John Lloyd still on top of his game

Whether John Lloyd Cruz is comfortable about it or not, he is one of the biggest and brightest stars of Philippine cinema. He might have his fair share of hits and misses, successes and failures in life but he remains on top of his game. And despite his stellar status, Lloydie remains grounded.

We have seen his evolution from a teenybopper to a serious dramatic actor. He breathes life into every character he portrays in the movies and on television. He was loved as Popoy Gonzales in One More Chance; Noel Villanueva (In My Life); Mackie Galvez (Unofficially Yours); Rovic Mercado (Tabing Ilog); Yuri Orbida (Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay); Eli Roxas (Maging Sino Ka Man: Ang Pagbabalik); Mateo Rodriguez (Imortal); Leon Riego (A Beautiful Affair); and Miggy Montenegro (A Very Special Love and You Changed My Life).

Lloydie recently guested on The Buzz to promote his new movie, It Takes a Man and a Woman, directed by Cathy Garcia-Molina, which reunites him with Sarah Geronimo. It is the third installment of their onscreen loveteam as Miggy and Laida.

He turned emotional after watching a video of his past and present leading ladies who only had good words about him. “Ang bigat masyado (ng video). Ma-re-realize mo na ganoon pala iyon? Minsan kasi iba ang tingin mo sa sarili mo, tapos sa ibang tao pala, okay ka naman pala. Ang galing. It makes you appreciate yourself a lot better.”

He was grateful to Bea Alonzo, Toni Gonzaga, Angel Locsin and Sarah Geronimo who made him feel that he has done something good in his life. “Ang dami diyan na tunay na mahuhusay at tunay na dedicated at talagang magaling. Madalas nahihiya ako kapag nakakasama ko iyong talagang mga tinitingala sa larangan ng pag-arte at sa standards mo, sila talaga iyong magaling. But minsan kapag sinasabi ng ibang tao, magpapasalamat ka na lang. Salamat po,” Lloydie said.

He enthused that some of the best things in life are not actually planned like his team-up with Sarah. “It was by accident. If I remember it correctly, hindi naman talaga iyon ang dapat na gagawin ko. I was supposed to do a movie with another leading lady tapos hindi puwede so sabi nila ito na lang, gawin natin ito.”

It has been five years since he was paired up with Sarah in A Very Special Love in 2008 but the kilig-factor remains the same. He revealed his thoughts about their tandem, “I believe we will always have this very special connection. It’s not chemistry. It’s a gift that goes beyond the chemistry. Iba iyong sa amin ni Bea, iba iyong sa amin ni Angel, ni Toni. Iba ito.”

It Takes A Man And A Woman will hit theaters nationwide on March 30.

Kathryn Bernardo

Kathryn heading for the big time

Kathryn Bernardo is one of the hottest young stars today but she admitted that her road to success was not easy. She first caught the public’s attention as the young Cielo in It Might Be You. She just wrapped up her work on the top-rating teleserye Princess and I, did films like 24/7 in Love, Sisterakas and Must Be… Love, several product endorsements, and a phenomenal loveteam (Kathniel) with Daniel Padilla.

She thanked ABS-CBN for giving her good projects. “Kasi iyong awkward stage nakakatakot. Thankful ako kasi noong nabigyan ako ng Magkaribal, parang nakatawid ako from being a child na pwede nang mag-mature kahit papano. Hindi ko talaga inisip na magiging ganito,” she said during her interview on The Buzz. In the teleserye Magkaribal, she played the young Gretchen Barretto.

“I wanted to become a star but I didn’t expect na ganito talaga ang break na mabibigay sa akin. Before, I thought that if I tried and didn’t become successful, I would become a normal school girl. Then all these blessings came and I’m grateful.”

Kathryn looked back at her struggling days as an aspiring artist. She remembered that she used to fall in line during auditions.

“Feeling ko kapag nakikita ko sila (auditionees) in the audience entrance, sabi ko grabe din pala iyong mga ginawa ko before.” She said that fledgling actors should not give up. â€œI hope they would be inspired that there’s nothing impossible if you really want it.”

Where does she go from here? With the right moves, she’s headed for the big time!