LOS ANGELES – When you come from a family of well-known actors, people expect you to follow in their footsteps.
But not Lorin Gabriella Gutierrez-Bektas, the eldest daughter of actress-beauty queen Ruffa Gutierrez and her former husband Yilmaz Bektas.
The lovely and eloquent Lorin, who just earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Advertising from Pepperdine University’s Seaver College in Malibu, California, decided to take a different path from everybody else, including her mom’s.
In our exclusive interview, the new graduate revealed why she didn’t follow in the footsteps of her mom. She said, “I just want to make my own path. You know what I mean? I think my passions lie elsewhere, and I don’t think it was my calling. And I would love to give the opportunity to people instead, and create space for people who are interested in that. That’s just not my path – acting.
“I like acting for sure in high school and things like that. But I could not see it being a full-time career option, however. So, I decided to push myself out of my comfort zone and study abroad instead.”
The confident, fresh graduate explained why she took up advertising.
She said, “I’ve always loved marketing. I’ve always loved the way campaigns work behind the scenes. I think very early on, I fell in love with social media. So, I wanted to learn more about what the strategy is behind the scenes.”
Graduation
CONTRIBUTED
At the graduation ceremony, proud mom Ruffa attended with some family members and friends like younger sister Venice Bektas, brother Raymond Gutierrez, Elvis Gutierrez and his daughters Aria and Ezra, Robert Moore and Rembrandt Flores.
After the graduation rites, some friends sponsored a graduation party at the Penthouse of Richard and Imee Maghanoy’s iSkin Med Spa in Beverly Hills. Sponsoring the event aside from iSkin were Dr. Donna Habaluyas, Desiree Estrella, Lauren Santiago, and Monet Lu.
Hors d’oeuvres, desserts, drinks, and a beautiful red cake were served to the guests and well-wishers.
Monet Lu, who has been a close friend of Ruffa for years, disclosed, “I remember 23 years ago when I gave Ruffa a baby shower at the top floor of the Otani Hotel. And now Lorin has graduated from college. I feel it was a full circle for me.”
We were able to sit down and talk more to Lorin and her mom, Ruffa.
Interview with Lorin Bektas
Lorin Bektas with Janet Nepales | CONTRIBUTED
What was the best advice your mother gave you?
She’s given me a lot of great advice, so that’s kind of hard to choose. I would say the most important thing is to always pray.
That’s something that I take very seriously and that I like to do every day. And she always reminds me to do that. So, I don’t know if it’s the best because that would be hard to choose. But it’s the most repeated piece of advice.
She’s always like every day, pray, pray, pray. So, I do.
And talk about your grandparents (Eddie Gutierrez and Annabelle Rama). How are they? What advice did they give you?
I just got off the phone with my Lola on the way here. Actually, we call each other almost every day. She’s one of my best friends and my Lolo. He had some health issues at the start of this year, which made focusing on my studies quite difficult. But he’s such a strong man and always encouraged me to, despite it all, focus on my studies and keep working hard.
They’re really the best people ever.
What lessons did you learn growing up in a showbiz family?
How to be strong, how to have thick skin, how not to really care about the opinions of others, and also, how to be creative in a lot of different ways and think outside the box.
You have been living here in the US for a while. What did you learn about living here in the US by yourself?
I learned laundry. I learned how to iron. I learned how to use a dishwasher. Dishwashers are not popular in the Philippines. We don’t have dishwashers. Like, I would be the only one in my dorm who would hand-scrub my dishes.
Everyone’s like, girl, why don’t you use the dishwasher? In our condo, we use the dishwasher just for storage. We don’t turn it on. I learned how to be independent here in the US.
What is your dream for the Philippines?
My dream for the Philippines is better leadership. And like I previously said, equitable access to amazing educational opportunities for everyone. I think Filipinos are the kindest, smartest, and hardest-working people.
Unfortunately, such a small percentage of us are able to have these opportunities. If so, we have to travel abroad to have these opportunities. It would be nice if we didn’t have to go across the world to have certain opportunities. So, my dream is just for better resources back home.
So, if you were to advise kids your age who want to follow your footsteps, what would you be telling them?
That’s hard because I understand I’m in a position of privilege, so not everyone has the same opportunities or access to education that I do. And I would always like to keep that in mind.
I hope for a better future where it’s more equitable for Filipinos everywhere to have the same amazing opportunities I’ve had. However, I would say that regardless of someone’s background, it’s always important to prioritize your education if you can and just study hard.
And also, there’s so much more to school than just learning.
For me, some of the best things I’ve gotten from college are my friends, my connections, and the memories I’ve made with really important people. You can’t take the degree or the grades with you when you’re gone. You can only take the memories.
So, I would say my advice is in every chapter of your life, just enjoy it and enjoy the people who you’re around. Because that’s the highlight of my college experience.
Interview with Ruffa Gutierrez
Ruffa Gutierrez with Monet Lu | CONTRIBUTED
I’m sure you’re the proud mother right now. Talk about your daughter.
Well, yes, I’m very, very proud of what Lorin has achieved. And I’m prouder of the young lady that she’s become. I think more about her education; I am so proud of the young lady that she is right now. She’s so humble. She’s so kind. She’s able to become independent, living here in the United States. And I see how far she’s gone. Like, especially from 2021 to 2026, I’ve seen the growth, and that’s what makes me proud.
So, for you, what was the best advice you think you gave your daughter?
Well, the best advice is always to remain humble. Always pray. Always think of your Filipino roots.
Because we can get lost along the way. And it’s really important. Family is important.
And always remain humble every step of the way. So, I think she’s learned to be independent here in the United States. It has given her the sense of what it is to be bold, wise. She has learned how to do laundry, to do things on her own, and yet remain humble.
Was there some disappointment in you when you learned that she’s taking up advertising and not acting?
Oh, no. I really wanted her to forge her own path. That is important for our kids. I know she also loves acting, but she is very good at what she does. She loves doing beauty and fashion. She has a lot of endorsements. She loves to do it her own way.
Talking about beauty and fashion, what is your beauty secret?
Well, aside from having no stress in my life and sleeping at least eight hours of sleep, of course, every time I come to Los Angeles, I visit iSkin. Imee and Richard (Maghanoy) have been so kind to me, and I love their beauty treatments. Like, I don’t have wrinkles on my neck anymore.
I really love coming here because not only do they treat me well, but they make me feel so young. So, thank you to them and to the other sponsors for hosting this graduation party for Lorin. And of course, to Monet Lu, who’s been my friend for over 30 years.
(Photos by Janet Nepales, Monet Lu, Rembrandt Flores and Desiree Estrellas)
