Photo from Instagram/@aldenrichards02
MANILA — Alden Richards says his emotional appearance on Gandang Gabi Vice was the most candid television interview of his career, reflecting a point at which he feels less compelled to manage how others see him.
“This is my rawest interview. Unfiltered,” Richards said in a Sept. 25 interview with GMA’s 24 Oras. “I’m not trying to impress anyone anymore.”
Richards, 34, was the first guest when Gandang Gabi Vice returned to television on Sept. 13 through a collaboration between GMA Network and ABS-CBN. His conversation with Vice Ganda moved from his career to relationships, the pressure of remaining single and expectations surrounding marriage and family.
Richards said he had spent years looking for a lasting relationship and had felt pressure from what he called a Filipino “culture of deadlines.” He said he eventually realized that, instead of continuing to search for love from another person, he needed to develop a stronger sense of love for himself. He became emotional while discussing that realization.
Vice Ganda later said Richards cried for nearly 10 minutes and that she considered stopping the interview, but Richards chose to continue. Richards subsequently described the taping as a grounding experience and said the conversation surprised even him.
Reflecting on the episode, Richards said some viewers told him they had never seen him display such a broad range of emotions. He attributed his openness to reaching a point in his life where he prefers being direct rather than trying to please others.
The interview aired during a busy professional period for Richards. Love, Siargao, his first screen pairing with Nadine Lustre, began its GMA television run Sept. 28 after streaming on Viu. He is also working on Code Grey, an upcoming GMA medical drama.
