PIA ALONZO WURTZBACH was crowned Miss Universe in 2015, and was the country’s third Miss Universe. Ms. Wurtzbach achieved a degree of notoriety after the pageant’s host Steve Harvey called the name of Miss Colombia as the winner, instead of hers. After he realized the mix up, Miss Universe 2014 Paulina Vega had to take the pageant’s crown off Miss Colombia’s head and pass it on to Ms. Wurtzbach.
Her fame has been sealed as she is now memorialized in wax.
Last week, Ms. Wurtzbach unveiled a wax figure of herself by Madame Tussauds, the world-famous wax museum founded in the 1800s. Madame Tussaud, born Marie Grosholtz, was an art tutor for the French royal family. During the French revolution, she was forced to sculpt the decapitated remains of her former students, executed via the guillotine. Escaping the Revolution, she settled in London and opened her museum of wax figures of prominent figures, juxtaposing royals and infamous criminals.
The museum has changed hands many times, and is now operated by Merlin Entertainments. The museum has opened various branches around the world.
Ms. Wurtzbach’s wax figure will be displayed at the museum’s Hong Kong branch next month.
A few days ago, Ms. Wurtzbach’s figure was displayed at SM Mega Fashion Hall as the highlight of a Hong Kong travel fair by Klook. Ms. Wurtzbach’s statue wears a replica of the blue Michael Cinco gown she was wearing when she passed on her crown to the next Miss Universe, Iris Mittenaere, in 2016.
The figure is posed as if ready to crown someone with a replica of the Miss Universe Phoenix Mikimoto crown, in line with the museum’s focus on the wax figures being interactive.
In an interview with BusinessWorld, Ms. Wurtzbach said that she had to stand for hours holding the pose for the Madame Tussauds artists. “They measured everything,” she recalled.
Ms. Wurtzbach is also the first Filipino to be honored with a Tussauds wax figure. About this, Ms. Wurtzbach said, “It’s a big achievement.”
“Our Filipino guests have always been very important to us and we’ve always believed we should have a Filipino wax figure, so we’re very pleased to have Ms. Pia Wurtzbach mark this milestone with us,” says Madame Tussauds Hong Kong General Manager Jenny You. “We can’t imagine having anyone but her to represent the Philippines in this way.”
Ms. Wurtzbach is also happy that the figure will be stationed in Hong Kong, a site for many OFWs and tourists. “They have somebody there, and they’ll feel at home.”
“I can’t wrap my head around it. I’ll be next to Kendall Jenner,” the beauty queen said, musing about the other statues in the museum.
Seeing the wax figure up close is weird. The wax figure has Ms. Wurtzbach’s skin down pat, from the blush on her arms, to the many other features besides. Seeing Ms. Wurtzbach beside it, is a bit creepy as it’s just like her, only it doesn’t blink. One can be forgiven for mistaking one for the other.
“It’s surreal. Especially when I go right in front of it,” Ms. Wurtzbach said, looking at her statue in the eye. — Joseph L. Garcia
