Here’s an irony: the glamorous, fast-paced world of showbiz is something that takes a lot of hard work and a slow but steady climb to the top. Matteo Guidicelli knows this, having gone through that very route.He has always dreamt about becoming a celebrity. He recalls an instance when, while driving around Cebu with his mom, they came across a huge billboard at the local mall. “I told my Mom that I wanted to have my own billboard someday too,” he shares.
As fate would have it, the young athlete would soon find way into showbiz. But the journey wasn’t going to be easy.
“I was very much impatient when I was starting out,” Matteo admits. “I even remember my friend Derek Ramsay telling me that I should just relax and not push things too much. It was a challenge, but I’m an athlete and I like challenges. I was ready to keep going to make things happen.”
And he sure did. He had no qualms putting in the effort – after all, working hard for a goal is something that has been ingrained in his system ever since he was young. “My parents always encouraged me make to learn on my own. They allowed me to fall so I can stand up and become stronger,” he shares. “When I was still into race car driving, I even went to Italy by myself to train. I lived with an Italian family, and I trained and did chores around the garage like cutting boards and mopping floors. It wasn’t easy, but I learned a lot.”
The discipline and patience earned from those years paved the way for Matteo’s rise in showbiz. And between playing a popular character on the hit series Dolce Amore, promoting his debut album, and being a preferred endorser of different brands, it’s easy to see that his time has indeed come. But while it’s easy to get carried away in the flashy life that stardom offers, he’s impressively been able to keep a good head on his shoulders and remain humble.
He credits his family and friends for this. “I always believe in never forgetting where I started. The reason why one becomes successful is because of the people around them, and in my case it’s my family, my management team, and my friends. You need good people around you to make you a better person and who are more knowledgeable than you, because if you think you know everything then you won’t go anywhere.”
With his hands full in showbiz, it’s a wonder how Matteo is still able to find time for other pursuits such as racing in triathlons and opening a restaurant in Cebu called Trattoria da Gianni. But here’s his take on chasing passions: in the same way that you’d do everything for a person you love, you will also find every reason there is to pursue the dreams you’re passionate about.
Patience and passion, in a nutshell is Matteo’s recipe for success. Today, the kid who dreamt of seeing his face on a billboard has fulfilled his dream, and then some. But while he’s relishing the fruits of his labor, he’s not one to get carried away in the trappings of the business. “We’re living the life and we’re having fun, but this is not going to be forever,” he muses. “We have to plan our forever. We have to plan our future.”
And that’s exactly what Matteo intends to do. “I’m always going to find ways to make my dreams come true,” he says. “I believe in good and honest hard work. I don’t want to take shortcuts. I’m going to climb the ladder the proper way.”
(Previously published in Yes! Magazine May 2016 as an advertorial for Sun Life. Photo courtesy of Sun Life.)
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