Why Arjo is smiling from ear to ear

MANILA, Philippines — Arjo Atayde has reason to be grinning from ear to ear these days as both his career and his love life are doing exceedingly well. He has a new movie, Regal Entertainment’s endearing rom-com, Stranded, which pairs him for the first time with Jessy Mendiola. And he’s the only actor now with two TV series going on simultaneously.

On free TV, he’s on ABS-CBN’s The General’s Daughter, playing the autistic son of Maricel Soriano. In iWant’s digital series available on streaming services, he plays the title role in the hard-hitting action-drama, Bagman. With regard to his love life, it’s common knowledge that he’s now playing beautiful music with Maine Mendoza and they don’t hide it at all.

“Right now, I’m just really very, very happy,” he says. “I cannot complain at all.”

If he has one worry, it’s how viewers would accept him playing a lead romantic role in Stranded. “On TV, I’ve portrayed dark, edgy characters and I’ve done three movies so far playing contravida in all of them,” he adds. “I was an evil spirit in Coco Martin’s Ang Panday, then I played drug lords in Buy Bust and Jack Em Popoy: Pulis Credibles. So nasanay ang viewers na bad ako. First time for me to play a leading man in a romantic comedy and I’m praying the public will like our movie.”

In the film, Arjo plays Spencer, a happy-go-lucky young man who doesn’t believe in planning his life and just wants to be free, happy and spontaneous. He narrates, “One stormy night, I get stranded in a huge warehouse with Julia, played by Jessy. We can’t go out as the streets are flooded and we have to wait for the rains to stop. So we have no choice but to relate with each other, two strangers forced by circumstances to be together.

“In the course of our conversations, we discover we are so different from one another since I reject any kind of commitment while she’s very organized in everything she does and has already planned what she’ll do in her life. We discuss a lot of topics and issues in the process and I’m sure a lot of viewers will find them very relatable dahil hindi siya puro hugot lines lang. In the end, we discover that despite our differences and conflicting views, we are really attracted to each other.”

Jessy and Arjo with director Ice Idanan

How is it working with Jessy? “We’ve known each other for quite some time and it helps that we’re friends, so we became comfortable right from the start. Walang ilangan. A big part of the movie shows us just talking with each other and it’s good we have good rapport, otherwise, I think the film’s premise about two strangers relating with each other one rainy night might not work. As it is, our scenes are very relaxed, no bad vibes or conflict, chill lang, and I think we’re able to achieve that.”

They have a new director, Ice Idanan, who started with indie films and is now given the chance to helm her first mainstream film. How is she? “She’s young so it’s easier to relate with her. Jessy and I are both thankful because she’s open to suggestions. We both have our own ideas on how to interpret our characters and how to do our scenes and she listens, she’s very collaborative. I admire her desire to come up with good visuals as she started as a cinematographer. She wants the film to look good on the big screen to really please the viewers.”

Will he invite Maine Mendoza to watch Stranded with him on premiere night? “If she’s available, why not? Jessy and I are both proud of the movie. Sana puede siya.”

Arjo wants to clarify that he and Maine are just exclusively dating and not yet officially on. He’s not fazed by haters who bash him for snatching Maine away from her perennial ka-love team, Alden Richards. “Basta I’m very, very happy po. I think that’s what matters now. What you see na mga pino-post namin ni Maine na pictures is what you get.”

They’ve been seen dating out several times, dining out or going to Star City. They were last seen together at the grand alumni homecoming of the College of St. Benilde (where Maine took up HRM, majoring in culinary arts) held at The Palace in Bonifacio Global City on March 23. Such sightings only infuriate all the more the fans of the AlDub love team of Maine with Alden who fiercely believe they’re the only ones who are meant for each other. But Arjo doesn’t seem to care.

“As I said before, she’s worth fighting for, so dedma na lang ako (sa) kanila. I’m really happy now and I see that she’s also happy. And I think that’s all that matters to me. Wala akong pakialam what the bashers say.”

Maine has introduced him to her parents and he admits to being scared at the start. “Well, of course, I think every guy naman would be scared to meet the family of the girl he’s courting, but I faced my fears. I have to and I want to because I want to show that malinis ang intention ko sa anak nila. Okay naman sila. They were nice to me and I’m happy I did it.”