For Kris, it’s just a job and nothing personal

With her and Robin Padilla and Anne Curtis’ new soap Kailangan Ko’y Ikaw set to premiere on Monday, Jan. 21, on ABS-CBN, Kris Aquino is bound to parry insinuations that “something” might be rekindled between her and Robin.

In the series, Kris and Anne play sisters Roxanne and Ruth who both fall in love with Robin’s character Bogs. It’s full of not only action scenes but also love scenes between Robin and his two leading ladies.

In an interview with Funfare before Christmas last December, Robin said that like all Muslims he prays five times a day (at 4:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and before midnight). He threw a quick glance at his wife, Mariel Rodriguez, and added, perhaps jokingly, that he might have to pray harder especially when he got home after the shoot of his love scenes, admitting, “You know, I’m only human. Lalaki tayo so hindi maiwasan na magkaroon ng konting malice sa mga love scenes…you can’t avoid being carried away. But as soon as I go home and I see my beautiful wife in bed, nawawala ang malice ko,” adding, again stealing another glance at Mariel, “Ganda ng asawa ko, di ba? Mahal na mahal ko ‘yan!”

At a recent merienda with the movie press where she showed up nursing a bad cold she caught while vacationing with her sons Joshua and Bimby in the US (where a nationwide flu epidemic has been reported), Kris told Funfare, “It’s a professional undertaking for me and I feel that Robin and I give credible performances. But honestly, it’s just a role and I’m old enough at this point to separate acting from reality.”

Meaning, it’s all part of the day’s work — you know, to quote Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator, “Nothing personal” or Al Pacino’s character Michael Corleone in Godfather, “It’s not personal, it’s just business!” (translated into the vernacular “Trabaho lang, walang personalan!” by the late Rudy Fernandez in one of his starrers).

And like most Muslims, according to Robin, he kept tab of his diurnal “sins” and he would pay a fine for them. Because he has many love scenes with Kris and Anne, Robin joked, “Baka doon lang sa fine mapunta ang talent fee ko.”

Pressed on if there really wasn’t anything “rekindled” during one of their love scenes, Kris said, “I really hope that people won’t see Robin, Anne and me but rather our characters Bogs, Roxanne and Ruth. We all do our best to give depth to our portrayals. Robin and I play a couple married for 15 years and we just act as a normal and loving couple and I don’t think it’s daring but more of true to our characters and the situations we are in.”

Kris did look forward to working with Robin again after their first team-up in a forgettable FLT action-romance.

“It is wonderful and fulfilling to work with somebody as talented and as focused as Robin,” confirmed Kris who is glad that Kailangan Ko’y Ikaw is airing starting at 9 p.m. so Bimby, who frowned on guys other than his Papa James linked to his mom, won’t be able to watch it.

“Bim will be fast asleep at that time,” assured Kris. “It’s Bim and not Josh who is jealous of any guy associated with me and it’s understandable because Bim is five years old. Even if he knows that acting is just pretend, he really gets upset.”

In that December interview, Mariel denied that she’s possessive, stressing that she trusts Robin (with the word “trust” eliciting snickers among their writer guests because that happens to be the name…yes, Trust!...of the condom Robin is endorsing and which, Mariel revealed, Robin does use that’s why they haven’t had a baby just yet).

“Besides,” Mariel had said, “Ate Kris is so nice to me. She even invited me to guest on her show Kris TV. One time, I was so touched because she said that she has a new van, a Road Trek, and she has let most everybody ride with her. When she was asked daw if Robin has ridden with her already, Ate Kris said daw, ‘No, I respect Mariel.’ That’s why I like her. Ang bait niya! At saka, hello, si Ate Kris pa! Si Anne pa!”

What if, just if, Robin’s driver were delayed and he hitched a ride with her?

“Sorry,” said Kris, “but I don’t have a brand-new car at wala akong sinasabay sa car namin,” adding that she’s “clueless” regarding the matter.

But did she feel any need (courtesy) to ask for Mariel’s permission to do love scenes with Robin?

Kris was firm.

“I didn’t feel the need to ask for Mariel’s consent because I respect our boundaries as professionals.”

Remember, nothing personal, it’s just business.

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