Why Julia Barretto holds on to Enrique Gil

JULIA Barretto says “teleserye” partner Enrique Gil is her male version.

While she was sad that her drama series was ending, Julia Barretto, “Mira Bella” star, said she was pleased to have made “genuine” friends while doing the show for almost a year.

She told reporters in a recent gathering at the ABS-CBN Compound in Quezon City: “In show biz, you meet different people—often you don’t know who is truthful and who has a hidden agenda. When you find somebody genuine, you shouldn’t let that one go. Hold on to him or her.”

“Mira Bella,” which also features Enrique Gil and Sam Concepcion as lead male stars, airs its final episode tonight.

“That’s what I realized with Alora (Sasam),” Julia said of the actress who plays her character Mira’s best friend, Mary Gold. “I could talk to her. She’s a shoulder to cry on. I’ve come to treasure our friendship.”

Only natural

At the same time, it was only natural, Julia said, that she became very close to Enrique, whom she worked with the most. She figured that she and Enrique clicked because “We’re very much alike. He’s like my boy version!”

The daughter of estranged couple Dennis Padilla and Marjorie Barretto pointed out: “I’m very open to Quen (Enrique’s nickname) because he never makes me feel that he’s judging me; he just listens. What broke the ice between us was agreeing to help each other with our scenes together. He promised that he’d always be there to guide me.”

Unlike other screen partners, Julia noted, they did not develop a romantic relationship. She explained why: “However we looked at it, it was going to affect our working relationship. Enrique knows his priorities and considers mine as well, which is really nice—it shows how good a person he is. He is very close to my family. The fact that we’re friends makes being with him so easy and comfortable. [Things] would be a lot harder with a romantic relationship.”

Now that the show has come to an end, did you promise Quen anything?

We vowed that the end of the show will not be the end of our friendship. We’re looking forward to our next project together. We built something good here and it’s not going to go away after the show.

How is your relationship with Sam?

I first worked with Sam when I was 9, so we were friends long before “Mira Bella.” Sam is a very helpful leading man, too. I remember taping a big scene, a turning point in the story, and I was having a hard time. Sam was there, tapping my back until I was able to really feel the scene and shed tears. There’s this other one that we did at 4 a.m. I could no longer cry, but he waited patiently, without complaining. Sam gives you support and understanding in [unexpected] ways.

How do you assess this teleserye, your launching vehicle?

I’m very happy and satisfied, even though it aired for only four months. We worked on this for almost a year. To play twin roles for one’s launching project was a very big thing for me. It was very satisfying because I was able to see it through, and because the ratings improved towards the end.

I learned a lot from the show. There’s nothing better than gaining experience—I consider it training for future projects. I feel a little sad because I’ll miss the people I worked worked with for almost a year. But it’s always exciting to anticipate what’s ahead for you. I hope it will be a bigger project.

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