Cuteness isn’t enough: Ice Seguerra says child TV host Ryzza Mae Dizon must carve own career path like her

If you want to succeed in this industry, you have to know it all,” said singer-actor Ice Seguerra, who has been working in the biz since he was 3. He emphasized the importance of continuously honing one’s craft by attending training and workshops.

“I’m grateful that, when I was still young, my mom made sure I trained for dancing, singing and even acting—although not so much. He said that as a child actor, you can’t just rely on being cute. That is only effective for a few years. Other than your cuteness, dapat mayroon ka ring ibubuga,” Ice told Inquirer Entertainment over lunch recently.

‘Not just a hobby’

Ice was reacting to the comparison made between his and Ryzza Mae Dizon, who also endeared herself to the public as the precocious child host of the noontime game show “Eat… Bulaga!” “I agree that there is a similarity because we both started in ‘Bulaga,’ which is a family known to really take care of their artists. What I want is for Ryzza Mae to carve her own path and to look for that one thing that she is really passionate about,” explained Ice, who after realizing that he is able to express himself better through music, eventually became a singer-composer.

Ice then said this is where parents or guardians of young artists come in. “It’s very important to have your kids trained early because what they are doing isn’t just a hobby,” Ice pointed out. “They have to consider this a job because they are working alongside professional actors who value their time and craft. I personally don’t want to work with a child actor who doesn’t know how to give back.”

Still addressing the parents, Ice said: “Just because your children are earning money doesn’t mean they can boss everyone around, including you. That’s the worst thing you can do to a child—when you give them everything they want and treat them as your equal. He is still your child, you have to discipline him, because he is part of a world that pampers him and feeds his ego. It’s up to you to keep him grounded.”

“I swear to you, if you don’t discipline your child, you will not like the monster you will be dealing with later on,” he added. “I’ve heard a lot of sad stories of artists who were changed by fame and popularity. They didn’t know how to handle these things and eventually turned into drug addicts and alcoholics. It’s very important for parents to make sure their children have a solid foundation at home. That’s the only way they can actually last in this industry.”

For Ice, more than a profession, show biz is actually a big part of his identity. “I am as a provider, a breadwinner. Imagine how devastating it felt when I lost my identity as a provider and a singer during the pandemic because I had no work. Both of that aspects of my life were taken away from me by the pandemic. That felt so difficult for me emotionally that I thought I had already lost my life’s purpose,” he recalled.

Bouncing back

Ice, who has been battling and managing clinical depression for over a decade now, shared his recent conversation with his therapist. “I felt purposeless. I kept asking myself, ‘Why am I still here if I’m already unable to sing or help my family financially?’ At that time, my dad’s health was already getting worse. It was a good thing that my wife didn’t stop working, but we also had other expenses that her government paycheck just couldn’t cover anymore.”

Ice’s dad, Dick, succumbed to cancer in November 2020. His wife, actress Liza Diño, was chairperson of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) from 2016 to 2022.

Ice said that while he still has a long way to go, he has successfully managed to bounce back. In fact, he is promoting his 35th anniversary concert at The Theater at Solaire (Oct. 15, 8 p.m.), which is aptly titled “Becoming Ice.”

Not only will Ice be the main performer, he will also be directing it as well. “Actually, I started directing live shows in 2018. I had planned to put up my own production company in 2016 with me as the director and Liza as producer-writer since she writes very well. It just so happened that we were both offered positions in government so this didn’t push through,” Ice recalled.

Ice was appointed National Youth Commission chairperson in 2016 but resigned from the post two years later. I then started helping Liza with events organized by the FDCP. I never got paid, but I also wanted to train, to learn the ropes, so quits lang kami. I really enjoyed the experience,” he said.

These days, Ice is busy finalizing details of his concert, especially his lineup of guests. “The people who will perform with me are those who helped me realize that I wanted to be a singer. While I’ve always loved music, I finally embraced it when I met them and, eventually, worked with them.” INQ

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