“Traveling is the best way to broaden one’s horizons and I know going to Rome, Venice and Trecase in Italy will be a great experience for me,” he says.
He’s also happy to be reunited with Barbie Forteza. “First movie namin ito na magkapareha, but we’ve worked before on TV sa ‘Anna Karenina’ and ‘Half Sisters’. It’s always a pleasure working with Barbie kasi napakagaling niyang artista. Tawa lang nang tawa, pero kapag take na, biglang serious drama na agad, kaya madadala ka kapag kayo ang magkaeksena.”
Their Derbie love team seems to have its own set of supporters, but off cam, it’s common knowledge that Barbie is on with Jak Roberto, the Pambansang Abs. Won’t Jak get jealous now that Barbie and he will be all alone in Italy?
“Bakit naman siya magseselos? Barbie and I naman won’t be sharing the same hotel rooms in Italy. Also, kasama niya ang handler niya at kasama ko ang handler ko para chaperons namin. Yung sa amin, close friendship lang talaga. Kahit matagal kaming di nagkasama after ‘Half Sisters’, kapag nagkikita kami, ang bonding namin, ganun pa rin. So yun.”In “Almost a Love Story”, he grows up in Italy and Barbie grows up in Manila, but they always talk to each other through video calls because Barbie’s mom, Lotlot de Leon, is Derrick’s yaya in Italy.
“So lumaki kaming magkakilala kahit magkalayo kami. Then pupunta siya to visit her mom in Italy, and finally, we will meet each other in person.”
Will they have a kissing scene? “As of now, we don’t know yet. Pero bahala na po si Direk Louie Ignacio. Sa’kin, okay lang naman, pero si Barbie, di pa yata ready sa ganyan. Palagay ko, sa ganda nung story, tatayo naman ang movie kahit walang kissing scene. Basta gagalingan namin ang acting namin sa bawat eksena para masulit ang ibabayad ng viewers.”
