Pia Wurtzbach’s love for the unexpected

To many, Pia Wurtzbach will always be the beauty queen who finally gave the Philippines its first Miss Universe crown after a 44-year drought. Yet, since winning the coveted title in 2015, Wurtzbach has proven she can be more than just a smart and statuesque beauty with a heart.

Immediately after her reign as the most beautiful woman in the world, Wurtzbach harnessed her influence not only to endorse products but, more importantly, to further her advocacies. She also tapped into her artistic talents and acted in TV and movie projects while hosting various engagements when possible.

Pia Wurtzbach is living proof that women can embrace all aspects of themselves. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Indeed, she's living proof that women can embrace and pursue all their capabilities.

“I really feel like women can be multi-faceted; we don't have to fit into one box. In the entertainment industry and modeling, there's often pressure to conform to certain standards, but women can be bold and caring, fierce and feminine, all at the same time. We shouldn't be boxed into just one role,” the 33-year-old told The Manila Times Lifestyle at the sidelines of Avon Hydramatic Lipstick Philippine launch.

And just like the Hydramatic Lipstick she's endorsing — the first matte lippie with a hidden patented hydrating core that actively hydrates the lips — Wurtzbach is surprised that she hasn't stopped discovering her other qualities.

Last year, she joined and completed a marathon, something she had never imagined doing before.

“I don't think I was ever athletic,” she admitted, “but I wanted to try something different. I never even imagined running for longer than 10 minutes. But I decided to give it a try, and to my surprise, I became the first Miss Universe to finish the New York Marathon. It was a really cool thing.”

Still, there's more to come for the quintessential go-getter in 2023, and she is excited to share them with her followers.

One of these projects is her upcoming novel, “Queen of the Universe.”

“I've been working on it since 2019,” she revealed. “I wanted to wait for the right time to launch it, and now that the world is opening up again, the timing is perfect.”

Without preempting the book she's been working on for four years, she simply teased that it is not a biography. Rather, it's a novel with a storyline that will feel familiar to the audience.

“It follows a girl who has big dreams of making a name for herself. She lives with her mom and her sister, and she has an estranged dad. Sounds familiar right?

“We made it a bit spicier, and I can't wait for everybody to read it!”

Meanwhile, Wurtzbach is all out in embracing and balancing newly married life with entrepreneur Jeremy Jauncey while attending to her career. She does this by traveling between Dubai — where she shares a home with Jauncey — and the Philippines.

“I keep coming back here because work is here, and I'm also building my first home here, which is currently under construction.”

During this catchup interview, the all-around artist said her calendar had been filled with shooting promotional materials for the book launch and meetings for exciting projects in the future.

“I am going in a direction that people probably don't expect. Nothing crazy, but I really want to dip my toes into business, and Jeremy has been such a great guy, giving me so much good guidance around it.”

With these surprising projects for Queen P — as she is fondly called — people shouldn't be surprised if she tackles another new and unexpected endeavor in the future and another one shortly after that.