Liza Soberano, H.E.R. embrace Filipino roots in ‘Forgotten Island’

Liza Soberano and H.E.R. found a sense of “freedom” in tapping into their Filipino heritage while working on DreamWorks Animation’s “Forgotten Island.”

In a one-on-one sit down interview with Inquirer Entertainment, H.E.R., whose real name is Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, said working on the Filipino-inspired animated film allowed her to draw from parts of her upbringing.

“Definitely more freedom,” H.E.R. told this writer when asked whether working on a project inspired by her heritage brought more pressure or freedom.

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“I think it’s almost like you don’t feel any imposter syndrome or any doubt because you get to just be who you are naturally,” she added.

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READ: Liza Soberano says ‘Forgotten Island’ could put Filipino creatives on global map

The Grammy and Oscar-winning singer particularly cited speaking and singing in Tagalog, as well as making Filipino jokes in the film, as experiences rooted in her childhood.

“I grew up singing with my mom, doing karaoke in the house with just family,” she said. “Doing things like that and then being in this film, making Filipino jokes—I’m doing that in my everyday life.”

H.E.R., who voices Jo in the film, noted that the project also allowed her “inner self” and “inner child” to come alive.

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“So the fact that my inner self and my inner child gets to come alive through this project and a lot of the things I’ve been doing more recently, I definitely feel free. I feel a lot of freedom,” she said.

Soberano, meanwhile, who voices Raissa in the film, said pursuing a career in Hollywood has made her feel even more connected to her Filipino identity and gravitate toward Filipino communities.

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“I definitely feel a lot more connected with my Filipinoness,” she said. “I think ‘Filipinoness’ is not even a word. But now that I’m in LA, I feel like, LA is so widespread and everybody’s so far away, and it’s so important to build a community of people to just keep you company and people that you can lean on for support and whatnot.”

“I find that I gravitate towards Filipino people just because that’s where I find the most familiarity and safety. I definitely feel myself embracing my Filipino culture even more now that I’m away from it,” added the actress.

Soberano cited the everyday Filipino practice of helping one another as something that she might have initially almost taken for granted. 

“When I’m back here in the Philippines, whenever I just need help with a small little task, there’s always someone that I can run to and ask for help, whether it’s friends, family, or a complete stranger,” Soberano said.

“So I think that’s something that I maybe didn’t take for granted but didn’t realize how big it was in my life,” she added.

H.E.R., meanwhile, said the distance from home also made her appreciate Filipino food more.

The singer, who grew up in the Bay Area in California, said she used to have easy access to Filipino food but that changed when she moved to New York and later spent time in Los Angeles.

“I think the convenience of getting Filipino food, I definitely might have taken for granted, but now I cook it, so it’s okay,” she said.

“Forgotten Island,” directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, follows best friends Jo and Raissa as they are transported to the fantastical island of Nakali, a world inspired by Philippine folklore and mythology.

The film features Filipino and Filipino-American talent including H.E.R., Soberano, Lea Salonga, Dolly de Leon, Manny Jacinto, Jo Koy, and Amielynn Abellera. 

The story is set in the 1990s Philippines and centers on Jo and Raissa as they face the possibility of being separated after high school. On Nakali, they encounter creatures from Filipino mythology, including the manananggal.

Asked what Filipino story she would want Hollywood to tell next, Soberano pointed to actress Carmen Rosales, who became a guerrilla fighter during World War II after her first husband was killed by Japanese forces.

H.E.R., meanwhile, said she would like Hollywood to shine a light on Filipino musicians whose heritage is not always widely recognized.

“There’s a lot of unsung Filipino artists, musicians specifically, that people don’t know are Filipino,” she said.

She cited Sugar Pie DeSanto, the American R&B singer and dancer whose birth name was Peylia Marsema Balinton and who was born to an African-American mother and Filipino father. 

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“Forgotten Island” is scheduled to open in Philippine cinemas on Sept. 23.