IN THE MIX BY MIC DIAZ: CHAT WITH MIC
For Sheryl Cruz, longevity in show business has never been about simply staying visible. After growing up before the public and building a career across film, television and music, she still approaches each project with something to prove—not to anyone else, but to herself.
“My competition is myself,” Cruz told me during our recent Chat With Mic conversation. Her philosophy is straightforward: “I have to top my last project or my last character.”
That drive has followed Cruz almost from the beginning. Born into one of Philippine entertainment’s most recognizable families, she grew up surrounded by actors and performers, including her aunt and uncle, screen legends Susan Roces and Fernando Poe Jr. Yet Cruz said she understood early that a celebrated family name did not eliminate the need to establish an identity of her own.
“I had to do my own body of work to be known for my own body of work,” she recalled. That meant deliberately pursuing different genres—from comedy and drama to horror, action, romantic comedy and musicals—while expanding into television, hosting, recording and live performance.
Cruz’s career began when she was only four years old after an impromptu audition led to her first film. Audiences would eventually watch her grow from child actress into teenage star, singer and leading lady. Her popular pairing with Romnick Sarmenta became one of the defining love teams of her generation, something Cruz remembers as an important chapter in her career even as she sought opportunities to establish herself independently.
Decades later, that willingness to evolve remains visible in her work. In the GMA musical drama Born to Shine, Cruz plays Giovanna “Vanna” Grande, the head and vocal coach responsible for training aspiring P-pop performers. The series also reunited Cruz with fellow former That’s Entertainment performers Manilyn Reynes and Tina Paner, recreating their popular ’80s singing trio, the Triplets, for a new generation of viewers.
Her film Kappa-tiran takes her into more serious territory. During our conversation, Cruz described the story as one that examines hazing, abuse and the sometimes dangerous lengths people may go through in their desire to belong. For her, the film’s value lies in its ability to start conversations within families and encourage greater awareness about initiation practices and violence.
Cruz is also looking beyond individual roles. She told me she wants to continue performing live with longtime friends and pursue more advocacy-driven films—stories with moral lessons and themes capable of reaching audiences beyond the Philippines.
After decades in entertainment, Cruz remains focused on what comes next. Her career has evolved across film, television, music and live performance, but the drive to challenge herself remains. Each new role gives her another opportunity to grow as an artist.
For Cruz, success is not about competing with the person standing beside her. It is about being better than the performer she was the last time around—and finding a way to top her last project.