Pagkatapos ng matagal na paghihintay ay ipalalabas na rin sa wakas ang Love You Stranger, ang primetime series na pinagbibidahan ng magkasintahang Gabbi Garcia at Khalil Ramos.
Mapapanood ang Love You Stranger sa GMA Network simula ngayong Lunes, June 6, 2022.
Pahayag ni Gabbi, “Yes, finally after a year and a half, I guess, haping-happy kaming lahat na, finally, ‘eto na.
"Napakaganda po ng trailer. Napakagaling ng cast and all I can say, everything is worth it. It was worth the wait.
“And I’m excited to share it with you.”
Para kay Khalil, sulit din ang naging paghihintay nila sa pagpapalabas ng Love You Stranger.
Aniya, “Everyone from the cast, the crew, we gave our 101 percent talaga.
"Worth it yung paghihintay namin and alam ko na medyo matagal nang hinihintay ng mga Kapuso ang Love You Stranger.
"But believe us when we say na we’re very, very much excited.
“This is something na — the story that we believed in and minahal namin ang script at sana ay mahalin din niyo.”
Bago ang Love You Stranger, nagsama na sina Gabbi at Khalil sa pelikulang LSS at sa mini-series na Stories From The Heart: Love On Air.
ADJUSTMENTS, CHALLENGES, DISADVANTAGES
Kung may adjustment man daw sa kanilang bagong proyekto, ito ay ang bigat ng kuwento ng Love You Stranger.
Ayon kay Gabbi, “Siguro for this one, since it’s not our first time working together, medyo kabisado na namin ang isa’t isa when it comes to our work ethics or dynamics.
“For this one lang kasi, it’s a very heavy script, very heavy story talaga.
"Na-test lang talaga ang pagtutulungan namin, not just as partner but as fellow actors, as partner on screen.”
Dagdag ng Kapuso actress, “Kasi, aaminin ko, if it weren’t for Khalil, parang sobrang mahirap siya for me, yung script.
"So, Khalil helped me a lot on developing my character, developing our partnership on cam.
“So, dun, mas dun kami nag-focus talaga. Sa pagtutulungan as actors.”
Kung may challenge man na nakikita si Khalil sa pagkakagawa nila ng Love You Stranger, ito ay ang lock-in scenario ng taping.
Saad ng singer-actor, “Sa challenge siguro namin, isa na rin ang condition ng lock-in being away from family. It’s something that we really had to work around.
“Isa siyang kakaibang experience. Hindi namin makakalimutan, definitely.
"Pero, may mga challenges talaga. As in, may mga days, especially sa mga araw na mabibigat ang mga eksenang sinu-shoot namin.
“Sobrang importante ang bond naming dalawa, yung partnership namin and yung trust namin sa isa’t isa na talagang magtutulungan kami at kailangan naming magtulungan.”
Natatawang dugtong pa niya, “At hindi puwedeng mag-away.”
Sinundan naman agad ni Gabbi ang naging pahayag ni Khalil at sinabing hindi naman daw sila nag-away.
Sa kabilang banda, inamin ni Gabbi na may disadvantages din sa tulad nila ni Khalil na limang taon na ang pagiging mag-boyfriend/girlfriend na gaganap na on-screen partner.
Lahad niya, “The first time we worked together on a film, dun lang namin siya naramdaman.
“Siguro, it’s more on we’re so familiar with each other, wala na yung—ang hirap na maging stranger sa set.
“When the story required na hindi kami magkakilala, dun kami nangapa. But ngayon kasi, we settled it na, we were able to work around it.
"So, yun, mas okay na kami, yung working relationship namin together.”
Ayon pa kay Gabbi, lahat naman ng project ay may pressure talaga.
“Ito lang, extra-extra special. First primetime series din ni Khalil and ang ganda-ganda ng pagkakagawa ng script.
“Kaya talagang we don’t want to fail. We wanna deliver very well.
"Pero ang dami kasi naming support system—the prod team, cast and crew—kaya yung pressure na yun, nate-turn na motivation to do well sa set.”
Na-appreciate naman ni Khalil na hanggang sa creative content ng serye nila ay kasama sila ni Gabbi.
Saad niya, “Nakaka-pressure naman talaga, yun ang reyalidad. Whenever we take on project, meron naman talagang certain responsibility para magampanan mo yung role nang maige.
“Pero with this project, na-ease ang pressure early on. Kasi, hindi pa kami nagsu-shoot, talagang in-involve kami ng creative team sa creation of this series.
"Pinagkatiwalaan kami, hindi lang bilang artista but being creatives na puwedeng mag-contribute on giving the character’s life.
“Na-ease ang pressure kasi naramdaman namin ang suporta nila. Early on pa lang, through Zoom pa lang yun, hindi pa kami nagpe-face to face. We turned the pressure into motivation.
“So, masaya kami na we were able to pull it off.”
Limang taon na ang relasyon nina Khalil at Gabbi.
Magkaiba pa sila noon ng pinagtatrabahuang network hanggang sa magkasama na nga sila bilang Kapuso. Pero napapanatili nilang matatag ang relasyon nila.
Kung may sikreto man daw sila, ito ay ang pagiging magkaibigan o tropa nilang talaga.
“Falling in love with your best friend, yun ang secret,” nakangiting sabi ni Khalil.