Janine Gutierrez considers herself lucky that her parents and boyfriend Elmo Magalona’s mom have been nothing but supportive of their romantic relationship. “Things are really good [between our families]… I didn’t have to make adjustments. And right off the bat, my mom liked Elmo and said that he’s a good actor,” Janine told reporters at a thanksgiving event organized by GMA Artist Center.
The 25-year-old celeb likewise pointed out that it must have helped that her mother, Lotlot de Leon, and father, Ramon “Monching” Christopher Gutierrez, had worked with Elmo’s father, the late hip-hop artist Francis Magalona, in the popular 1980s youth-oriented variety show “That’s Entertainment.”
Cute background
“Our parents have a history and had known each other, so there’s that feeling of assurance… Things just fell into place,” Janine said, adding that her mom used to tell her that FrancisM was one of her first screen partners. “It’s cute that we have this kind of background!”
Janine said she’s “really happy” when she’s with Elmo, whom she described as “spontaneous.”
THE KAPUSO actress, 25, says she aims to produce quality work.
“He pushes me to do what I want and to stop making excuses, because at times I have a tendency to be complacent,” Janine said.
Thus, the Kapuso actress said, being paired with Elmo works to their advantage. “We try to help each other when it comes to work. And in a way he becomes a source of motivation for me,” Janine related. “We also share a common dream, which is to become good artists and produce quality work.”
And despite being a real-life couple, Janine said she and Elmo strive to be as professional as possible on the set.
“It’s hard when you have tampuhan (misunderstandings) because you still have to be in the moment while shooting scenes,” she owned up. “But work is work, and we try to set those things aside.”
Something different
Janine, who acted with Elmo in the drama shows “Villa Quintana” and “More Than Words,” hopes to star in another show with her boyfriend in the future.
“It would be nice if we could do something that’s different,” said Janine, who acknowledged that, as of now, her acting portfolio is still quite thin.
“That’s something I really want to work on. I’ve only done two shows where I was the lead, and I’ve yet to land a big role in the movies,” she said. “I’m wishing for more projects to come because there are so many roles out there that I want to try.”
(apolicarpio@inquirer.com.ph)