By ROBERT R. REQUINTINA
Stage actors Isay Alvarez and Robert Sena have nothing but nice words for Nadine Lustre and James Reid, popularly known as JaDine, who currently stars in the primetime teleserye “Till I Met You” on ABS-CBN.
“She’s very talented kasi. Matrabaho and very giving. In the beginning wala naman talaga kaming relationship. Actually ang first scene namin ay breakdown. Kaya nung una kaming nagkita, halukay kaming dalawa kasi hindi namin alam saan namin huhugutin ’yun kasi it’s not that easy,” said Alvarez on Lustre, during an interview on “Tonight With Boy Abunda” on ABS-CBN.
Alvarez also said that she has played mom to Lustre in the hit Kapamilya teleserye “On The Wings of Love.”
“With Nadine, ang dami nyang iniisip. Nag-iisip sya lagi kung ano ’yung eksena. She asks questions bago mag-take. They are the sweetest persons I’ve met,” said Sena.
On JC Santos, Sena said: “Si JC kasi galing din sya sa theater. Medyo grounded s’ya. He loves working with me raw dahil nakakatulong daw sa eksena n’ya. Nice person. Lagi syang unang bumabati pagdating sa set.”
Sena plays father to Santos in the series “Till I Met You.”
The real-life couple also talked about their shift from theater to television and film.
“Siguro years of training sa theater tapos we were able to translate it naman sa television. We were guided by our directors especially me na medyo expressive ’yung face ko. Ti-name ko ’yung mga expressions ko para hindi OA baga,” Alvarez said.
Sena said: “Onstage, there is no camera. So you learn how to move on your own as well for the audience to see you. Sa TV or film you should know how to play with the camera. That’s your audience.”
Both Alvarez and Sena have been active in local theater for several years now.
Alvarez rose to fame in 1989 when she played the role of bar girl Gigi in the hit West End musical “Miss Saigon.” Sena also became part of the same show.
Both stars fell in love while doing the popular musical in London. They have been married for 24 years now.
