JULIA BARRETTO’s last soap, "Ngayon at Kailanman", was shown in 2018 yet while her last movie, “Block Z”, was released almost two years ago before the pandemic.
So it’s understandable that her fans have missed her and they’re now devotedly following her new weekly soap on TV5, “Di Na Muli”.
“I and my co-stars led by Marco Gumabao as Mico and Marco Gallo as CJ, including our director, Andoy Ranay, want to thank all those who watch us regularly every Saturday at 8PM on TV5,” says Julia.
“Salamat din sa magagandang feedback that we get sa social media. It all inspires and encourages us para mas paghusayin ang aming trabaho at mas pagandahin ang show.”
“Di Na Muli” is an uplifting story about losing love and finding it again, and also about the importance of learning how to move on and live life without any regrets.
“I love my role as Yanna,” says Julia. “It’s one of the most memorable roles I’ve every played in my career.
"Yanna is given a very unusual gift. She got it from her grandmother (Liz Alindogan) who transferred it to her before she died. With the gift, the moment she touches a person, nakikita niya agad yung buong lifespan ng taong ito, kung kailan ito mamamatay.
''It’s a very scary gift so Yanna becomes afraid of touching people, kasi nalalaman niya agad kung hanggang kailan na lang sila mabubuhay dito sa ating mundo.”
It’s good she meets Marco Gumabao as Miko, who makes her realize that her gift can be considered both as a blessing and a curse.
With her knowing until when a person will stay on this earth, she can make that person realize how to make the most of his or her remaining moments in this life.
“With the help of Marco as Miko, Yanna is able to navigate through her life and relationships in a much more fulfilling manner,” adds Julia.
“And with Marco Gumabao in this role, mas napadali ang trabaho namin kasi dati na kaming friends. We will do a new movie together in November to be directed by Jason Laxamana.”
How about with Marco Gallo?
“Kinabahan ako kay Marco Gallo nung una kasi first time ko to work with him and he’s someone who’s younger than me.
"But he showed a lot of commitment and gave so much passion in the show kasi when we lost his character sa show, we really missed him.
"He adds little touches and nuances to his character that make him so endearing. He really made my job easier.”
How is it doing the show on a lock in taping for one month?
“Ang hirap sa lock in, you’re away from your family. You miss them and also your bed and your usual routines. But after one month, you get used to it kasi nagging family kami talaga ng mga kasama ko.
"Kaya lang, mas gusto ko pa rin yung dati so sana matapos na lang itong pandemic so we can go back to the former set up of shooting.”
“Di Na Muli” works simply because Julia is so effective in the lead role.
She mixes both warmth and lightheartedness in her interpretation of Yanna, quite compelling in both her comic and dramatic scenes. She also has undeniable chemistry with Marco Gumabao.
The show’s supporting cast is quite splendid, led by the former 90s love team of Angelu de Leon and Bobby Andrews.
Angelu is the mom of Julia while Bobby is the dad of Marco Gumabao and it looks like they had a secret relationship in their past.
The show is told with a brisk pacing so you won’t get bored and it has an obvious very Koreanovela influence in its very breezy way of unfolding the story.
“Don’t miss every single episode of ‘Di Na Muli’ kasi we assure you that the story becomes more engaging and engrossing in the future episodes,” says Julia.
“Mas maraming mga pasabog na eksenang tiyak na ikagugulat ng viewers at marami ring kilig na eksena involving us ng two Marcos and also nina Tita Angelu and Tito Bobby. It’s all very heartwarming and fulfilling viewing.”
