For Enrique Gil and Andrea Brillantes, A Secret in Prague—their first project together—feels like a long-awaited culmination.
The series had been in development for years before finally premiering on Netflix on April 24, 2026, and on TV5 on April 27.
“Parang dapat mapupunta sa isang network, tapos dapat isang network, hanggang sa nandito na,” Enrique told PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) in an exclusive interview on April 18.
It is also a TV comeback for Enrique.
He last appeared in Make It With You, also a romantic comedy, with ex-girlfriend Liza Soberano. But it ended abruptly in 2020, due to pandemic lockdowns and the closure of ABS-CBN.
Andrea, meanwhile, was glad that she could now freely promote A Secret in Prague.
“Happy, kasi...makakapag-post na ako ng mga winter outfits ko. Kasi ang tagal na yung nakabakante,” said the 23-year-old actress.
Parts of the show were shot in Prague in February, when winter was still in full swing.
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PREPARING FOR PRAGUE
Andrea’s role in the series is Kiara Valtrovi, the daughter of a mafia boss who is based in Prague.
“Half-Filipino po siya. Yung mom niya, lumaki sa Pampanga. So Pinay naman talaga yung mommy niya. Um, so may background naman siya, marunong naman siyang mag-Tagalog.'
And since Kiara grew up in Prague, Andrea had to look like she’s used to the cold climate.
“Di pa ako nakakakita ng snow,” she revealed. “So hindi ko alam kung ano yung pinaghahandaan ko. Yes, first time ko Iyon. So yun yung talaga yung pinaghandaan ko. Paano ang snow?”
To prepare, Andrea stocked up on winter outfits. But once she was in Prague, she realized that they weren’t enough to beat the cold.
“Tapos nung may mga eksena na kami na hindi na kami nakakapagsalita dahil nanginginig na yung bibig namin. Like, tumitigas na yung panga namin."
A realization struck her: "Hindi pala siya ganoon ka-fun. Mas okay na ako sa Baguio. Baguio, na ang pinaka-perfect. Yun na, yun ang pinaka-perfect, mas malamig pa doon. Huwag na. Okay na sa Baguio.”
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Enrique’s preparation, on the other hand, has more to do with his mental state.
Taping a teleserye is a long and taxing process, so actors have to be ready for it.
“I think just, you know, getting the mindset of coming back to the whole taping life. When it comes to the character, parang hindi naman masyado, e. Hindi masyado. Kasi feeling ko, ako lang naman yung character, e,” he said about playing Mikoy Pinagpala, a hardworking and cheerful OFW, who finds himself unexpectedly tangled in Kiara’s life.
He continued, “Siyempre, when you start a show, you know, you have to give it your all hanggang sa dulo. So, it's just more of a mental thing, like I'm going back into it.”
The 34-year-old actor admitted that it’s not easy for him to come back not just to the teleserye grind, but also to the whole world of showbiz.
In a previous interview, he revealed that he had considered retiring.
“Because at the time, medyo I was trying to escape going back into the whole showbiz world, and you know, it's more than just the show itself. It's just the whole thing and everything that comes with it. But yeah, I'll be alright. Sanay na ako sa ganitong mundo."
What’s different this time is that Enrique has a lot more control. He’s still under Star Magic, but he now produces his own projects via his own company, Slingshot Studios.
A Secret in Prague, in fact, is co-produced by Slingshot and MQuest Ventures.
This creative autonomy allowed Enrique to take a more active role in the casting process, leading him to his leading lady, Andrea.
While the business side was meticulously planned, their partnership relied on something far less technical: organic chemistry.
ON LOVE TEAMS
Usually, new showbiz tandems undergo screen tests and workshops to build their on-screen chemistry.
Enrique and Andrea had none of that for A Secret in Prague.
Enrique believes that the connection between their characters will naturally come from the way their stories are told.
“I think kasi yung interesting kasi dito sa story na ito, it’s the situation of these two characters kasi. Yung mga nangyari sa paligid nila, I think, does so much for these characters that they don’t really have to try so hard."
He further explained that it’s not new for him to be paired with someone else.
Before his much-celebrated LizQuen love team with Liza Soberano, Enrique had starred opposite other leading ladies like Kathryn Bernardo, Julia Montes, and Lauren Young.
It was the same for Andrea, who had a short-lived love team with Seth Fedelin, and has since worked with different leading men.
“Matagal na po kasi akong solo artist. It's been years for me since I had a love team. Ilang years na ba? Di ko sure. Basta alam ko, teenager pa yata ako noon.
"And mas mindset ko lang na project ito, work ito, and artista ako, and, I'll just give my best at to make it work kung sino man yung magiging partner ko,” said the Gen Z leading lady.
And while Andrea and Enrique believe that they don’t need a love team at this point in their careers, they still acknowledge the benefits of being in one.
Andrea said: "Minsan napapaisip ako, kasi for the longest time, dream ko iyan, e, parang, magkaroon ng love team kasi it's, what works, especially here in the Philippines.
"Like if you really want to be mainstream or gusto mong, sobrang sumikat talaga or maging phenomenal, parang kailangan talaga yung magawa.
"And then, na-realize ko lang, I think it's not for me. Um, pero masaya, napapaisip ako, masaya din sana na yung achievements mo, may ka-share ka, kasama mo, especially if kunyari, maganda pa yung relationship niyo, ang saya siguro noon."
Enrique added another benefit: having a regular partner makes acting work easier.
“When you get to work with somebody for so long, siyempre you’d know each other so well.
"So ang dali nung, kung medyo mabibigat ang eksena, isang tingin, isang salita lang, pag hindi niyo nararamdaman, isang tingin lang.
"There's a deeper level na only that person can really bring out of you,” he explained.
Andrea agreed and added that a love team also makes shooting days lighter.
“Lalo na kung ka-partner mo talaga in real life yung ka-partner mo, parang hindi na siya work. Parang every day ka may date.”
But the other side of that coin is having to hide fights from the public eye.
“Pag magkainisan kayo tapos kailangan, sweet-sweet. Pero pagka-cut, mamaya ka pa din sa akin!” said Andrea jokingly.
Enrique laughed before chipping in. “Super, super. Tapos medyo halata? Guys kailangan sweet yung eksena, ha?”
Andrea continued: “Tapos kapag nag-aaway kayo tapos kailangan na kayo sa set? Tapos lalabas na kayo, magho-holding hands na kayo?"
Then turning to Enrique, she teased: "Weee, may nami-miss."
Taken aback, the male lead in the defunct LizQuen love team stammerred, "Ano ko. wala akong sinasabi. Wala akong sinasabi."
Going back to the topic, the sweetness—whether genuine or not—often serves to shield the love team from obsessive fans.
Over time, however, that constant scrutiny can leave the reel couple feeling confined, as if trapped in a cage.
Andrea appreciates the truly loyal supporters who will always bat for their favorite duos. “Kasi siyempre yung cons, yung pagkontrol na masyado na parang may buhay ako, tao ako, yung part na iyon na alam na natin lahat.
"Pero yung pros is talagang andiyan sila for you. No matter what. Talagang ipagtatanggol ka nila. Through thick and thin and solid iyan,” she said.
ON GOING SOLO
But having been a solo artist since 2023, Andrea finds the shift liberating.
Laughing, she revealed what she considers the biggest benefit: her talent fee is no longer tied to her screen partner.
"Ako, basta masaya lang ako, yung TF ko kasi sa akin lahat. Yun yung pros. TF lahat sa iyo na...
"I mean, yung mga experience ko, e, may na-experience akong gano'n. Like parang if kukunin, together. Basta mas malaki lang yung cut. Basta lumaki lang...Yun yung na-experience ko, di ko sinasabi [na ganun] sa lahat."
She also enjoys being able to choose her projects more readily.
"Mas may freedom lang talaga, like, no offense, mas may freedom lang sa paggawa ng project, sa pagtanggap, or pagpili ng mga projects na gustong gawin...
"I just feel like this is my path and I'm happy naman sa path ko."
Enrique, for his part, said that he's done with his love-team era.
"I'm at a stage in my career right now...nagawa ko na po halos lahat yun. At this point, with the projects I want to do and moving forward, that's not really my radar talaga.
"And yeah, I think, you know, you have to evolve. You know, as an artist and, uh, so you can't just stay the same.
"So kung ibang love team man iyan, maybe possibly, but not really needed anymore."
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