15 Hours With Liza Soberano At Her "First Big Hollywood Awards Show"

This year’s Screen Actors Guild Awards ceremony was all about the firsts. Not only did Pedro Pascal and Lily Gladstone pick up their first-ever SAG Awards for The Last of Us and Killers of the Flower Moon, respectively, but Liza Soberano got to experience a first of her own.

“I've been to the Gold Gala, but that’s specific to the Asian American community,” the Filipino actor tells Elite Daily. “The SAG Awards was my first big Hollywood awards show.”

Between getting ready, walking the red carpet, and mingling with some of the biggest names in the industry, awards show days can be a bit chaotic. But for the most part, Soberano was chill. “I didn't know how big of an event it was. It didn't sink in,” says the 26-year-old, who found her breakout role in this year’s Lisa Frankenstein, opposite Cole Sprouse and Kathryn Newton.

When I was around all these people and really famous actors, I started freaking out a bit.

It wasn’t until she was making her way down the carpet that the nerves started creeping in. “When I was around all these people and really famous actors, I started freaking out a bit,” Soberano says.

Despite being on her way to it girl status, she still finds it intimidating to be among the likes of Margot Robbie and Oprah — but that didn’t stop her from shaking hands with the one person she was hoping to see at the big event: everyone’s favorite daddy, Pedro Pascal.

Along with her star-studded sightings, Soberano details her entire day before, during, and after the SAG Awards, from getting glammed up to celebrating at the Netflix after party.

It Was A Chill Morning Getting Ready With Dua Lipa And SZA

8:15 a.m.: I woke up before my alarm. I’ve been doing that a lot for this past week despite being tired from all the work I’ve been doing. It's a bad habit, but I started looking at my phone. I went through WhatsApp first because that's where all my work messages are, and then I checked my email before going to Instagram.

8:30 a.m.: My alarm finally went off reminding me to get off my phone and get out of bed.

8:45 a.m.: I started working out, focusing on my legs. I didn’t want to go too hard at the gym, and end up not having enough energy. So I did a very light workout compared to my usual routine. When I was working out, I was listening to a lot of Tate McRae and Ariana Grande. I’m excited for Ariana’s new album.

10 a.m.: I took a nice long shower, and added in a few extra steps to make sure I was red carpet ready. I did a hair mask and body scrub on top of my normal shower routine.

Then came my dental hygiene routine, which consists of tongue scraping, water flossing, regular flossing, and brushing my teeth.

Up next: my skin care routine, which starts with a toner, then a serum, moisturizer, and last but not least, sunblock. All my facial care products are from a Korean brand based in the Philippines called Deoproce.

10:45 am.: I checked in to The Conrad Los Angeles. They were the sweetest, and the hotel staff left some surprises for me in my room complete with a letter thanking me for coming back.

11 a.m.: Next came brunch at the outdoor restaurant at The Conrad called Agua Viva. I had eggs Benedict with smoked salmon and crab croquettes. It was *delicious*. I wanted to eat something substantial before starting preparations, because I normally don’t get to eat again until after the event and after parties.

12 p.m.: My team and I took some behind-the-scenes photos before getting ready. I always love taking some fun pre-glam pics.

12:30 p.m.: Glam time! For makeup, I was working with MUA Melissa Hernandez for the first time ever. My publicist recommended her for this event, so I checked out her Instagram and absolutely loved the work she had done on other clients.

For hair, I was working with Renz Pangilinan, who has been my hairstylist for over a decade now. I’ve been traveling everywhere with him. While getting ready, I listened to a lot of Dua Lipa and SZA.

1:50 p.m.: More than an hour later, we started changing into my dress. Maeve Reilly styled me for this event. I’ve been working with her since the start of my press runs for Lisa Frankenstein and it has been an absolute dream. She nails every single look we do together and she’s just so much fun to work with.

For the SAG Awards, I wore a dress by Pamella Roland, jewelry from Le Vian, a clutch from Rodo, and shoes from Casadei.

2 p.m.: The glam team and I then snuck in a mini photoshoot at the hotel for Instagram pics.

The Nerves Started To Kick In On The Red Carpet

2:20 p.m.: We made our way to the Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium, where the SAG Awards were being held. What was supposed to be a 15-minute trip turned into 40 minutes because we couldn’t find the proper drop-off for rideshare. This was when I started to get nervous — I thought I was going to miss the red carpet.

3 p.m.: We had to wait in line for the step and repeat, and it was sooo hot. I enjoyed the wait though because I was surrounded by so many incredible actors and couldn’t help but people-watch.

I was right behind Greta Lee and shamelessly asked for a quick photo with her. I had just watched Past Lives a week prior, and I really loved that movie.

Not going to lie, I was definitely overwhelmed.

3:45 p.m.: After I finished the step and repeat, I stood in line for interviews. This area of the venue was packed with so many people. Not going to lie, I was definitely overwhelmed. This was my first SAG Awards and I didn’t know what to expect. I was nervous about not knowing what to do or say to people, but excited to just be there and witness everything in person.

4:30 p.m.: When I finished my media rounds, I started heading into the program hall. I bumped into my friend Sherry Cola, and was pleasantly surprised to find out we were tablemates. I was so nervous about who I would be seated with and could finally breathe once I discovered I’d be with familiar faces.

I went to SAG with Meta and they put me at their table along with other first-timers. I made some cool friends: Auli’i Cravalho, River Gallo, Alok Vaid-Menon, Dallas Liu, and Ian Ousley.

Having A “Casual” Moment With Oprah And Pedro Pascal

5 p.m.: The event officially started. It was wild to see all these incredibly talented actors right before me, sharing the same air as all of us. It felt like a dream. At one point, I looked over my shoulder to see Oprah Winfrey standing 10 feet away, waiting for an opportunity to be seated. Shortly after that, I saw Margot Robbie and America Ferrera waiting off to the side before their turn to introduce Barbie. I was just in awe trying to soak in the whole experience.

Since everyone at my table was a first-timer, we talked about that and how stressful the red carpet was. I asked Alok and Maddie Ziegler if they're used to being screamed at by photographers on the red carpet, and for the most part, they said they just push through it. They're still not used to it, but they don't get rattled by it anymore.

Casual, Oprah Winfrey's just right there.

We all discussed how everybody was in disbelief being at the SAG Awards as well. I remember Maddie was like, “Casual. Casual,” and I didn't know what she meant by that. That's when she pointed out Oprah was right behind us. She was like, “Casual, Oprah Winfrey's just right there.”

5:30 p.m.: Every few minutes, we would get a three-minute break to go to the bathroom or get some drinks. At this point, Alok, my seatmate, felt like walking around to meet some people. They asked me who I was most excited to see and I told them Pedro Pascal. They were like, “OMG, say less.”

We got up and next thing I knew, we were right in front of Pedro Pascal, shaking hands. I was so shy to be in front of him and to be around his tablemates. He was literally next to Jessica Chastain and at the table behind him was Anne Hathaway.

And then [Pedro Pascal] called us babes.

When I was meeting Pedro, I felt annoying because I had a really big dress and I was bumping into everyone the whole time. Then I was like, “Hi, I've watched everything of yours,” which in hindsight is probably not the best thing to say because he's just there to relax and enjoy himself. I'm sure he didn’t want to see a fangirl freak out over him in that moment, but he was familiar with Alok. He was like, “Oh my God, I feel like I've known you forever. I've been watching your show.” And then he called us babes — that made me really happy.

6 p.m.: For the rest of the show, I remained seated and tried to be as present as possible. At this point, they had awarded Barbra Streisand the lifetime achievement award and I had goosebumps the whole time she was speaking. I was completely enamored with her and the stories she was telling the audience — what a legend.

When Pedro won, I thought it was so funny because he was like, “I'm way too drunk up here.” I thought that made sense, because when I saw him, he seemed very giddy and very giggly. I was so happy when he won.

The whole table that I was seated at was screaming. We really thought he deserved it, and we just loved how humble and down-to-earth he presented on stage. It just made us feel like he was one of us.

I was also really rooting for Beef. I was so hyped for Steven Yeun and Ali Wong winning, because I genuinely really love the series. I thought they were so deserving of the awards, because they've been in the industry forever and they've done so many amazing projects. They finally got the recognition they deserve. Also, a majority of us at my table are from the Asian community, so we were very hyped about their win.

The Netflix After Party Had A Genius Shoe Valet

7:30 p.m.: The show ended right on time and we headed to the other side of the venue where the People after party took place. I had lost all my friends in the sea of people, and was feeling so shy to actually go up to anyone and start a conversation. I decided to just sit down and prayed someone would come up and talk to me. Then Alok and River found me, and invited me to the Netflix after party.

8:30 p.m.: We finally made our way out of the party and into our Uber. We made a stop by Dylan Mulvaney’s house to pick her up, and Alok did a quick little outfit change before heading to the Chateau Marmont where the Netflix after party was happening. River and I thought that was such a smart decision to change into a more fitted outfit so that you're not in the way all the time.

It was like valet parking, but for your shoes.

9:15 p.m.: As soon as we got to the party, River and I traded in our heels for slides at the shoe valet they had prepared for all the guests. I thought that was the most genius and considerate thing ever. I had no idea what it was at first, but then we saw some girl turned in her heels for slippers. At that point, we were already standing up for three hours, so I was like, “I need to change my shoes. My feet are killing me.” It was like valet parking, but for your shoes.

9:30 p.m.: At the party, I bumped into Dallas and Ian from Avatar: The Last Airbender, who were my tablemates, and we all just hung out in one corner. River and I were wearing these dresses that were gorgeous but a little too hard to move around in because of the trains. Everybody kept stepping on us, so we were pretty much glued to one area of the venue.

10:30 p.m.: The party was starting to get a little rowdy and someone actually fell onto me before falling on the ground. That’s when I decided it was time for me to go home. Plus, my feet, even though I was wearing slippers, were killing me.

I'm just happy that I got to see all these actors I look up to and am inspired by. I’m still in shock.

11 p.m.: I made it back to my hotel and immediately took all my makeup and hair extensions off. I used a cleansing balm from Banila Co. It's a Korean brand, and that's what I use to remove my makeup. After that, I use this facial wash from La Roche-Posay for sensitive skin. I always use that after using the cleanser because it can be a little stripping, so I have to use something that's less strong on my face afterward.

I took a nice little shower, then watched Coming to America as I dozed off. Overall, I felt really great about my first SAG Awards. I was just happy to experience everything, and I definitely learned a lot from the awardees and the speeches they made. I'm just happy that I got to see all these actors I look up to and am inspired by. I’m still in shock.

This as-told-to has been condensed and edited for clarity.