GABBI Garcia and Khalil Ramos’ GMA-7 primetime series, “Love You Stranger,” is one year in the making. It now airs on GMA at 9:35 p.m.
“Na-delay ang production because of the pandemic,” says Gabbi. “But we assure you, it’s worth the long wait. We’re all proud of this love story, mystery thriller set in the town of Santa Castela that has many secrets for you to discover.”
What is the advantage of working with your boyfriend? “We’ve been on for five years so kabisado na namin ang isa’t isa, ang aming work ethic. The story of ‘Love You Stranger’ is so mahirap gawin ang mga eksena, so doon na-test talaga ang pagtutulungan namin as co-actors. Without him, I’d be at a loss. He helped me a lot in developing my character.”
Five years of being steady is quite a long time in showbiz. What is their secret? “I think it’s because best friends talaga kami. Super magka-tropa kami, we hang out and we love doing things together.”
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Diego Loyzaga is rumored to have found a new girlfriend to replace his ex, Barbie Imperial.
His sweet photos with “Pinoy Big Brother” discovery Franki Russell are all over social media, making some folks jump into conclusion that they’re already on. But Diego himself denies this.
“Franki and I are not together,” he says. “For now, I just want to remain single and focus on my work.”
Diego has just finished a new movie, “How to Love Mr. Heartless,” which will stream on Vivamax starting June 17 and Diego is paired for the first time with Sue Ramirez.
“Both Sue and I are so happy when we learned we’ll be paired in this movie,” he says.
“We’ve been friends for a long time as we hosted ‘ASAP’ in ABS-CBN before but this is the first time we’re working in a movie. Tuwang-tuwa kami kasi we are so comfortable with each other. Sa first shooting day, non-stop daldalan kami to update our lives, kasi ilang years din kaming hindi nagkita.”
He is the “Mr. Heartless” in the title. “The name of my character is Blue, a very mysterious guy who is cold and distant to everyone. But he’s a know it all. Kapag may sinabi ka sa kanya, he will explain to you everything about the topic. Daig pa niya ang Google. We’re opposites ni Sue as Yanyan kasi she’s perky, charming and very open. But as they say, opposites attract each other.”
Sue will eventually try to make Diego open up in the story. “Blue appears difficult to understand, but ‘yun pala, may pinaghuhugutan siya why he is behaving like that. May trauma siya while growing up. May problema siya, but he doesn’t know how to address it.”
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Janelle Tee is surely the busiest beauty queen-actress working in Vivamax today. After the hit “Putahe” where she did lesbian love scenes with Ayanna Misola, she did sado-masochistic bedscenes with Baron Geisler in “Pusoy.” Now, she’s all set to be seen in a new movie, “Secrets,” that starts streaming on June 10. She gets the chance here to work with award-winning writer-director Joey Reyes for the first time. So how was it?
“Noong una nahihiya ako kasi Direk Joey Reyes yan, intimidating, baguhan lang akong artista,”she says. “But sa set, sobrang gaan niyang katrabaho. Masaya, I felt comfortable agad. Andami niyang advice sa akin about life and the industry. He noticed, grabe ang appetite mo ha, o sige pa. Talagang pinapakain niya ako. Siya lang ang director ko na lagi akong binibigyan ng food so I had fun with him.”
In the story, she plays Janine, who’s on with Benz Sangalang, but when they went on vacation in a beach resort, she meets Felix Roco who messes up their relationship. Can she relate with her character?
“Si Janine kasi, nasa loob ang kulo niya, and I’m not like that. But I can relate with her in that she’s a keen observer, tahimik lang, pero ina-assess ang mga tao sa paligid niya.”
Her films seem to be getting more and more daring. Did she enjoy doing her scenes as a dominatrix who inflicts bodily harm on Baron Geisler in “Pusoy”?
“My role in that movie is so not me,” she says. “Nananakit ako, ayoko talaga ng nananakit. Noong una, hindi ko magawa ‘yung hinahampas-hampas ko siya but si Baron mismo told me, ‘Sige, lakasan mo pa. Itodo mo!’ Ang mga binigay nilang sex gadgets sa akin, hindi ko alam kung paano gamitin at kinailangan pa akong turuan ni Direk Brillante Mendoza how to use them.”
