Angela Muji dedicates ‘rise’ to her late mother

Everything Angela Muji is today, she dedicates to her late mother, Lanie, whom she lost to cancer a few years ago.

- By LYKA NICART

Long before the spotlight found Angela, her mother, Lanie, quietly cheered from behind the scenes as her daughter slipped into oversized heels and turned their dining table into her own stage.

“Ako kasi, I really like joining pageants. Bata pa lang ako, kikay na talaga ako,” the rising actress shared in an episode of The Philippine STAR’s On The Rise on YouTube.

Those playful moments were never brushed off as childish dreams because her mom — a fashion designer and makeup artist who carried dreams she never fully got to chase — saw her potential.

“Marami kasing pangarap yung mommy ko nung bata siya na hindi niya nagawa,” Angela shared. “So she made sure na lahat ng pangarap ko, magagawan niya ng paraan. She was supportive, super,” she added.

Some of Angela's earliest memories are of being her mother’s “mini-me,” trying on her clothes, playing with her makeup and walking in her heels.

By the age of three, she was already singing, even if the words were pure gibberish.

“Gumagawa ako ng stage sa dining table namin. Kumakanta ako kahit hindi pa marunong magsalita,” she laughed.

Her love for entertainment grew naturally, sharing that watching Sarah Geronimo on television sparked her desire to sing. “Doon ko nakuha ‘yung gusto kong maging singer or artista,” Angela shared.

Acting followed soon after, when she joined her school’s drama club. “Doon ko na-realize na mas gusto ko talaga ‘yung acting,” she said.