KC CONCEPCION: A STAR IS BORN
ABS-CBN News.com, July 27, 2001
Not even her Megastar mother and senator stepfather could have stolen the show when Kristina Cassandra "KC" Concepcion was launched Thursday as the image model of an alternative clothing line.
Actress-singer Sharon Cuneta and Sen. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan were a picture of nervous but supportive parents as 16-year-old KC was flanked by a frenzied audience.
KC was reportedly paid P5 million for endorsing Human, the sister company of Bench, the popular men's clothing line.
During her much-awaited face off with the press, KC sweetly answered the questions that were first screened by her protective mother.
Reporters, however, eventually broke through the tight security and scrambled to get ambush interviews of the virtual princess-turned-Human model.
While KC appears to have what it takes to surpass her mother's show biz glory, the newest "Crush ng Bayan" told TV Patrol reporter Mario Dumaual that her modeling stint does not at all signal the start of a movie career.
The diligent International School student, however, is debuting as a stage actress via Trumpets Inc.'s musicale Little Mermaid.
Come August, the curious public is expected to troop to Meralco Theater to see KC play Princess Sapphire in the local restaging of the well-loved musicale.
"Right now I'm very nervous and I'm really, really excited that this is all happening. This is one of my dreams actually and I'm here right now. I am overwhelmed by all these, but I will try to keep my feet on the ground," she enthused.
Pangilinan, whose security staff also kept a watchful eye on KC, said he is as supportive to her creative endeavors as his wife.
"This is going to be good for her in terms of developing her personality and her character. That is the reason we agreed to do this in the first place and we are hopeful that it will produce that result," he said.
Cuneta, meanwhile, said she is uncomfortable being labeled a stage mother even if she is admittedly overprotective of her daughter with her former husband, erstwhile actor Gabby Concepcion.
"I'm not a stage mother, just a reasonable one. I don't want to be OA. After all, this is what she likes to do, you know," she said.
"I'm just wary of her getting too tired. I also break it to her gently since this is her first time. I can't just let her get into all this at once. Once she's OK, when she is comfortable and she tells me, why not?" she added.
The Megastar has been vocal about how she would rather have KC eventually attend school in the United States instead of becoming an actress.
She said her decision is in her daughter's best interest.
"Of all the people in this industry, I'm the only one who has no hidden agenda. I'm not about to use her to earn money. So my concern, first and foremost, is the welfare of KC. I want her to finish school. Just because I'm an actress doesn't mean she should be an actress too," Cuneta said.
The actress said that as it is, KC might be biting more than she can chew.
"She is just really tired already. She had all these callers and rehearsals till midnight every single day for the Little Mermaid and I think she is spreading herself too thin. I don't want her to be spreading herself too thin," she said.
