It was supposed to be another highlight in her long and colorful career.
A chance to portray a former President, a woman of historical significance, a role few would dare to take.
But now, Giselle Sanchez says it out loud—and with heavy emotion—she regrets it.

“I shouldn’t have done it,” she said in a raw, unfiltered interview.
“I thought it was just a role… but I didn’t realize what I was walking into.”

THE ROLE THAT DIVIDED A NATION

When Giselle Sanchez was announced to play former President Cory Aquino in the controversial film Maid in Malacañang, the backlash was immediate. The movie, which aimed to depict the final 72 hours of the Marcos family inside the Palace before they were ousted in 1986, was already drawing criticism for its revisionist undertones.

And Giselle? She was cast as a symbol of the other side—the widow turned revolutionary, the icon of democracy. Yet, in the film, her portrayal sparked outrage for being, in many critics’ eyes, “reductive, disrespectful, and one-dimensional.”

She defended the role at first.
“It’s art,” she said. “This is my job as an actress.”
But deep down, something never sat right.

“I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE DIFFERENT”

In her sit-down with a trusted news outlet, Giselle shared that the filming process made her uncomfortable in subtle ways she ignored at the time.

“There were moments I felt awkward,” she said. “Lines that didn’t feel accurate. Scenes that seemed written not to portray truth, but to provoke.”

But the tipping point came after the release, when the internet exploded with criticism, when old activists, historians, and even fellow actors began calling the film “dangerous.”

“I got messages I never expected—from people I admired, from strangers, even from Cory Aquino supporters. Some were furious, some just disappointed,” Giselle shared, her voice breaking. “One message said, ‘You hurt the memory of a woman who fought for all of us.’ That… that stuck with me.”

FROM ROLE TO REALITY: THE COST OF A DECISION

What began as just another job soon became a source of internal conflict. Giselle, known for her comedic timing and social wit, wasn’t used to being hated. But this wasn’t just hate.
This was a reckoning.

“I was called names I don’t even want to repeat,” she confessed. “But more than that, I felt like I had lost something in myself. I hurt people who looked up to me. I hurt myself.”

The film, which claimed to “present the other side,” only succeeded in stoking more division. And in the middle of it all was Giselle—a performer caught in a political storm.

She says now that she wishes she had researched more, asked harder questions, and most of all, listened to her instincts.

“I should’ve realized—this wasn’t just a script. This was history. This was pain. This was real to so many Filipinos.”

THE APOLOGY—AND THE LESSON

“I want to say I’m sorry,” Giselle said, directly and without PR filters. “To the Aquino family, to those who still carry the wounds of Martial Law, to those who feel I betrayed their trust. I’m truly sorry.”

She didn’t stop there.

“I want to learn from this. And I hope other artists, especially the younger ones, understand that not every role is worth the applause. Some roles require you to stand up and say, ‘No. I won’t be part of rewriting pain.’”

A NEW KIND OF BRAVERY

Giselle Sanchez isn’t walking away from acting. But she’s walking away from silence. And perhaps, that’s the most powerful role she’s ever taken—the role of an artist who admits when she’s wrong.

In a world where cancel culture is quick and mercy is rare, Giselle is showing a different kind of strength: accountability.

“I know some will never forgive me. And that’s okay,” she said. “But I need to forgive myself, too.”

BEHIND THE CAMERA, BEYOND THE SCRIPT

Today, Giselle is focusing on personal healing. She’s also been quietly attending forums on historical truth and artistic responsibility. Sources say she’s begun working on a new project—this time, about women who resisted dictatorship.

Is it redemption? Maybe.
Is it sincere? It feels like it.

One thing is certain—Giselle Sanchez’s decision to speak out has sparked a fresh wave of conversation, one the country still needs: about memory, about truth, about how entertainment can shape—or shake—the way we remember our past.

Because sometimes, the bravest thing an actor can do…
is step off the stage
and speak from the heart.