Why Andrea & Mikael click on and off cam

MANILA, Philippines - After a five-month break from doing a teleserye, Andrea Torres returns to drama acting via GMA 7’s latest afternoon offering Ang Lihim ni Annasandra with perennial screen partner Mikael Daez.

It will be the third time for the two Kapuso stars to be paired on the small screen. Their love team was initially seen in Sana ay Ikaw Na Nga and followed by With A Smile. This time in Annasandra, they are set to do a more serious, mature acting and a bit daring take on their characters Annasandra and Miguel in the fantasy drama that airs weekdays beginning Oct. 13 in the Kapuso Afternoon Prime block.

In the show, Andrea plays Annasandra, the alluring, smart and loving daughter of Belinda and Carlos (played by Glydel Mercado and Emilio Garcia, respectively). However, certain turn of events leads her to be cursed by awok Esmeralda (Rochelle Pangilinan). Annasandra’s parents keep her real identity a secret to protect her from being hurt. But Annasandra will meet Miguel who eventually falls in love with her even without knowing her true identity.

Andrea says she feels more comfortable working opposite Mikael. “It feels very light whenever I do scenes with Mikael because he already knows my style and how to easily make me cry. And I can also tell if he is ready or not (with the scenes).”

In fact, Andrea is so at ease with Mikael that she doesn’t mind his “out-of-the-script gestures” during takes. “When we have a scene together, he will suddenly hug or kiss me because he wants my natural reaction to come out. ”

The actor, Andrea adds, helps overcome that anxious feeling of topbilling a new soap. “The show itself makes me nervous so it’s a great help to partner with someone you have worked with before. I feel that we trod the same path kaya nakaka-relate s’ya lagi sa nerbyos ko.”

She, too, has observed how they perfectly complement each other. “I’m the type na seryosong nerbyosa na praning, while Mikael is the cool type; he looks calm all the time.”

Although she acknowledges how Mikael has helped boost her career, Andrea is confident to go solo whenever a project requires her to. She appeared in Magpakailanman and Wagas sans Mikael. She is also a regular in Sunday All Stars and Bubble Gang. “I’m grateful that our loveteam works to our advantage kasi syempre nung ni-launch kami di namin alam kung tatanggapin kami (ng mga tao). Ang sarap ng feeling na may napuntahan naman kami.”

Positive comments on social media validate their good chemistry. Andrea relates that Sana ay Ikaw Na Nga is now being aired in Malaysia and those who have been watching the show are flooding her Twitter and Instagram accounts with varied reactions. “Marami talagang natutuwa sa loveteam namin.”

The actress prefers that her and Mikael’s bond to never go beyond the boundary of reel love. “We have a beautiful teamwork on-cam. Off-cam, I can tell him my secrets, s’ya ang nakakaalam ng lihim ni Annasandra (laughs) and I like it that way. Feeling ko kasi kung mag-karelasyon kami di makakapag-experiment masyado at kung may tampuhan mahirap din so it’s better for us to remain friends so we can play around with the scenes.”

But with or without a love team, Andrea doesn’t deny how she felt anxious about not getting a new drama project after her last TV series ended months back. Though GMA executives never fail to assure her about future assignments, Andrea remains uneasy. “Iba pa rin kasi yung fulfillment sa drama acting. But of course, I’m happy doing stuff in comedy and variety shows. And while waiting for a drama series, I worked on improving myself like attending acting workshops.”

She, too, was able to spend time in the gym and derma clinic “to keep myself fit and healthy.”

(Ang Lihim ni Annasandra also stars Rochelle Pangilinan, Cris Villonco, Arthur Solinap and Pancho Magno.)