They may have good onscreen chemistry, but Bela Padilla and JC Santos do not think of themselves as a love team.
At the press conference of their upcoming movie The Day After Valentine's held last week, some entertainment reporters asked Bela and JC if they are willing to be called a love team.
Bela answered, “I feel like I really went past the window for entering a love team.
“Ang nakikita ko na love teams ngayon puro bata, e.
“I really think that JC and I, after this movie, we'll still have our individual careers.
“Kasi, we pursue different needs as well, we do other things on the side.
“JC also does theater. Ako, I love writing. Hopefully, we don't confine into a love team.
“I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it, parang sa personality naming dalawa, parang hindi po kailangan.”
JC acknowledged that sometimes being in a love team gives a boost to one's showbiz career.
However, the Kapamilya actor said he has a different plan for his acting career.
“Career-wise, it will be great,” he said.
“Pero pinag-usapan po namin ng manager ko, marami pa po akong gustong makatrabaho na leading lady or marami pa po akong gustong suportahan na mga tao kung hindi man po ako maging leading man.
“Gusto ko pa pong lumawak yung pananaw ko sa screen.
“Kung gusto ko pa pong matuto sa ibang tao, acting-wise.”
Despite this, fans of JC and Bela, who have dubbed themselves as JCBel, can still expect to see them together in movies.
In a separate interview with the lead actors of The Day After Valentine's, Bela mentioned that part of Viva's plan is for her and JC to have a movie project together once in a while.
“Actually, parang sinabihan nila ako, Viva din kasi ako, parang sabi nila at least once a year may movie kami ni JC.
“I would be very happy kung matutuloy 'yon kasi gumagawa din naman kami na iba yung partners namin.
“Pero masaya na bumabalik ka sa kaibigan mo. Masarap tumulong sa mga taong kumportable ka na at kaibigan mo sa totoong buhay.”
WHICH IS BETTER?
The Day After Valentine's is one of the official entries to the 2018 Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino, which will run from August 15 to 21 in all cinemas nationwide.
This is the second movie of JC Santos and Bela Padilla with director Jason Paul Laxamana. Their first movie was 100 Tula Para Kay Stella also under Viva Films.
At the presscon, the actors were asked which of these two movies they like better.
JC replied, 'Yun pong tanong na 'yan parang tinanong natin ang isang magulang kung sino sa mga anak niya ang mas gusto niya.
“Yung dalawa po talaga. I sincerely want the two of them kasi magkaiba sila—magkaiba ang atake, magkaiba ang tema, magkaiba ang mensahe.
“I really want both films to be appreciated by the audience.”
The Day After Valentine's is about Lani (played by Bela) who will fall in love with Kai (played by JC), who is broken and self-harming because of a failed relationship. Later on, she will fall apart because of a seemingly unreciprocated love.
Director Jason Paul Laxamana further described, “Yung The Day After Valentine's po, kinuha ko sa idea na kapag mahal mo yung tao, pang-Valentine's Day; kapag hindi ka talaga mahal, pang-day after ka na.
When asked which between his two movies—100 Tula Para Kay Stella and The Day After Valentine's—is more emotional, he answered, “Ito po. Kasi sa Stella, yung love dun, close to puppy love. Ito, it's more of age natin—mas totoo siya, mas mabigat 'yong pinagdadaanan ng mga tao, so feeling ko mas mabigat ito.”