as she adjusts to life in a new market.

“Guys, that’s how I stay alive. I’m not making as much money as I did before and on top of that, majority of my money still comes from Asia, but I’m living in the US, so the conversion is crazy,” she said. “I have to do all these little gigs every now and then because that’s how I pay my bills.”

For Soberano, however, the sacrifices are part of a bigger goal.

“That’s the price that I’m paying so that I can fulfill this ambition or dream of mine,” she said, citing “money and just the comfort of not having to put in the effort to grow” as things she has had to leave behind.

Despite facing frequent rejection, Soberano said she has found fulfillment in the process.

“In America, I do three to four auditions a week and I get rejected constantly,” she shared. “But I’m loving it now because I’m learning and growing so much.”

She added that the experience has exposed her to a wider range of characters and opportunities, even if success does not always come immediately.

“All these different roles which is fun, but then I still get rejected because I’m doing the thing I said I wanted to do.”