One of Filipino TV’s most popular on-screen couples (known as a “loveteam”), Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil, are taking their relationship to the next level: The big screen. The stars of soap opera Forevermore, which ended last month, play a mismatched couple in Just The Way You Are, released in the UAE on Thursday. tabloid! shot over some quick-fire questions to the pair.
What roles do you want to portray in the future and who are the artists you want to work with?
Soberano: My dream role is to play something like Maggie from the Walking Dead or a vampire. [I want to work on] a vampire movie like Twilight, something like that. I like action. I want to work again with Ate [big sister] Bea Alonzo, Ate Anne Curtis. Actually, I’m open working with anybody, but those two are my major priorities.
Gil: I want to work with all the artists that I haven’t worked with, and see other people how they do their craft, because you will learn a lot. It’s not really working with a particular person, but it’s more about working with other people — actors and actresses that you learn a lot from. I really like zombie roles, like [the] Walking Dead-type or a vampire role, something different that I haven’t done as well.
How do you deal with competition in the industry?
Soberano: I don’t think of anything as competition. I feel that if you think of it as competition, it will make you a monster. The competition is within me to be even better than my last role.
Do you do acting workshops?
Gil: No time to do workshops. The work itself is your workshop, that’s how you’ll learn actually. Workshop is just a beginner’s thing, but when you are doing the actual shooting or taping, there you will learn — it’s a learning process all the time. So for me, that’s really the workshop itself. That’s your work, that’s your training, that’s your practice. As time goes by, you’ll get to learn a lot from different directors and the artists you’ll be working [with] on the scene. The more you work, the more you’ll learn.
It is not uncommon to see fans of different loveteams bash other loveteams on social media. How do you deal with that? Do you tell your fans not to bash other loveteams?
Soberano: If the tweets are really overboard or below the belt, I really respond to it. I mean, I’m not bad to them or anything, I just make them realise that the person you are bashing is also a human being. They are just doing their work.
Gil: Yes, actually I told my fans, our fans, not to cause any trouble. Every time I send tweets, I tell them, one love guys, love you all. For me, I don’t want any trouble. To our different fan groups, if you think other fan groups are bashing us, please just ignore them, don’t imitate them because it’s not good. If they want to defend and speak their mind, it’s okay, but as much as possible don’t criticise other loveteams.
You are adored by your fans. How do you maintain you image as role models?
Soberano: I play it safe all the time. I don’t go to places that I know I don’t need to be or I’m not fit to be there, like bars and stuff. I also don’t have any vices. I try to keep myself prim and proper as much as possible. When there are kids around, I always remind them to be good with their parents.
Gil: Be who I am. I also encourage the kids to be who they want to be in life. They can do it if they believe in it. The most important thing is to believe in yourself. If you don’t believe in yourself, you’ll not go anywhere.
