Angelle De Leon
Celebrity Brenda Mage shared his inspiring success story about his struggling years before he became a comedy star.
In an interview with DailyPedia, Brenda talked about his humble beginnings long before he became a well-known comedian.
Brenda, who is Bryan Roy Tagarao in real life, said he first made a living as a personal assistant to newbie celebrities and aspiring boy band artists.
“I’m not a performer that time. May naka-diskubre sa akin. Tinanong ako if marunong ako mag-host. Then kinuha niya ako mag-host sa isang out of town show. Sinubukan ko at nagustuhan nung booker iyong performance ko,” he narrated.
“At noong nagtayo siya ng bar, kinuha na niya ako as one of the inhouse comedians,” he added.
Brenda said he started performing in comedy bars in 2013.
He said he only earned around P300 to P1,000 per night that time.
“Pero nung nabigyan ako ng chance na mag-Japan in 2014 as an entertainer for a year mas malaki na ang kinikita ko. So nakatustos sa lahat ng needs namin (family),” he noted.
“Kaya masasabi ko kung sa comedy bar, I can say it’s not enough (to pay all bills). Hindi rin naman araw-araw may set sa bar. Mas malaki pa rin ‘yung raket sa out-of-town,” he added.
When he was in Japan, Brenda said he started to make a name for himself because of the videos he uploaded on social media.
“Doon (Japan) ako nag-viral at nag-start mag-trending mga videos ko. Pag-uwi ko ng Pinas medyo nagkaroon ako ng pangalan dahil nag-trending ako sa social media,” he said.
“Bumalik ako sa pag-perform sa comedy bars pero bihira na lang. Kapag important event na lang kasi napagod ako sa Japan. Everyday nagpe-perform at nakaipon na po kasi ako kaya ‘di ko na kailangan kumayod every night sa comedy bars sa Pilipinas. More on out of town shows na lang po ako,” he added.
Brenda became more popular after his victory as third runner-up in 2019 Miss Q & A InterTALAKtic segment of ABS-CBN’s “It’s Showtime.”
He found work as a comedian in TV series and movies following the competition.
Brenda admitted that being a celebrity was a part of his childhood dreams.
“I really wanted to become a celebrity. That’s why I went to many auditions so I could enter showbiz,” he said.
“At iyon ang naging stepping stone ko para mapasok ang industriya at nakilala ako bilang isang comedian,” he added.
When asked about his favorite comedian, Brenda said he idolized Vice Ganda “and most stand-up performers in Punchline and Laffline comedy bars.”
Brenda recently appeared in the iWant series “My Single Lady” with actress Jodi Sta. Maria.
He also became a cast member in the 2019 Metro Manila Film Festival entry, “The Mall, The Merrier.”
