Off-script moments between JM Ibarra and Sofia “Fyang” Smith reveal how their opposite tempos can find the cheerful pace that serves them both.
The two find themselves meeting in the middle without trying too hard, and it is this common suit they rely on when a project demands much more from newbies like them.
Shake, Rattle & Roll: Evil Origins is their first shot at the coveted silver screen. It is also living proof that they've survived their very next challenge after making waves in the huge reality show on television, Pinoy Big Brother.
Shake, Rattle & Roll—the iconic film series from Regal Entertainment, now on its 17th reincarnation—circles back to survival, superstition, and strange timing.
Read: Meet the Cast of Shake, Rattle & Roll: Evil Origins
All of which are eerily similar to how the pair sees the miracles in their lives.
Fyang looks at miracles as destiny: “Kasi parang hindi naman mangyayari yung isang bagay kung hindi para sa iyo.”
JM looks at miracles as magic. “Eto ngayon, magic na sa akin 'to. Yung bagay na hindi mo ine-expect na mangyayari, o magagawa mo, o pupuntahan mo.”
At the Summit Media studio, JM, 25 years of age, does his pose with the straight spine of a newcomer that knows how a careless mistake can cost him his break. The shoulders give him away, though—still a rookie, not expecting special treatment, exhibiting none of the swagger that fame tacks on.
There is a refreshing now-or-never energy in how the boy holds himself together.
To his left sits Fyang, six years younger at 19, whose five-foot-three-inch frame cannot bottle up the zing of youth. She talks fast, gestures faster, and looks like she's not one to let grass grow under her feet. She admits this is due partly to her stint in a content creator house, where second-guessing and losing momentum can mean not making the cut.
There is a sure, even passionate, energy in how the girl conducts herself.
Read: Who is Sofia "Fyang" Smith?
JMFYANG: UNSCRIPTED
Perhaps the clearest window to the JMFyang duo comes when conversation drifts toward the territory of pursuit—when to push, when to rest, when to let things be.
The two ease into the question without pretensions to being wise.
Fyang jumps in first, as she always does when she feels strongly about something.
“Uy, may sagot ako diyan talaga. Nakatatak sa utak ko yan,” she begins, leaning forward, eyes widening.
She says her rule is non-negotiable: she stops chasing the minute respect goes.
“Napapagod ako pag wala nang respeto. Mahalaga sa akin yung respeto, e. Pag gustung-gusto kita, tapos parang hindi mo na ako nirerespect… pag nawala na yung respect, parang hindi mo na rin mahal yung tao, e.
“Feeling ko kapag nawala na yung respeto, pag wala nang limit, pag hindi mo alam yung boundary mo sa sarili mo—yun, parang nawawalan ako ng gana [maghabol]. Feeling ko, ugali ko na yun.”
Shrugging, she says: “Hindi ako mahilig mag-second chance, swear. One wrong move lang talaga ako. Pag binigyan ka ng second chance, baka abusuhin. Parang bahala na. Feeling ko kasi, pag ganun, merong mas better para sa akin in the future.”
JM listens, nods, then picks up where she leaves off.
His approach is quite unlike hers and speaks of how he has moved in his young life.
“Simula high school pa yata,” he starts, “kapag pinasok ko yung isang bagay, gusto ko na mapagtagumpayan ko.”
But, only to a point. He clarifies that he gives anything he wants two tries—two honest rounds to knuckle down, learn, and improve.
“Once na nakadalawang beses ako at di ko pa rin nakukuha, hinahayaan ko na kung saan na darating.”
He says this with no harshness in his tone: “Maraming ganun—sayaw, broadcasting. Naglalaan talaga ako ng two years. So far naman, hindi ako umaabot ng third year.”
Although JM and Fyang can have views that clearly clash, they have a synergy that's unmatched when they're on the same page.
Both beginners believe it’s better to try and get rejected rather than to regret not having tried at all.
“I think rejection is part of our life,” Fyang speaks in lowercase, almost bracing for the moment JM will jump in.
JM laughs, “Part din naman yung regret!”
She laughs with him, “Oo, part din naman yung regret! Pero, mas mabigat yung regret.”
JM leans forward to explain, “Better na subukan mo kesa di mo subukan. It’s either nanalo ka or natuto ka.”
They meet in the middle for a hot minute before sliding into their next playful disagreement about Leaving things to timing VS. Making your own luck happen.
Fyang begins: “Though may mga naniniwala sa suwerte, hindi ako umaasa sa suwerte.
“Talagang ginagalawan ko, e. Kasi kung gusto kong mangyari, gagawa ako ng paraan para mangyari sa akin yun. Suwerte na lang talaga kung mangyari na wala kang ginagawa, di ba? Suwerte na lang talaga.”
She adds shyly, “Pero naniniwala ako sa timing.”
JM counters her ideas rather gently, explaining how he’s learned to wait for the right door instead of forcing open the wrong one.
“Oo, timing din. Sometimes ano, e, may pinasok ka na isang bagay na hindi ka pa ready. So, mas timing.”
Then, when their so-called “rebelliousness” comes into question, they both swat the label away before it can land.
“Never ako naging rebellious,” JM says quickly. “May sariling mundo, oo.”
“May sariling desisyon,” Fyang agrees, nodding, “pero hindi umabot sa point na rebellious. Marunong naman kaming makinig.”
Do they follow all the rules?
“Depende sa rules,” Fyang answers without missing a beat. “Kung masyadong mahigpit, kung nakakasakal…”
JM immediately jerks his thumb toward Fyang’s manager, Portia Dimla: “Pinaparinggan ka po.”
“Ay hindi po, Ate P!” Fyang yelps, scandalized and laughing. Turning to JM, she says: “Over ka naman!”
Their banter bounces off the walls, easy and unrehearsed. Even Ate P laughs. The room cracks.
This is the fizz they bring. It's more than nice; it crackles.
BARE AND UNFILTERED
No matter how polished they may look on photo spreads, JM and Fyang, in person, don’t wear filters.
They still check the temper of their team before giving out heavier answers, true, but they do not sand down their quirks and nuances.
Their skinship is premium grade, and one that fans will probably lose their marbles over. Fyang’s arms go flying whenever she goes into an explanation, while JM sinks easily into a figure-four stretch to give her the floor.
They move around each other with a comfort level so high, it almost feels like you've walked into their private downtime instead of an interview.
There are even moments when you can tell they've forgotten there’s press in the room—vibes that I am choosing to leave redacted.
It’s in that faint stretch when Fyang admits to something she rarely says out loud.
“May mga times na parang ako lang may alam sa sarili ko na pagod na ako.”
Explaining herself, she says, “Pero minsan kasi, parang ayaw ko na din siya [JM] idamay sa pagka-down ko. So, minsan di na din ako nagsasabi. Pag wala ako sa mood, feeling ko down na ako. Pagka may trabaho siya, siyempre hindi ko na sinasabi sa kanya kasi ayaw ko naman na siyang madamay sa pagka-down ko."
JM turns toward her, almost protectively: “Pero ramdam ko rin naman pag ganun. Unang-una, wala ka namang kailangang patunayan."
Turning to PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal), he adds: “Wala naman siyang dapat patunayan. Siguro, ano, parang naaapektuhan lang siya. Kaya feeling niya kailangan niyang may patunayan siya, ganun.”
Fyang says, “Feeling ko minsan, kailangan ko ng validation,” then lets the honesty hang in the air.
It is when the conversation pivots to bashers that neither of the two defaults to PR polish.
“Feeling ko may silbi sila, charot!” Fyang laughs.
Getting serious, she adds: "Feeling ko yung mga opinion nila, minsan valid. Kasi akala ko dati, yung mga basher, mga sinasabi nila mga walang kwenta.
"Akala ko lang sinasabi nila, puro walang laman.
"Pero nung nandito na kami sa work na 'to, minsan yung criticism nila mas makakatulong para mag-improve ka sa sarili mo. Parang nakakatulong din sila sa realization ko."
“Halos lahat naman may tulong,” JM seconds, describing the duality of online hate.
“Halimbawa, may mga basher na hanggang criticize lang, may mga basher na literal na hihilain ka pababa. Parehas ano yun, parehas nakakatulong.
“Kung may mga basher na hihilain ka pababa, mas lalo yung eagerness mo na mabu-boost na galingan. Mas lalong nabu-boost na patunayan mo sa kanila. So, helpful sila. Akala namin noon before kami mag-showbiz, na wala lang. Pero malaking tulong, tsaka dagdag ingay.”
He then reveals a side of him that was true before he entered showbiz.
“Nagco-comment ako ng mahaba,” JM recalls of his past engagement in social media, almost amused at his younger self. “Diskusyon,” he calls it.
“At least ako, kabilang ako sa mga basher noon na good yung criticism, hindi yung basta nanghihila pababa.”
But for Fyang, reading comments went from habit to exhaustion.
“Nawalan ako ng gana,” she says frankly. Today she still flinches when her family is included in the chatter, but when it’s about her, she's grown “manhid,” she says.
“May factor na nahu-hurt ako. Pero, mas inis na, pag ginagamit yung mga past ko. Feeling ko yun yung laging tumatatak sa kin—pag ginagamit yung past ko para manalo sa certain situation.
“Matagal na ako nag-social media. So, parang even before pa, ginagamit na sa akin yung past ko. May factor na kasalanan ko, pero hindi valid yung ibalik mo pa yung past ko para manalo. Or ipamukha sa akin na ‘Ganito ka dati.’”
For his part, JM lets it be known that no bashing, no matter how reckless, ever scathed him.
“Sa akin, wala. Marami silang nasasabi pero hindi naman ako naapektuhan simula nung lumabas ako sa PBB, kasi alam ko na ano, e, parte na siya ng trabaho. At tsaka, kumbaga, lumabas ako ng PBB, 24 years old na ako.”
He brings up age for a reason.
Twenty-four isn’t old, after all, but it’s old enough to know who you are and what you won’t take personally. When someone enters the public eye later than most, he's already built a sturdier sense of self. JM didn’t grow up being dissected by the internet, so by the time the spotlight found him, he already had some grip on his identity.
This may well be the same reason that fans of the JMFyang love team cannot coerce the pair to do what most fandom routinely demands of its idols.
“Sobrang invested ng mga Pilipino sa mga love team, at sobrang all-out yung suporta nila pagdating sa love team or romance films,” JM begins.
But, he notes wisely, this same investment is what crosses over to the fans' sense of ownership of a love team.
“May mga factor na, sa sobrang invested nila, sila na yung nagde-demand para dun sa love team. Sila na yung nagsasabi kung anong gusto nilang mangyari, or kung ano yung gusto nilang goal ng love team.”
However, Fyang makes clear: “Yung mga fans namin, lahat sila friends na namin, and hindi sila demanding. Masaya sila kung ano yung natatanggap nila. Masaya sila kung ano yung nakikita nila.
“Di porke’t invested sila is sobrang demanding sila. Hindi sila ganun, kaya happy kami sa kanila. May boundaries din sila and may limits din sila.”
At the same time, they admit to being conscious not to pander to fans.
In Fyang’s words: “Hindi kami kumportable gawin yung isang bagay na hindi namin gusto, so, may wall kami.
“Feeling ko, nag-start yun nung time na hindi namin sinasagot masyado yung mga about personal life namin. So, feeling ko nasanay sila dun na kaya alam na rin nila yung boundaries.”
It’s a balance they’ve learned to hold, and one they guard without fuss.
BOLD AND FEARLESS
Kindred creatures in their own way, JMFyang cover a lot of ground when the chat goes into what bravery can mean in showbiz.
With answers that never sound off-putting—neither lofty nor contrived—these former PBB housemates have learned much from minding the routines and restraints of a TV survival show.
Fearlessness, for Fyang, is often a matter of mood swings.
“Pag bad trip ako talaga, swear. No joke. Parang kaya kong ‘Ano ba yan!’ Pag bad trip ako siguro,” is her answer to the question of when she feels most fearless.
For JM, he feels like a lionheart every day, believing fear loses its power once you stop granting it attention.
“Nakakabagsak ng mood yun, kung lagi mong iisipin saan ka natatakot. Nakaka-relax ka kung fearless ka, chill ka lang.”
On the ground, neither of them is easy to scare, but JM and Fyang admit that Shake, Rattle & Roll: Evil Origin, with its abandoned house as shooting location, was a nightmare waiting to happen.
Fyang recalls: “Nakakatakot yung CR, yeah. Iba talaga yung bigat sa CR. Iba, swear. Parang feeling mo may nakatingin.”
Before anyone can say more, she sings the opening lines of “Ili-Ili,” the haunting Hiligaynon lullaby that, she swears, suddenly echoed in her head during one restroom break.
“Nakakatakot!” she insists, then jokes, “Parang ikaw, gusto mo na lang magdala ng arinola.”
Meanwhile, JM points to Summit Studio and the floor above it as the kind of distance they had to walk before reaching the notorious restroom: “Malayo sa set yung CR. Kahit ako nga lalaki, iba yung pakiramdam ko sa CR.”
When talk moves to their roles, their work ethic kicks in.
As DJ Elle in the second episode (present time) of SRR: Evil Origins, Fyang details the training she underwent.
“From one song to another song, inaral ko kung paano makuha yung tamang transition. And then, inaral ko kung paano maglagay ng track sa DJ booth. Pinag-aral nila ako ng totoong DJ. And then, stunt rehearsal kung paano ibabalibag ng tama, na hindi mabalian at para realistic.”
In true Fyang fashion, she blurts out: “Ayoko na nga mag-double, e. Sinuggest nila na mag-double daw ako. Sabi ko, ‘Wag na lang.’”
Asked if she ended up having a double, she doesn’t say.
JM gives her a look. “Daldal mo kasi, e,” he mutters, but he's smiling.
“Kahit gusto naming walang double,” he explains, “oras yung hinahabol. Lalo na first film namin na may mga ganung stunt, so hindi pa ganun ka-ano yung knowledge namin, so kailangan talaga.”
For his part, this project was a eureka moment.
“Yung mga naunang character ko, once sabihin sa akin yung character arc, yun na yun, gagawin ko na lang,” JM says.
“Dito sa SRR, na-realize ko na marunong na ako magtimpla kung ano pa ba yung puwede kong isingit, kung ano pa ba yung puwede kong gawin sa character ko. Kasi honestly, boring yung character ko dito.”
Fyang chimes in for support, “Binigyan siya ng assignment ni Direk Joey [de Guzman]: ‘Mag-isip ka kung paano mo gagawing interesting yung character mo.’
“Tapos ayun, kaya naging interesting yung character niya kasi dahil din sa kanya. Ginawan niya ng sariling buhay yung character niya.”
To tie up the movie's Past-Present-Future theme, PEP asked the pair to name what they would bring from the past to the present, and what they would carry from the present into the future.
“Ibi-bring back from the past? Lola ko, yeah. My lola. Hala naiiyak na ako,” Fyang laughs, then scrambles to compose herself. “Ayoko na nga 'to, stop na 'to.” She catches her breath and explains, “Yeah, lola ko, kasi mahal na mahal ko lola ko. I’m a lola’s girl.”
As for the present going into the future, Fyang points to JM without hesitation. “Siya,” she says.
“Madadala ko siya sa future ko. Siyempre, madadala ko na yung family ko sa future ko, e. Kumbaga, nandun na sila sa akin. Bakit si JM? Kasi ayoko siyang mawala sa akin. Yun lang yun. Simple lang, simple. One sentence.”
JM answers with more reserve.
From the past to the present, JM would bring back those he’s lost, starting with his father. Fyang teases him, “Naiyak ka na,” and he shoots back, “Hala, bayad yung luha ko. Joke lang.”
By the time they get to the present-to-future portion, Fyang jumps in before JM can overthink it.
“Hindi ko inaantay na sagutin mo na ‘ako.’ Yung realistic mong sagot, yung galing sa puso mo, yung bukal, hindi yung paeme-eme,” Fyang says, nudging him toward his real answer.
JM keeps it simple and steady. “Ako, sure ako kasama ko 'to,” he says, referring to Fyang, and moves on, not wanting to linger on the obvious. Then he explains what else he hopes to have with him—family, friends, a sense of completeness.
“So, ano siguro, lahat lang kung ano meron ako, sana kumpleto pa... hindi ano, a, mga property, ganun. More on family ko, friends ko, sana kumpleto pa.”
Showbiz wipes out more dreamers than it crowns; only those built for this live to try again.
Thanks to the way they carry themselves onscreen and off, this early you see that neither JM nor Fyang is trying to oversell anything. They don’t force depth, they don’t dramatize fearlessness, they do not pretend.
Thanks, too, to their dynamic, when it's them doing the talking, the industry's tough moments don’t feel as hard or heavy. They know how to joke through their nerves and underplay their anxieties while allowing their job to do what it does.
And thanks largely to how they handle the parts that no one applauds—the hours, the criticism, the weekly pressure to measure up—they seems to have built for themselves the kind of buffer that keeps newcomers from burning out.
In the here and now, it is not too soon to say that JM and Fyang look built to take on showbiz.
PRODUCTION CREDITS:
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Jo-Ann Q. Maglipon
EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Karen Pagsolingan
PHOTOGRAPHY: Stephen Capuchino
SHOOT PRODUCERS: Nikko Tuazon, Katrina Gangcuango
CREATIVE DIRECTION: Nikko Tuazon
ART DIRECTION: Yanie Braga
TEXT/INTERVIEW: FK Bravo
FOR JM IBARRA
STYLISTS: Nina Cuyana, Charlotte Sombillo, and Leanne Ledesma of Qurator Studio
JM'S GROOMING: Nix Soriano, Jean Alorro of Nix Institute of Beauty
MAKE-UP ASSISTANT: Jesseca Miranda
FOR FYANG SMITH
STYLISTS: Adrianne Concepcion, Cent Bermas, Via Abarra, and Lordwin Masongsong
MAKEUP: Japeth Mike Purog
MAKEUP ASSISTANT: Johnrey Mallari
HAIR: Heart Abad Zafra
PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANTS: Francis Calaguas, Jobo Nacpil
VIDEO: Richford Unciano, Rommel Llanes, Khym Manalo
BILLBOARD PRODUCERS: Rommel Llanes, Kat Gangcuangco
OOH EDITOR: Greeko Joy F. Junio
SOCIAL MEDIA: Allyanah Calinao
SPECIAL THANKS: Roselle Monteverde-Teo, Keith Monteverde, Pepper Valencia, Ryle Espiritu, Dominic Mangubat, Andrei Sy, Elaine Faustino, and Joan Gonzaga of Regal Films
READ MORE:
- Fyang, present sa lahat ng special screening ng pelikula ni JM
- JM Ibarra hindi kasama si Fyang sa first niyang Cinemalaya movie
- Why JM Ibarra welcomes criticisms from bashers
- Fyang Smith is PBB Gen 11 Big Winner
