And we notice that compared to the time she was launched as part of Star Magic, Liza has now acquired more stunning star quality. She really bloomed to be such a lovely young lady perfect for the big screen. And how different is her role in “Just the Way You Are” to that of “Forevermore”?
“I’m Sophia in the movie and she’s very different from Agnes in the soap who’s bigger and more assertive in expressing herself. Sophia keeps it all inside. May layers ang personality niya. She handles problems by herself with no one to share them with. Also, nerdy si Sophia, pinapangit po ako rito. Then I meet Enrique as Drake and it turns out we both have problems with our respective families, so we were able to relate with each other, without me knowing na pinagpustahan lang pala nila ako ng friends niya.”
Do they have a kissing or sexy scene? “Wala po. Pero si Enrique, marami siyang eksenang nakahubad siya. In one scene, nadatnan ko siyang hubad sa loob ng banyo. Nako-conscious ako kapag nakikita ko siyang nakahubad.”
Does he have a nice body? “Kung minsan po. Kasi kung minsan, busog siya, e. Doon sa car scene na nakahubad siya at pawis-pawis, maganda ang katawan niya kasi hindi siya nag-lunch noon at nag-push ups muna siya before the take.”How is it being on her own now, unlike before when she was just the third wheel in the Kathniel love team? “It’s overwhelming po. I’m so happy. Kasi before, I was just hated by their fans. Now, people show more of their love for me and it really feels very nice.”
“Just the Way You Are” is based on the pop fiction novel, “The Bet”, written by Kimberly Villanueva in 2010 when she was only 17. How did she feel when her work’s title was changed? “At first, I felt, sa akin pa ba yun kung iniba na ang title?” she says. “But I realized na kahit iniba ang title, akin pa rin ang story and also, this is a good opportunity for me para maisapelikula ang work ko.”
We ask the movie’s director, Ted Boborol, why they chose to change the title? “We are targeting kasi a bigger audience,” he says. “Hindi lang ito about the game they played, the bet kung mapapasagot ba ni Enrique si Lisa in 30 days. This is not just a rom-com but also a drama about family, about friendships. And we made sure ibang Enrique at ibang Liza ang mapapanood dito kaysa sa ‘Forevermore’, for viewers to realize they can do both rom com and drama.”
Supporting Enrique and Liza are Tonton Gutierrez and Sunshine Cruz as the parents of Enrique, Yayo Aguila as the aunt of Liza, plus young stars Yves Flores as Liza’s cousin, Sue Ramirez as Enrique’s twin sister, Marco Gumabao as Liza’s friend from the States, and Alex Diax, Jon Lucas, Miguel Vergara, Myrtle Sarrosa, Erin Ocampo and Kyra Custodio, opening in theatres nationwide on June 17.
