After 11 years of being a love team, Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla have taken it upon themselves to step up their game to prove that they're no longer teenybopper stars out to bring kilig.
Known by their uniname KathNiel, they have made a total of nine blockbuster movies and nine drama series on prime-time TV.
At the presscon of their Netflix series 2 Good 2 Be True, Daniel explained that the "magic" of his chemistry with Kathryn now comes from portraying characters whose life experiences will really resonate with the audience.
The Kapamilya actor said, "Yung kilig lagi mo nararamdaman pag bago mo kakilala ang isang tao. Di ba, yun ang pinakamasarap na moments ninyo? Bago pa lang yung pag-ibig, konting tinginan, mmm, it’s the best!
"Pero pag ginagawa mo na siya off screen and on screen pa for 11 years, paano? Lalo na sa amin ni Kathryn, iba na yung ibig sabihin ng kilig sa amin.
"Lalo dito sa show, mas tinitimpla namin kung paano kami dapat. Iba na yung atake namin kaysa dati.
"Dati may mga cheesy lines ka pa, dudulas pa iyon kasi cute pa siya. Pero pag ginawa namin yun, di na masyado dudulas, baka cringe na.
"Kung ako yung nanonood, parang ako, 'G**da**it, ilang beses na iyan.' Ako na mismo magrereklamo.
"Ganun din kaming dalawa ni Kathryn. Paano yung mas normal na atake? Ikabit natin yung reality dito.
"Ano ba yung masarap sa pakiramdam? Ano ba yung dapat nating marinig? Ano bang dapat nating sabihin? So, iba na rin."
A TOUCHING MOMENT IN THE SERIES
The reel-and-real-life sweethearts credit their directors and writers for coming up with a material where they're able to showcase their chemistry without being cringey.
One such scene is from a recent episode when Ali (Kathryn) and Eloy (Daniel) were just standing next to each other at a rooftop overlooking high-rise buildings.
Ali was feeling vulnerable after an unexpected encounter with her father who abandoned her in her younger years; and Eloy was there, giving her comforting words about learning to let go of her baggages in life.
For a moment in time, they're given a breather away from the tension and drama surrounding their families.
Here are their lines from that scene:
Eloy: "Coach, hindi mo naman talaga masasabi kung ano'ng pwede mangyari. Paano kung ganito? Paano kung ganyan. Tingnan mo tayo. Dalawang bata na nagkita sa ospital. Akalain mo ba na na mas magkakaroon pa tayo ng mas malalim na koneksyon? Iyon ang nakatakda."
Ali: "Na wala yun sa mga kamay natin."
Eloy: "Kaya nga wag ka mag-aksaya ng lakas sa kakaisip sa mga bagay na di mo naman kontrolado."
Ali: "Tama. Dapat iwanan ko na lahat ng panghihinayang ko sa mga bagay na nagawa ko at di ko nagawa. At magfofocus na lang ako sa mga puwede ko magawin."
Eloy: "Kalimutan mo na nangyari noon. Alam mo kung anong iwan mo? Yung mga natutunan mo."
Ali: "Matutong maging matapang ulit. At matuto ulit magtiwala."
That Kathryn and Daniel delivered their lines without fanfare, just like two old friends pondering on life, served the purpose of connecting to the audience in a simple but real way.
- Daniel Padilla on girlfriend Kathryn Bernardo: "Pinipili namin ang isa't isa all the time."
- Daniel Padilla on Kathryn Bernardo: "Nag-aaway din kami."
2 GOOD 2 BE TRUE CREATORS ON KATHNIEL
Director Mae Cruz Alviar and second unit director Paco Sta. Maria were on top of creating slice-of-life moments for 2 Good 2 Be True, but they also attested to how Kathryn and Daniel are very collaborative behind the scenes.
Paco called the two stars "thinking actors" who give their inputs in the making of the series.
He added, "Ang gaan magtrabaho. If you're talking to your actors, its like talking to your friend.
"May eye contact tapos ina-absorb talaga nila kung anong gusto nilang mangyari."
The show's creative manager, Mel del Rosario, also expressed what it's like to have Kathryn and Daniel ensure that they portray their characters the way they imagined it.
Mel said, "Thinking actors, mahirap din, ang dami nila naiisip. Kilala nila yung characters nila. Si Daniel halimbawa, 'Ah, parang si Eloy po ganito.' They collaborate with us kasi dumikit sa pagkatao nila.
"I didn't realize that they will be that involved and intelligent. Mahirap din ang matalinong artista, minsan mas madali yung di nag-iisip, susunod na lang.
"And hindi ko na-realize na sobrang appreciative sila. They will always send message sa creative team for the script pag nagusthan nila, pag na-touch sila.
"I'm just part of the entire team. I like to acknowledge headwriter Denise O'Hara, our writers Jaymar Santos Castro, Jaja Amarillo, and Raymund Barcelon."
Having worked with Kathryn and Daniel in the movies Crazy Beautiful You and Can't Help Falling In Love, director Mae was proud of how the two stars exceeded her expectations in 2 Good 2 Be True.
"Grabe ang chemistry. Alam ko na na malakas sila sa audience, pero di ko inakala na marami pa sila mabibigay pa.
"You would think na after 11 years nasagad mo na, nasimot mo na kung anong kaya nilang gawin. Hindi. Marami pa sila puwede ibigay and I'm in awe on what they're able to give in this show."
Mae added, "Pakiramdam mo, nanay ka nila, ang laki-laki na nila, ang dami na nilang alam in life. Ang galing-galing nila.
"Iba ang ibinibigay nila sa scene. Meron yung nakikipag-usap sila sa puntod ng nanay [ni Eloy], na ang haba na tsikahan lang, pero iba yung nabibigay ng KathNiel.
"That's just an example, but there's so much more. Ang laki pa ng naging growth nila."
KATHRYN ON TEAMWORK
One of the trending episodes in 2 Good 2 Be True is when Lolo Sir (Ronaldo Valdez) suffered from stroke and Ali (Kathryn), a licensed nurse, executed the "F.A.S.T." method as first aid.
The F.A.S.T. method is an acronym for “face, arms, speech, and time”—the four-way test to check for signs of stroke.
According to scripps.org, the said signs include face drooping or numbness of the face, weakness or numbness of arms or legs on one side of the body, and time is for rapid response in calling for ambulance and rush to the hospital.
Citing this episode involving her and Ronaldo Valdez, Kathryn pointed out that they were just tools in acting out the scene that was made accurate through the help of the show's creators.
"Nangyari niyan bago kami mag-take, sa rehearsla may mga stand in. Yung isa as Ali, yung isa as Lolo Sir, may stand in para sa lahat ng characters na involved.
"Tapos nanood lang yung cast kung paano yung blocking and how to do it. And then we did another rehearsal with the cast naman.
"Tapos naitawid siya kasi may mga nakabantay din talaga [na medical experts] if we're doing it [the F.A.S.T. method] correctly.
"Mapi-feel mo rin talaga yung andrenaline kasi makikita mo si Tito Ron, he's not feeling well na, yung emotions [na pag-aalala], feeling ko, at that time, kailangan na siya i-save...
"Of course, headed by Direk Mae, pina-feel niya sa amin as if it's really happening in life. Na-pull off siya because everyone did their job.
"Si Ali lang yung nasa F.A.S.T method, pero di ko magagawa yun kung wala yung suporta ng buong team na nagbabantay if I'm doing it correctly."
Kathryn said that the work that they put into the series paid off because of the feedback from people from the medical field affirming that the show did the F.A.S.T method correctly.
"Of, course, yung writers, sina Ms. Mel, may script na, but then may kailangang i-add and kung paano mo gagawin because we want it to be educational at the same time.
"Na pag napanood nila puwede ka maka-save ng buhay. Na yun ang nangyari sa isang lolo [ng netizen] na nakita ko sa Twitter."
In the end, Daniel also gave credit to Kathryn for being the kind of star who really does her homework before acting in front of the camera.
He said, "Dati pa ganito si Kathryn sa pagiging hands-on niya sa character niya at sa script, ganun siya bilang aktres.
"Talagang sa kanya lang ako nagkaka-jive na... Ako yung nahihiya, e. Kasi tamad akong tao, e.
"Okay na yung script, pero pag nakita mo na siya... Nagpi-feed off lang ako sa kanya kasi inspiring na, 'Tama, dapat ganun, e. Ganun dapat ang work ethic.
"Dito ko mas nakita na grabe yung oras na binibigay ni Kathryn kasi maselan yung character niya as nurse. Ayaw niya nagkakamali. Talagang pinag-aaralan niya.
"So, kung gusto mo maging tama, kailangan mo talaga pag-aralan."
Aside from Netflix, 2 Good 2 Be True is airing its last three weeks on Kapamilya Channel right after Darna.