It’s been ten years since he zoomed to stardom via Pinoy Big Brother as a teen idol. Now at 27, he has become a more mature leading man paired with different leading ladies, again both on film and on TV. In his newest movie, “How to be Yours”, he’s paired for the first time with ex-GF Bea Alonzo and on TV, he’s also paired for the first time in “Because You Love Me” to Yen Santos. So how is it to be paired with Bea?
“It’s kind of surreal because I never thought it would happen,” he says. “Wala pa ako sa showbiz, napapanood ko na siya sa TV and she’s my childhood crush. So being paired with her now is like, oh my God! Bea is such a good actress so working with her is really a blessing. It’s also great that our director is Dan Villegas, who just directed me in ‘Always Be My Maybe”, a movie that is really a big blessing as it not only started 2016 for me on a right note but also brought much positivity to my life.”
Didn’t he feel reluctant to work with Bea since they had a past? “No, there was no reluctance at all. Sobrang saya ko nga, e. It’s a great experience working with Bea. To break the ice, bago pa kami nag-shoot, nag-bonding kami’t nanood ng sine. Tapos, nag-videoke rin kami, kanta siya ng kanta. Parang workshop namin yun, so we’ll be more comfortable with each other.”
Is he able to relate to his role in “How to Be Yours” as Nino? “The story is about making choices. Love or career. Doon sa movie, career ang choice ko, then I met Bea as Anj and I fell in love with her, so naging love ang choice ko. But siya, she found a new career in being a chef at naging career ang first choice niya. So, dun ang conflict ng story. Character-driven ito, not plot driven, so I hope maka-relate ang viewers.”
Is there a chance for Bea and him to rekindle their past love for each other? “As of now, I just want to enjoy the feeling that we are enjoying each other’s company. Talagang enjoy kami being together and I just want to maintain this feeling as of now.”
