Julia Barretto and Joshua Garcia
WORKING with Kris Aquino is like having a mother on the set.
This was how Kapamilya stars Joshua Garcia and Julia Barretto described Queen of All Media who they worked with in the film, “I Love You, Hater.”
“We had somebody to take care of us, to look after us, give us advice in the industry. She has been in the industry for such a long time. She’s such an
expert,” Barretto told members of Cebu Entertainment Group during a press conference last Sunday.
“The best experience! Lahat binigay niya—‘yung food.
Inaalagan niya kami sa set. Noong one time pag uwi niya galing Japan, may pasalubong siyang dala para sa amin. She’s very thoughtful and generous,” Garcia said.
The Kapamilya love team was in Cebu City last Sunday to promote the film in a jampacked show at the Robinsons Galleria Cebu.
“It was fun working with her. We did a lot of things and learned a lot from her,” Barretto said.
What advice did Aquino give to them?
“Ako, ‘yung hangga’t nandiyan, gawin mo. Hangga’t nandiyan ibuhos mo lahat ng kaya mo kasi pag wala na ikaw magsisisi sa huli,” Garcia
revealed.
No need to impress
In the film, Garcia and Barretto play Joko and Zoey, respectively. They are newbies vying for the position of executive assistant in a media company owned by Sasha, Aquino’s character.
Joko pretends to be gay to get the position but eventually gets attracted to Zoey.
“Nagpapanggap siya na bakla para sa pamilya niya para makatulong. Gagawin niya lahat para sa pamilya niya,” Garcia said.
This is not the first time the 20-year-old actor is portraying a gay role.
In 2016, he played as Ernesto, a gay character in an episode of the ABS-CBN anthology, “Maalaala Mo Kaya.”
Garcia said that the MMK episode helped him portray the gay role for this film while he also got some tips from make-up artists.
“Tinutulungan naman ako sa mga make-up artists namin kung paano ‘yung nararamdaman nila,” he said.
Julia Barretto and Joshua Garcia during last Sunday’s press conference
Barretto, for her part, described Zoey as a dreamer.
“She is an over-achiever and a go-getter. She is also getting into this new job so that she can prove something and she can prove herself to her own father. She is very free-spirited. She is carefree and a dreamer,” Barretto said.
Working with Aquino for the first time, did they also try to impress her on set?
“I think more than anything it wasn’t wanting to impress her but it was wanting to create chemistry with her on screen. Because chemistry does not just work for love teams or tandems. It also goes for your co-workers. It is also important that you have good on screen chemistry and camaraderie, how comfortable you guys are working with each other,” Barretto said.
She believes that having a good relationship will also reflect a good tandem on screen.
“For me kasi, my character admired Sasha so I had to learn more about Tita Kris because I wanted to also admire her in real life as Julia. Ang galing kasi that’s what happened. After getting to know Tita Kris, I really admire her,” the 21-year-old actress said.
Aquino’s comeback
“I Love You, Hater” is the comeback movie of Aquino with Star Cinema after she left ABS-CBN two years ago.
With her return, the Kapamilya love team believes that Aquino does not need to prove herself again with Star Cinema.
“Actually di ko nakita ‘yun ‘eh kasi ‘yung Star Cinema is family naman rin niya eh. Kumbaga nanggaling na rin siya doon, ang dami na niyang nagawang pelikula doon,” Garcia said.
Before her hiatus, the Queen of All Media did several blockbuster films under Star Cinema, including “Feng Shui,” “Feng Shui 2,” “Sisterakas,”
“Etiquette for Mistress,” “Sukob,” “Segunda Mano,” and “All You Need is Pag-ibig.”
“Pagbalik niya, parang normal lang uli. Parang bumalik lang siya sa trabaho. Same people pa rin. Walang nagbago. Ganoon pa rin po siya,” Garcia added.
No pressure
Directed by Gisele Andres, “I Love You, Hater” will open in Philippine cinemas tomorrow.
It is the tandem’s fourth film after 2016’s surprise hit, “Vince and Kath and James,” and last year’s “Love You to the Stars and Back” and “Unexpectedly Yours” which also starred Megastar Sharon Cuneta and action star Robin Padilla.
The movie earned more than P200 million.
Do they feel pressured by expectations that “I Love You, Hater” will also do well at the box office?
“Kami ho, masaya kami kung anong mangyari sa pelikula.
Importante, sa amin siguro blessed kami kasi nagkaroon kami ng pelikula. ‘Yung pressure siguro sa Star Cinema kasi siyempre nasa kanila ‘yung kita ‘eh,” Garcia said.
Barretto said she hopes more than anything that the viewers will appreciate the hard work they put into the project.
“Syempre as actors di ba, it is always our goal to be able to portray our characters well and to deliver well. Parang for us the pressure is sana magustuhan nila ‘yung performance namin dito. Sana maiba namin sa past characters na nagawa namin. Sana maka move kami ng lives. Maka-touch ng lives, maka-inspire,” Barretto said.