Max Collins
Beauty in Humility
Max Collins is the living, breathing example that if you put your heart into something good, you will achieve something great.
Text By Aedrianne Acar, Photos By Michael Paunlagui, GMA Artist Center
An angelic face that stands out from the crowd.
This is just one of the things people realize when they meet Kapuso drama actress Max Collins for the first time.
But she is more than a pretty face.
Max, admired by so many in the showbiz industry because of her incredible talent, is a living, breathing, shining example that popular girls can be humble and grounded, too.
Max’s beauty lies in her unquestionable humility. But how was she able to do it especially when she operates in a world where success, however little, can easily blind you?
GMANetwork.com sat down with her a few weeks ago when we visited her modern three-storey house, which she and her husband Pancho Magno bought in a quiet subdivision in Cainta, Rizal.
Surrounded by lush trees, their home is inviting, homey, and cozy. It’s a beautiful nest that serves as a perfect escape for a young and busy couple.
It’s easy to like Isabelle Abiera Collins.
She looks like a living art, almost perfect. Her smile is endearing, her voice cordial, her laugh contagious.
Max has no barriers. The moment you talk to her you would immediately feel her warmth. Not a hint of diva attitude. Even the words that would come out of her mouth exude humility.
Max was born and raised in the U.S.
Her mom, Belle Abiera, is a Filipina from Kalibo, Aklan; her father, Christian Collins, is an American of Irish-Italian descent.
Life in California was pretty much about “jumping from one place to another.”
“I grew up on the outskirts of San Francisco and then palipat-lipat kami because my mom likes to move us around,” Max recalled.
“So, I never had roots anywhere. So we moved from San Francisco to Las Vegas and then eventually Boracay.”
Moving around a lot didn’t give her “any roots,” but living in the picturesque island of Boracay gave her the chance to enjoy a normal childhood.
Boracay became “home” for Max Collins.
“And sa Boracay ako nagkaroon ng roots talaga as in doon ako nagkaroon ng barkada, ng stable family life. That’s where I feel I was most at home.
“Sobrang sarap! Iba talaga kasi siyempre iba ’yung pagkagising mo nakikita mo ’yung beach, nakikita mo ’yung sun and ’yung sand.
“Nakaka-relax siya kasi sa States ang buhay mo lagi, you’re always on the go or it’s about shopping.
“Or parang city life din but sa beach mas na-appreciate mo ’yung nature, hahanapin mo talaga ’yung dagat.”
Accidental Star
Being an actress was not exactly part of Max’s plans.
Call it destiny or luck, the opportunity came knocking when she accidentally crashed a movie shoot inside a mall.
A talent manager happened to be in the same set. This chance meeting eventually paved the way for Max to try showbiz.
Who knew that a harmless stroll in the mall would be her stepping stone to becoming a celebrity?
“I was about 10 when I started modelling tapos na-scout ako sa isang mall.
“I walked into a shoot, a movie shoot na hindi ko alam na movie pala, pero walang pumigil sa akin. So akala ko parang, ‘Ah okay.’
“And then umalis ako and ’yun pala may talent manager na sumunod sa akin, kinausap niya mom ko, sabi niya kung gusto ko daw magpa-VTR sa kabilang network, actually sa Star Magic talaga.
“So, um-oo naman mom ko and I started out as an extra actually. So pagdating namin sa ABS sabi sa amin parang bago ka mag-VTR will guest you muna sa John En Shirley, so I was like an extra sa John En Shirley tapos nag-VTR ako sa Star Magic and after a few weeks binalikan ako, sabi nila gusto ako makita ni Mr. M (Johnny Manahan).
“’Yun na tuloy-tuloy na.”
She became part of the talent management arm of the Kapamilya network and some of her batchmates included Martin del Rosario, Jessy Mendiola, and her former Bihag co-star Sophie Albert.
“Matira-matibay sa industriya natin.”
Max felt nostalgic as she looked back at how her career began. Her life as a talent was brutally difficult. There were times she had to wait for hours and hours just to get a few seconds of TV exposure.
But through it all, she still finds reason to poke fun at herself.
“As in ’yung bestfriend ng bestfriend na hindi napapansin [giggles].
“’Yung bestfriend na dadaan lang or mag-aabot lang ng pagkain sa lead character. So that made me appreciate my job so much more.
This taught her to have a soft spot for the bit players or the extras, the unsung heroes in showbiz.
“It makes me feel more compassionate sa mga starting out artists, kasi alam ko ’yung pinagdadaanan nila. Hindi siya madali.
“And matira-matibay sa industriya natin.”
The experience also molded her to become humble. She's learned to appreciate her work, especially since a number of meatier and lead roles have been coming her way.
Her path to stardom, indeed, was marked by blood, sweat, and tears. That’s why Max has long learned that she shouldn’t take anything for granted.
“Feeling ko dahil nagsimula ako sa support roles and extra roles mas important sa akin na magkaroon ng malaking role, ng lead role.
“Mas na-appreciate ko siya, hindi katulad ng iba kapag hindi mo pinaghirapan then madali mo siyang babalewalain.
“Or you just take it for granted! I never took any of my lead roles for granted, because ang dami ko pinagdaanan bago ako nakarating kung nasaan ako ngayon.”
Finding herself
Getting into showbiz is one thing, staying and surviving in it is another.
It was the reality that Max experienced firsthand. It was also the reason she nearly packed her bags and quit showbiz for good.
With her career going nowhere and feeling unsure if this was the path for her, Max decided to leave the entertainment industry for a while by getting a regular job in the U.S.
There, she worked as an assistant for her aunt who was in the construction business.
“It was about 2010 siguro but between 16 to 19, that was the time where I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do.
“Pabalik-balik actually kasi my career was not doing so well, so I went to the States where I tried out construction.
“I was working for my aunt, I was her assistant and then I was planning on trying to get my license.”
Her showbiz career got a shot in the arm when she met Perry Lansigan.
Max with Perry Lansigan, President and CEO of PPL Entertainment and GMA Vice President for Drama Productions Redgie A. Magno
Perry is the man behind PPL Entertainment, the talent management agency that handles the careers of such showbiz heavyweights as Dingdong Dantes, Gabby Eigenmann, and Jolina Magdangal, among many others.
Max said that Perry was instrumental in reviving her stagnant career.
“I was really scared about it because I didn’t want to waste my time, baka naman pag-uwi ko wala akong work or my career doesn’t go the way I wanted it to.”
“But nung umuwi ako for the second time I met Kuya Perry [Lansigan] from PPL 'di ba? Then Kuya Perry gave me an offer I couldn’t refuse and after that tuluy-tuloy na.”
Still, Max had no expectations at all when she decided to give showbiz a second try.
She even described her return as “scary” with so many “what ifs” piling one after the other. She was also afraid of falling short.
“It was so hard kasi sabi ko parang babalik ako because may mga inquiries, bumalik ako because may inquiries about shows and I said sige kasi mas na-enjoy ko naman talaga ’yung pag-a-artista, so baka naman may future pa.
“But I didn’t come back expecting much.
“Bahala na! Kasi ’yung plano ko sana was to migrate na naman sa States permanently, but I was really scared about it because I didn’t want to waste my time, baka naman pag-uwi ko wala akong work or my career doesn’t go the way I wanted it to.
“But thanks to Kuya Perry and GMA. GMA gave me so much work so hindi ako nakaalis.”
Life as a Kapuso
GMA-7 opened the doors for Max Collins when she became officially part of its star-studded roster in 2012.
Since then, she has scored big projects that tested and honed her skills.
She showcased her drama prowess in such soaps as The Good Daughter (2012), Coffee Prince (2012), Pahiram ng Sandali (2012-2013), With a Smile (2013), The One That Got Away (2018), and her recently concluded afternoon soap Bihag (2019).
With her desire to keep on improving, Max didn’t stick to just drama projects alone. She stepped out of her comfort zone by doing comedy shows like Bubble Gang and Juan Tamad.
But if there is one show that is close to her heart, it is the 2014 romance fantasy series Innamorata, where she played her first lead role Esper.
“I never took any of my lead roles for granted, because ang dami ko pinagdaanan bago ako nakarating kung nasaan ako ngayon.”
“That’s my favorite show aside from Bihag. That’s my most memorable because that was my first lead role.
“I fell in love with the story and just everyone on set, sobrang naenjoy ko siya and I was so thankful for the experience.
"You never know kung kelan mauulit ’yun or iba lang talaga ’yung feeling na nabigyan ka ng ganun kalaking break and it did well. So it was so overwhelming.”
Married at 25
Many were surprised when Max, at the age of 25, took a leap of faith and married her long-time boyfriend and fellow Kapuso artist Pancho Magno in December 2017.
But not Max. She knew from the start that Pancho was "the one.”
“It was a process, it was really when nakita ko ’yung faith niya kay God, na-influence niya ako and I saw how much he loves his family, how important family is to him.
“And I could see myself being with him long-term, I know that he will be a good husband, a good father and he is a good husband.”
She continued, “I think those are qualities na hindi natin masyado tinitingnan when we are looking for a person, a partner. We always like ‘Oh guwapo, oh mayaman, oh charming siya.’”
“But those are qualities that fade. ’Yung nagtatagal are ’yung values and ’yung pagmamahal sa pamilya, ’yung faith kay Lord.”
We also asked her if she had any apprehensions about dating Pancho then. He is the son of GMA Vice President for Drama Productions Redgie A. Magno, after all.
Max was honest to say that she had some reservations about it. “I didn’t want to date him because of that.
“Sabi ko eh kung hindi mag-work out baka mas mahirapan kami, ayoko ihalo ang personal life ko sa trabaho ko. Kasi that should be separate,
But God works in mysterious ways. “It was really hard to find the balance but then again at the end of the day, I don’t know, we didn't even expect that we’d end up together, so it was really a blessing that God put us together.
“And when you look at that way hindi mo na iisipin ’yung trabaho.”
“Sleeping next to someone, it’s nice not to sleep alone. Iba ’yung feeling na alam mong may naghihintay sa iyo pag-uwi mo."
She also shared the best thing about being Mrs. Magno.
“Sleeping next to someone, it’s nice not to sleep alone. Iba ’yung feeling na alam mo may naghihintay sa iyo pag-uwi mo.
“May partner ka talaga na may tutulong sa ’yo sa hirap."
The GMA Artist Center beauty has sound advice for couples who are about to get hitched: drop the fairytale mindset.
She explained, “I think you should be prepared na hindi siya magiging madali, dapat bago ka pumasok sa marriage huwag mo isipin lahat ng positive.
“No! You have to look at lahat ng puwede maging negative, because it’s not always gonna be a bed of roses. The fairytale mindset is very wrong kasi, hindi mo talaga maiiwasan eh if you put two people together forever and they’ve never lived together before.
“You really have to make adjustments and you really have to compromise, so before getting married really think of all the negative things about that person and ask yourself, 'Can I live with this person, kahit makita ko lahat ng panget niya araw-araw, kaya ko ba?'”
Breakthrough award
One of the highlights of Max's 2018, if not her career, is bagging the 2018 Metro Manila Film Festival Special Jury Prize as an actress for her exemplary performance in the Joel Lamangan-helmed movie Rainbow’s Sunset.
That recognition came as a total surprise to her.
“Hindi ako makapaniwala, I was like walking and it felt like a dream. Lutang ako. Pagdating sa stage lutang din.”
It was a moment that she could finally tick off of her bucket list. It also served as some sort of validation that she made the right decision in her chosen career.
“And then I could see everyone’s faces, like, faces of all these artists that I admire, mga directors, producers and it’s like I can’t believe that I’m here.
“Kasi dream ko talaga manalo ng award ever since, because it's validation na tama ’yung career path na napili ko.”
Staying humble
Max Collins is vocal about her strong faith, and she’s very proud of it.
She uses social media not only as a means of updating her fans or sharing her latest OOTDs, but as a tool to spread the word of God, too.
She credits her husband Pancho Magno for influencing her to become religious and make the ultimate decision to convert from Roman Catholic to Born Again Christian.
“Ever since naman God has always been there for me and I’ve been very religious but I only really accepted Jesus as my savior when I was baptized after meeting Pancho (Magno).
“I’m Catholic. Pancho and I would go to Church after we started dating. We would go to church every Sunday. And then for like two years before lumalim ’yung faith namin and naging part kami ng Church that’s when na-baptize kami and it’s really a process.
Was there ever a moment that she questioned her faith?
“I mean there’s always a time kasi siyempre human lang naman tayo, tao lang tayo, so hindi tayo perfect. We all fall short in the glory of God,” Max admitted.
“I always question myself but at the end of the day I know that I’m nothing without God. And I have everything that I have because of Him.
“I am where I am because of Him and everything is meaningless.”
Fame is both a blessing and a curse. Max knows the perks and pitfalls of being popular. Some personalities do well with the attention, while some spiral out of control.
Not to make the same mistake others did, she made it a point to surround herself with the people she could “trust," people who have her back at all times.
Max also has a clear picture in her mind of the kind person she doesn’t want to become.
“I think what helped me was seeing so many people fall along the way.
“Seeing ano ’yung nagiging transition nila from nothing to biglang sikat.
“And that made me see what I don’t want to become and ’yung panget side of showbiz and having showbiz friends. It’s really hard to find people that you trust and care about.
“You really have to surround yourself with people who ‘humble you’ also and support you, because everyone will want to see you fail.”
As we reached the tail-end of our interview with Max we couldn’t help asking her: If she could give a piece of advice to herself during the time when she was still contemplating her showbiz comeback, what would it be?
She paused long and hard before giving a reply.
Drawing experience from her faith, which has always served as her anchor, she answered, “Have faith and don’t worry. We spend so much time worrying, worry-worry na hindi naman nakakatulong,
“And hindi ko naman will ’yung masusunod at the end of the day. Have faith talaga!”
“You really have to surround yourself with people who ‘humble you’ and support you, because everyone will want to see you fail.”
