How did Bianca Umali and Ruru Madrid handle their LQ on set?
“The Write One” director King Mark Baco admits that it is a challenge directing a real-life couple for a TV show.
The new series, which is a collaboration of GMA Public Affairs and streaming platform Viu, headlines Kapuso and Sparkle real-life sweethearts Bianca Umali and Ruru Madrid.
During the Q&A at the show’s media conference on March 4, Baco was asked about his apprehensions on working with a real-life couple for a show. He admits, “Siyempre, anxious ako! May apprehension ako na ‘What if mag-away sila?’ Maaapektuhan ba yung performance nila? Di ba? Normal yun, e, yung LQ.”
Baco then says, “Then, one day…”
Madrid jokingly cuts him and exclaims, “Oy! Ano yang one day na yan?!”
Baco smiles and continues, “One day, lumapit sa akin yung isa sa mga crew na, ‘Direk, may nag-u-unfollow ng IG!’
“‘Oh my, God,’ sabi ko. ‘Sino yon?’ Kilala natin, di ba,” Baco says, trying not to names and assuming that everyone in the room knows who he is talking about.
Then he continues, “’Tapos nag-worry talaga ako. Oh, asan na si Bianca—ay!” Baco, again, tries not to name but the slip of the tongue uncovers the personalities involved in his story.
Madrid, who was already laughing, gives permission to Direk to go on with his story, to which he obliges. “’Asan si Bianca?’ ‘Asa tent, Direk.’ ‘Ano ginagawa?‘ ‘Wala. Walang kinakausap.‘ Ito na nga sinasabi ko, e! Alam mo yun, yung ganon.”
Baco admits that he got bothered that shooting day. He narrates, “Sensitive akong lapitan si B. Patay malisya ako, ‘Oh, ito gagawin natin, ha. As usual.’ Pero at the back of my mind, ‘Huwag naman…’”
But Baco’s nervousness turned into confidence when he watched Umali and Ruru do their scenes. “Ang galing lang. Sobrang professional, parang okay lang naman sila. So, ang galing pa rin. Ang galing pa rin ng performance, especially itong dalawa, everybody.”
Bianca Umali and Ruru Madrid’s side of the story
FreebieMNL then asked Bianca Umali and Ruru Madrid to explain the story behind Baco’s revelation to complete the puzzle.
Madrid, who has agreed to share, then points at Bianca to narrate what happened.
Laughing, Umali says, “Direk, binuking mo naman ako!”
She then goes on to explain her side, “Hindi, it was a small fight. So, hindi siya something na dapat maging big deal. We follow each other na again! So, ang bilis kasi ng fans, e! [Yung] naging pag-unfollow namin sa isa’t isa was spur of the moment, nasa height ng emotion.”
Umali believes that what they went through was just one of the normal fights every couple would face. “Again, aminado naman kami na being in a relationship, wala naman talagang perfect na relationship, di ba? You really go through mga maliliit na tampuhan, lalo na for us that we are together every single day, working. It’s normal I guess to get burned out of it, pero okay naman.”
But what they are both proud of is they were able to do their scenes professionally despite what was going on in their personal relationship.
Umali adds, “Siguro, it’s a skill I guess somehow for an actor to be able to separate yung personal life happenings sa trabaho. Kami naman, so far, parang nagagawa naman namin na hiwalay yung personal issues namin kapag nasa eksena kami. When we know we’re working, we’re working. Hindi nakakahadlang kung ano yung mangyayari sa amin off-cam.”
“The Write One,” which also headlines Mikee Quintos and Paul Salas, started airing on GMA Telebabad on March 20, 2023.
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