JaDine on the wings of success

There is no doubt that young loveteams are a hot ticket item, in the current showbiz landscape. KathNiel (Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla), LizQuen (Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil) and JaDine (James Reid and Nadine Lustre) always attract big crowds wherever they go; their shows are instant top-raters, merchandise with them sells out very fast, they are in-demand for magazine covers and endorsements and they have large fan followings. On social media, they are a hit as well.

Of these three young loveteams, though, it is the last — James and Nadine — who have not yet given any clear signals about whether they are a tandem even off-camera. With KathNiel, it appears to be a given; Enrique and Liza are the same (Enrique has been very vocal about the way he feels for Liza, practically shouting it from the showbiz rooftops and proclaiming his feelings for her in numerous interviews and live TV guestings).

But with James and Nadine, we hear no such declarations forthcoming — and yet, despite this fact, this tandem’s audience appeal is undeniable. They’re not the first onscreen pair to exude this kind of vibe. John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo were never an off-screen item; and yet, there’s no denying they were, and are, a major box-office draw. Same goes for John Lloyd and Sarah Geronimo whose three successful movies (with a rumored fourth in the works) proved that they’re something to reckon with.

James and Nadine have that same kilig factor. From the time they teamed up in Diary ng Panget to the top-rating On the Wings of Love, it’s clear that they are very much a winning tandem despite the absence of a real-life romance.

The two are aware of how much their fans — and many other supporters of their tandem — want to believe that they’re together in real life, but as James puts it, right now, they’re okay with the friendship that they have. At least it’s real and not manufactured or the product of some clever public-relations work.

Both James and Nadine have a very realistic view of who and what they are. “Choice lang namin, (because) we want to focus on our work,” he says. “What we have is good, and we don’t want to spoil it.”

They’re not closing their doors, though. There’s always that window of possibility, however small, but for now, they’re choosing to focus on what they have, work-wise. Says Nadine: “Tingnan po natin, pero ngayon, focused kami. Ayaw namin maging complicated. What if mag-away kami (as boyfriend and girlfriend)? Mahirap magtrabaho.”

For now, they are looking forward to each day in each other’s company. James and Nadine admit that they enjoy working together. They have a good working relationship, and a good friendship, and that’s what helps make their romantic scenes look real onscreen. In fact, they don’t have any problem shooting those scenes. There are no longer any awkward moments. All they do now is laugh. “Before we tape (the kissing scenes), tawanan. After more, tawanan. May isang outtake nga, tawa kami ng tawa. Tingin ko nasanay na kami,” says James.

Nadine confirms this. “Opo, nasanay na kami, and we don’t really talk about it. It’s natural already,” she says, adding that the fans can expect more kissing scenes between their characters Clark and Leah.

 One of the reasons they can expect more is that Dreamscape Entertainment confirmed that On the Wings of Love will officially be extended until next year because of the good reception it has received from fans and critics alike.

  Both of them are grateful for what they describe as the “overwhelming support” they’ve received.

 “It’s overwhelming! We’ve never experienced anything like this,” says James with a big smile. “Grabe ang mga OTWOLISTAS (which is how they refer to avid fans of the show) achieve na achieve! We are very grateful to everyone’s who’s supported the show. We’re glad that because of what we do, we can make them believe in love again.”

 And whenever that happens, you always know that it’s a good thing.