James & Nadine have eyes only for each other

The first thing I asked Nadine Lustre as soon as she and James Reid sat down for this exclusive interview was, Will she play Darna if and when?

You see, Angel Locsin has bowed out of the Star Cinema project after she suffered a spine injury during training. Nadine is among those rumored to be on the short list of those “being considered,” including Maja Salvador, Liza Soberano, Jessy Mendiola and Sofia Andres.

“I read all about it only in on-line polls on social media,” replied Nadine. “But I haven’t really been offered, so I can’t say whether I would accept it or not.”

Anyway, I didn’t know how popular the JaDine tandem of Nadine and James was until I posted their photo together on my Instagram. Only a few seconds later, the photo was “liked” by more than 100 presumably JaDine supporters, until the number reached more than a thousand.

The photo was taken during an exclusive STAR pictorial with JaDine as endorser of Jollibee’s Burger Steak, their second for the brand (the first was for Cheesy Bacon Mushroom). Their Kapamilya soap starrer, On The Wings Of Love (OTWOL), has been trending and topping the Kapamilya rating chart, making JaDine the network’s hottest love team, bar none.

So why was Nadine, depressed, prompting her to spend her recent birthday…by herself, without James…in Seoul?

“It was a phase in my life,” said Nadine, “at na-timing lang sa birthday ko. I guess everybody goes through the same phase.”

By coincidence, at that time Nadine’s OTWOL character Leah was going through a crisis in her life and Nadine admitted that she identified with Leah.

“Magulo ang utak ni Leah noon,” added Nadine, 22. “But everything is okay now,” assured Nadine who, as if you didn’t know, could pass for the sister of Kathryn Bernardo (of the KathNiel tandem with Daniel Padilla). They look so alike that it’s hard to tell them apart.

Does James feel that kind of “feeling low”?

“I also have my ups and downs,” confessed James, also 22. “All the time. I’m glad though that I have more ups than downs.”

Did James give Nadine any reason to be depressed?

“Hindi siya ang dahilan,” Nadine hastily answered for James.

“My OTWOL character, Clark, is focused more on his family,” explained James who plays a US-raised guy (in real life, he was born and grew up in Australia) who crosses paths with Nadine’s character who goes to the States to look for her missing mother. Instead, Leah finds Clark and vice-versa.

When Nadine came home from Seoul, James gifted her with a Teacup Maltese (worth between $500 and $600?, James was mum) that Nadine named Clarky Boy (after James’ OTWOL character).

“I know that Nadine loves dogs, so…” smiled James.

“Now I have four pets,” revealed Nadine. “The big one is named Beefsteak, a chihuahua named Uno and a cat named Raven.”  

First paired in the Viva movie Diary Ng Panget, followed by Talk Back and You’re Dead, plus guestings in Kapamilya drama shows, JaDine zoomed to the top overnight. Did they expect their team-up to be this big?

“No, not at all,” said Nadine. Diary ng Panget was an experiment that caught the fancy of the public. “Actually, lahat kami nabigla.”

“Everything was so unexpected,” agreed James. “Now our show (OTWOL) has been extended until February next year.”

They are also in-demand for commercials.

“Why Jollibee? Because I grew up with Jollibee,” said Nadine. “As a kid, my favorite was the spaghetti. Now, it’s the items that James and I are endorsing.”

“The Burger Steak reminds me of the Philippines because of its unique flavor,” shared James. “You don’t go anywhere else to eat burger steak. I’ve never heard anyone say, ‘I wanna have a burger steak at this place.’ No, it’s always only in Jollibee.”

Competition among young love teams is stiff. How does JaDine deal with it?

Nadine: We are not competing with anybody. We are just doing our best in everything. We simply enjoy what we are doing, just being ourselves.

James (who has had mild brushes with the press with his off-the-cuff comments): I guess it goes with the territory and you just have to put up with the downside.

Nadine (on the bashers): As much as possible, ayoko ng nag-aaway-away. Good vibes lang sana. I delete the negative comments. 

Before Diary ng Panget, Nadine was a member of an all-girl group under contract with Viva.

“Before, iba ang gusto ko talaga — maging animator,” disclosed Nadine. “Mahilig ako sa animé. Although I did videos of myself singing and dancing.”

“I never expected in my whole life that I would be a celebrity or something,” said James. “It’s very surprising. I never imagined that I would come to this point. It’s the opposite of my personality back then. I was a student, very quiet, leading a laid-back life. I would say that I was a below-average person.”

In the showbiz frenzy, they turn to their families for reality check.

Nadine: I try to spend as much time with my family as I can. Some people say that I am suplada but actually I am not.

James: You can get lost in the character you’re playing or in the media. I turn to my family to be grounded.

Throughout the interview, the screen sweethearts were stealing glances at each other; they had eyes only for each other, so I asked them once and for all: What’s the real score between them?

Nadine: Friends. Close friends. I don’t really know how to describe our relationship.

James: Yes, close friends.

Only close friends, not friends in love?

They looked at each other, smiled and hesitated as if waiting who should answer first.

“Yes, I was in love before, when I was young,” said Nadine.

What about now?

“Yes, I am…with my family and my work,” she said.

“Same here,” said James.

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. You may also send your questions to [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on www.twitter/therealrickylo.)