MANILA, Philippines?Believe it or not, the svelte and gorgeous Iza Calzado once wished she were a boy.

?When I was younger, I was chubby and lacked confidence. I didn?t appreciate my being a girl. Only recently did I started enjoying it,? the actress told Living Stars.

Now she?s very much into girly items, like her favorite Wonder Woman T-shirt and Marilyn Monroe lunch box.

?I?ve always felt that, in some way, I?m like Wonder Woman. I?m not physically strong like her, but people say I amaze them with my ability to juggle various commitments,? Iza explained. ?Monroe symbolizes beauty, femininity and sexuality.?

TOYS

My favorite doll is called Shy Violet, after one of the characters of the animated TV series ?Rainbow Brite.? I once had a doll exactly like her that my parents gave me one Christmas when they were still together. For some reason, tumatak sa utak ko ?yun ... I have a picture opening the gift. I don?t remember what happened to that doll. But when I told the story to my fan group, Izadoration, they gave me this. They bought it on eBay. My fans give me things that are really special.

I sleep with Leo, my stuffed lion everyday. I love hugging him?malambot kasi. He?s always on my bed. He?s my guardian when I sleep.

BOOK

?Blessings in Disguise? is memorable to me because I wrote a story for this book. It?s about finding beauty in life despite having gone through painful situations.

TOPS

This shirt is a favorite because it has Wonder Woman printed on it. I also have a Wonder Woman jacket.

My recent purchase is this Jose Rizal jacket from Team Manila.

MEMORABILIA

I?m fond of lunch boxes. A friend gave me this (shows a tin box with a picture of Marilyn Monroe). It also has a really cool caption: ?I?m definitely a woman and I enjoy it.?

EYEGLASSES

My pair of Temperley shades is a gift from my boyfriend. I like it because it?s not available in the Philippines. I?m like that, kapag na-uso na, ayaw ko na.

NECKLACE

I plan to start collecting jewelry soon. I got these pieces in San Francisco. My first purchase was a gold necklace with a thin plate that?s hardly noticeable. It has the inscription: ?The spirit is the true self.? These words say so much about me and things I believe in. The silver necklace I?m wearing is a gift from my boyfriend on my birthday.

SHOES

I love my pair of Zara gladiator shoes with four-inch heels, Every time I wear them, people compliment me.

BAGS

I don?t own a Louis Vuitton bag. My dream bag, though, is Muse by YSL. I could?ve just bought it myself; but I actually believed someone had the intention of buying that very bag for me (laughs).

Another favorite is my black Lanvin bag with gold chains. It doesn?t look branded but that?s what I like about it.

Iza is this month?s featured artist in ?Obra,? which airs Thursday night on GMA 7.

E-mail mcruz@inquirer.com.ph