One of the hottest loveteams in the Philippines — Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil — are back together and this time it’s on the big screen. After the success of their soap opera Forevermore, which ended last month, Filipino fans all over the world, including here in the UAE, can see them again in Just The Way You Are, released in the UAE on June 25.
It’s the first major film pairing of Soberano and Gil, whose on-screen chemistry helped cement them as two of the most popular Filipino artists today. The movie is a Filipino teen comedy-drama based on the best-selling pop fiction The Bet, which was originally published on Wattpad, an online writing community where users can post articles, stories, fan fiction, and poems.
“Actually, we shot Just The Way You Are before we started doing Forevermore. It actually came before [the soap opera],” confides Soberano. “I’m happy that Star Cinema is releasing the movie right after the success of Forevermore so people are still interested with our team-up.
“It feels great with the trust they’ve given to us. We didn’t really expect Forevermore to be that successful. It’s a good thing that we have another project right after Forevermore, because people clamoured for more. With this movie they can see us again and will keep the fans going.”
In the movie Gil plays Drake Sison, a playboy who is not serious when it comes to love and relationships.
“He doesn’t believe in true love because of a problem with his family. With what he saw or experienced in his family, he thinks that true love doesn’t exist, so why will he believe in true love? For him, love is just a game,” explains Gil. “But in reality, it’s not who he really is, he’s just acting that way because of his problem.”
Soberano portrays Sophia Taylor, a girl-next-door who doesn’t have time for love — all she wants is to focus on school and work to achieve her dreams.
“She has no time for games. She’s the complete opposite of Drake. She’s not famous at school, she’s not popular and she does not seek attention at all,” says Soberano. “The movie is about two different people, who both have struggles with their families, and how these two people gel despite their differences. They come together because they have similarities, they both have a connection when it comes to their families.”
Gil adds: “They are going to find hope and likeness within each other. Then, they would realise that they are not different people — they are exactly the same person, with the problems they’ve been through. Through each other they will get to know themselves more.
“And the story is also about taking risks. It’s more about getting to know yourself in the process, fixing problems with the family and problems that affect you as a person and how you should handle it.”
Gil says he didn’t do much preparation for the movie except observing a strict diet and keeping his body fit, because of a scene where he needed to show his upper body.
Soberano, for her part, worked in a food shop to get some practical experience that she could relate to her character. “Before the movie started, I worked in a milk tea shop for one day so that I’ll know how to prepare milk tea. We also had workshops for the movie, and bonding moments with the other cast [members]. For me, I spent time with Marco Gumabao [who plays Skye] because we are best friends in the movie, so that helped our portrayal to be authentic,” says Soberano.
In the movie, Drake makes a bet with his best friend that he will make the nerdy transferee, Sophia, fall in love with him in 30 days. But after she says yes to him, he must confess that everything was just a game. Gil says he wouldn’t dare do that in real life.
“I think [it happens] only in the movies, but in my case it has never happened,” he says.
The duo also confess feeling the pressure, especially with the success of Forevermore.
“Of course there’s pressure. People’s expectations are getting higher and bigger because of the success of Forevermore,” says Gil. “I hope everything goes well. We are portraying new characters, it’s a new and different story so when you give something new to the people you will never know if they will like it or not. With Forevermore, we first thought that people will not like it, but then it turned out that they liked it so much.”
Soberano, however, says she tries to handle the pressure in a different way. “People say that there’s a lot more pressure on us because people love Forevermore so they should also love the movie. For me, I don’t really think about it. If I’ll think about all the pressure or if I think I have to beat something, it all becomes like a competition and I don’t want it to feel like a competition. I just want to do it because I want to do it, because I love what I do, and not because I want to beat something or someone.”
The two have been paired before with different celebrities, but it is their loveteam that has clicked with fans. Soberano and Gil say they are at ease with each other, which makes their tandem a lot more natural.
“We didn’t have to try,” says Gil. “We enjoy each other’s company a lot. We enjoy working together. This time, I’m really into my leading lady. I think people see something real, natural, light, no pretensions and maybe they can see that onscreen. It’s just how it is. We work easily together and people see the spark with our loveteam.”
Soberano adds: “I don’t really know what the secret is. We don’t really think that we are really a loveteam. When we started, we didn’t expect our tandem in Forevermore will be a hit. I just thought that I’m just another of his leading ladies, because he always changes his leading ladies, so I thought it will be just the same for me. I didn’t know that it would be a solid loveteam.”
It has been known that the 23-year-old Gil has developed a special feeling towards Soberano. When asked if he has plans to pursue her when she turns 18 next year, without hesitation Gil responded in the affirmative: “Most likely, yes.”
Is the feeling mutual? “There is a chance when the right times come,” says Soberano. “My daddy always tells me ‘Don’t go into a relationship that you are not really ready [for] because it will break you’. Just because I’m 18, it doesn’t mean I should have a boyfriend right away. When I turn 18 maybe he can start courting me, but he has to give me time to ready myself for everything.”
The tandem does not stop with Just The Way You Are as the two tell tabloid! that they will be working on a new movie and television soap opera.
“Once we’re be back in Manila, there will be another movie to be pitched to us [as of this writing, Soberano and Gil are in the US promoting the movie]. So it seems that we will be doing another movie, me and Liza together,” Gil shares excitedly. “After that, I heard there is another teleserye, but there are no details yet. Those are what fans can expect from us.”
Soberano concurs: “We have another movie but no details yet. All I know is that I’ll be working with Quen [Gil’s nickname] again.”
