Gretchen Barretto enjoys herself a lot while taping her first television series on ABS-CBN, Magkaribal.
In an interview during the press visit on the set of the fashion-drama series, the actress talked about her happy rapport with the show's cast.
"Natutuwa lang ako talaga sa buong cast namin dahil for the first time, sa tinagal-tagal ko sa show business, ngayon lang talaga ako nakaramdam na 'yong talagang samahan namin at feelings namin sa isa't isa...talagang we look forward to working with each other kasi masaya," she said in an interview last Wednesday, June 2, at Palacio de Manila in Malate, Manila.
"Masaya kami, totoo kami," she continued. "Di ba, may ganun na 'masaya kami' pero hindi naman totoo? Ito, this is real pagsasama. Walang inggitan, walang konsiyensiya. Pero siyempre sa script namin, puro kompitensiya. Pero sa backstage, wala."
Gretchen, who will portray the character of Victoria Valeria in Magkaribal, also mentioned that while on the set waiting for their scenes, she and the other cast members would just chat. Sometimes their exchanges were so funny that she could not get into her character easily.
"In character talaga ako. Although, sabi ko last Monday, big thing talaga, ang daming drama and all. Kapag galing ka sa dressing room, lahat masaya, ang hirap mag-emote, ang hirap mag-focus. Kaya nga rin yata kami naaksidente ni Derek [Ramsay] dahil parang di ako nakikinig sa mga tao, masyado akong excited, hindi ako maka-focus. Ayun, kung anu-ano tuloy ang nangyayari!" Gretchen laughed.
The actress was referring to the motorcycle scene with Derek where part of her gown got entangled with the back wheel which almost got her naked.
But Gretchen noted, "I'm really having a lot of fun and I'm glad na we're really getting to know each other. We're having a lot of fun together."
LEARNING FROM HER YOUNGER CO-STARS. Aside from establishing a good relationship with her co-stars, Gretchen also values the things she learns especially her younger colleagues.
One example she gave was her getting used to wearing flip-flops on the set. As a fashionista, Gretchen admits she rarely wears "tsinelas" in public.
"Alam n'yo, may natutunan ako dito sa set, kasi two weeks na kami dito sa set. Noong araw, hindi n'yo talaga ako magpagsusuot ng Havaianas or tsinelas. Parang, 'No way!' Mahuhulog ako, naka-stilettos pa rin ako! Alam n'yo naman ako, always in style.
"Pagdating ko sa set, inumpisahan nila Derek, parang naka-shorts, T-shirt na gutay-gutay, 'tapos nakatsinelas. Aba, maya-maya si Angel [Aquino] nakatsinelas. 'Tapos, noong nag-station ID kami, during the taping nasira ang shoes ko, pinahiram ako ni Angel ng tsinelas. So, sabi ko, 'A, ganun, ito ang uso!' Uso ngayon. So, kanina, dumating ako naka-shorts, gutay-gutay na T-shirt, at nakatsinelas. At nagpapalitrato na akong nakatsinelas! Noong araw, talagang malaking away 'yan—walang suot, huwag lang magtsitsinelas. So, ayun, nakakahawa."
Gretchen added, "Ang sarap, ang sarap! Ang daming nababago sa buhay ko na hindi ko nagagawa noong araw."
Aside from Gretchen, Derek and Angel, the other cast members of Magkaribal are Enchong Dee, Erich Gonzales, and Bea Alonzo. This fashion-serye will start airing on June 21 in ABS-CBN.