Julia Barretto says her entry to showbiz was no walk in the park

Julia Barretto may have entered showbiz carrying one of the industry’s most recognizable surnames, but she knows firsthand that being a Barretto did not make her journey any easier.

The actress opened up about the pressure that came with her family name during her guest appearance on Matteo Guidicelli’s talk show "Matteo G. Primetime." The episode originally aired in April and recently resurfaced after Guidicelli re-uploaded excerpts from their conversation.

As the daughter of Marjorie Barretto and Dennis Padilla and the niece of Gretchen and Claudine Barretto, Julia entered the industry with expectations already attached to her name.

“Maybe when I was starting, yeah. Because people were a bit more critical and I think unaccepting of me just because baka they feel, ‘What is she doing here?’” she said.

Rather than letting the scrutiny discourage her, Barretto said it became motivation to prove herself.

“I think you just learn with experience and trust in yourself. It was good pressure. It was a driving force for me that motivated me so much to give a hundred percent in everything that I did. Ultimately, my dream was really to be able to make a name for myself,” she said.

When she landed her first major role in "Mirabella" in 2014, Barretto recalled being shouted at on set. At the time, she described the experience as a “baptism of fire” that left her hurt.

“But looking back, I’m really grateful that I went through it, Matt, because there’s nothing glamorous when we’re actually already on the set. And no one’s actually given special treatment,” she said.

Being a Barretto, she learned, did not mean getting “a pass on a shooting day.”

“Everybody is expected to be at the top of their game and to perform,” she said, adding that the experience taught her an important lesson about the industry.

“I went through that and it taught me a lot. And experience is the best teacher. I’m glad that the people that I worked with along the way were very gracious,” she stressed.

Away from work, Barretto admitted that she still misses the days when she lived with her family.

“I miss living with my mom. Just being under her roof and her taking care of everything in the house and living with all my siblings, that’s what I miss the most,” she said.

The actress has been living on her own since she was 22. While she has grown accustomed to having her own space, she made sure her family remains close.

“I’ve been living alone since the age of 22. I’ve been able to adjust a lot already. My sisters are two to three minutes away from me,” she said.

“I don’t think I’ll survive not seeing any of them in a week. So that’s how we are,” she added.

Barretto also revealed a role she would love to take on someday: an ice skater.

“I think if there was a material that I would love to do, I wanna play an ice skater. I used to ice skate. I competed once,” she said.

Asked about ordinary people finding fame and earning money through social media, Barretto welcomed the changing landscape.

“I mean, good for them. Now everybody can be a star and make money for themselves. I’m glad that everybody is getting the same opportunity,” she said.

“I reached the era where social media really wasn’t a thing, so I felt that transition, and it’s a lot of work,” she added.