KATE VALDEZ is one of the most promising newcomers in GMA Artist Center’s current roster of talents. She’s currently making waves playing a contravida role in the hit GMA primetime drama, “Onanay”, as Natalie, the oppresive older sister on Mikee Quintos as Maila. She’s so effective that some viewers send her hate messages in social media.
“The truth is hirap na hirap ako sa role kasi I’m most certainly not like that in real life,” says Kate. “Sa story, mas matanda ako kay Mikee Quintos as Maila, but in real life, I’m younger by two years kasi 18 pa lang po ako. Si Natalie, laging galit, high blood, so mahirap talaga. Sa haters ko, iniintindi ko na lang sila dahil nadadala sa character ko. But nasasaktan din ako when they tell me, siguro, ang salbahe mo talaga! Direk Gina Alajar says it means effective ako, but natatakot din ako kasi baka ma-typecast naman ako sa contravida roles. Siempre, gusto ko rin naman pong magbida.”
We tell her she shouldn’t worry because her looks are really for leading lady roles. She should just take her role as Natalie as a stepping stone for her so that the public will get to know her. “Yes, I think, tumatak naman sa viewers namin yung role ko as Natalie. Kasi I’ve done other roles before in ‘Destiny Rose’ and ‘Encantadia’, pero dito talaga sa ‘Onanay’ ako natatandaang mabuti ng mga tao.” 
Kate is not a product of a reality show. “Nagpa-VTR lang po ako sa GMA Artist Center, then kinuha na nila ako. Dito sa ‘Onanay’, I’m so thankful that most of my scenes are with Ms. Cherie Gil, kasi noong una intimidated ako sa kanya. But she turned out to be so accommodating. She really helps me a lot. Sobrang grateful ako sa kanya. Also kay Mikee kasi akala ng ibang tao, nag-aaway kami talaga dahil laging may cat fights kami, but we’re really okay off cam. The first time may sampalan kami, sobrang napalakas ang sampal ko sa kanya at nagka-rashes ang mukha niya. Sising-sisi ako, iyak ako ng iyak, sorry ako ng sorry sa kanya, but siya pang nagsasabi ng okay lang. Dahil doon, we learned na dapat, sa sakitan scenes, alalay lang kami.”
Now that they’re extended again, Cherie Gil as Helena has been arrested and is now imprisoned, so Kate as Natalie will be forced to live with her real mom, Jo Berry as Onay and her sister, Mikee as Maila. But she still cannot accept Jo and Mikee as her real family members and will continue to be hostile against them.
