Why it took 2 days for Liza to finish movie’s crucial scene

Enrique Gil and Liza Soberano

Teen star Liza Soberano admitted that she had such a hard time relating to her character in the romantic film, “My Ex and Whys,” that it took her two days to finish shooting an all-important scene with onscreen partner Enrique Gil.

“I timed it—it took us eight hours on the first day. It was that confrontation scene with Quen (Enrique’s nickname) where I asked him why he cheated on me,” Liza said at a media gathering for the film, which opens on Feb. 15.

“The set was packed up in the middle of that scene. Direk Cathy (Garcia-Molina) said we would just continue working on it another day,” Liza recalled. “On that day, I was so nervous. I didn’t talk to anyone on the set. After we were finished with it, Direk hugged me and said I did well. I felt so relieved.”

Cathy said she had been patient with Liza, who’s only 19, because “the girl has never felt the pain of getting her heart broken. We had to help her at least approximate that pain from stories she has heard from me and the writers. I waited for her because I didn’t want to take away that chance from Liza to be able to do it. It’s actually the highlight of the movie.”

Liza said Cathy, whom she first worked with in the 2013 series “Got to Believe,” is more than a director to her. “On the set, she becomes a mother and a best friend. She guides us the whole time,” she added. “I haven’t felt that emotion yet and it was very hard to go deep into that pain that everyone else can feel. I’m glad Direk waited for me to be able to give her what she needed. I hope I made her proud.”

The video clip of that scene, wherein Liza asked Enrique: “Am I ugly? Do I deserve to be cheated on?” eventually became viral. Liza said this surprised her. “I guess when people watched the scene, they were able to relate to it. That’s how a girl feels when she gets hurt that bad. Direk helped me feel that way.”

Enrique said that Cathy, who was also their director in the 2014 series, “Forevermore,” would “always look for that rawness in the acting and in the manner a story is told. She has changed so much. She now refuses formula or storytelling that is too calculated. She’s over that. People who follow her work will notice that change in this movie.”

For Liza, to work under Cathy had always been exciting. “I always feel pressured because I don’t know if I’d be able to deliver what she expects from me. I’d like to think that she appreciated the realness and the effort that I put into it. I hope the audience would, too.”

The actress said she was also grateful to Enrique, who supported her when she had difficulties with their scenes. Enrique told the Inquirer: “I’m here for her every step of the way. She is important to me, on- and off-cam. I remind her that whenever I get the chance… We’re happy right now. That’s all I have to say.”

Liza described Enrique as “my special someone,” while in an Instagram post, the 24-year-old actor called Liza “my other half.”

Liza explained: “We read this article that discussed the shape of our hearts. It said that God shaped the heart that way in order for us to find our other half—the other part that would complete the shape. Quen completes me.”

This reply elicited applause and screams from the LizQuen fans who attended the press conference, prompting Liza to say: “I’m not good at answering questions. I always get myself into trouble. I’m too honest for my own good.”

“My Ex and Whys” also features Ara Mina, Arlene Muhlach, Cai Cortez,  Joross Gamboa, Neil Coleta and Dominic Roque.