Iza Calzado

Just like the lead character that she plays on GMA-7’s daily afternoon soap “Kaya Kong Abutin ang Langit,” Iza Calzado considers herself ambitious.

“I wouldn’t be here where I am if I weren’t ambitious. Kung hindi ako gano’n ka driven, I wouldn’t have worked and not complain when I was starting,” she points out to Manila Bulletin Entertainment Online in an interview.

But unlike her TV alter ego, Clarissa, who achieved wealth through the kindness of the Gardamonte couple and eventually lost everything because of people who try to put her down, Iza’s rise to fame and success has been smooth sailing with the help of people who only have her best interests in their minds and, of course, through her own initiative and innate talents.

For 2009 alone, Iza has chalked up an impressive workload. She opened the year with a cameo in the Robin Padilla starrer “Sundo” and went on to play key roles in indie movies “Fuchsia” and “Bente.”

Meanwhile, the much-awaited Philippine release of “The Echo,” the U.S. version of Yam Laranas’ “Sigaw” in which Iza reprises her role, showed that she’s at par with the Hollywood standards. 

She then turned comic as the stylish contravida in the hit “Yaya and Angelina: The Spoiled Brat Movie,” and tragic as the abused heroine in the currently showing, “Dukot.”

Finally, she is the leading lady of Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla in the Metro Manila Film Festival entry, “Panday.”

On the small screen, Iza was pitted against drama heavyweights Eula Valdes, Jean Garcia, and Sunshine Dizon on “All About Eve,” played a transsexual on “SRO Cinemaserye Presents: Rowena Joy” and co-hosted the Bb. Pilipinas pageant night.

Aside from “Kaya Kong Abutin ang Langit,” Iza is a member of the “StarStruck” council that helps decide the fate of the showbiz hopefuls that make up the artista search.

But there’s still one thing that the 27-year-old star is aching to include in her already remarkable resume: a best actress award.

“S’yempre lahat naman kami…Bakit pa kami nagpapakahirap?” says Iza, who’s been in the biz for eight years. “But the award is more of the icing on top of the cake. ‘Yung role itself ‘yun ang hinihiling mo. ‘Yun nga lang in our industry, you will only be given such roles when you’ve already proven yourself. I’m just hoping that I’d be given a wider range of characters to play.”

So far, Iza has won best supporting actress nods from Gawad Urian and the Golden Screen Awards. With her tenacity and acting abilities, she’ll sure achieve her ambition.