Jak Roberto and Barbie Forteza
Jak Roberto’s “effortlessly caring” ways have led his girlfriend, Barbie Forteza, to compare him to her father. And for the Kapuso actor, there’s no better compliment than that.
“Barbie is always with her dad. I see how he treats his daughter; how good a parent he is. So, for Barbie to compare me to her dad is flattering. Nakakakilig,” Jak told reporters at a recent press conference for the coming GMA 7 afternoon drama series, “Contessa.”
And it’s not just Barbie who has noticed the similarities. “Even Barbie’s mom says the same thing. One time, tita told her, ‘Your father was just like that when he was younger,’” Jak related.
Jak was one of Barbie’s four leading men in the 2017 soap, “Meant to Be.” And while it was Ken Chan’s character who ended up with Barbie on-screen, it was Jak who won her heart off-screen. They confirmed their relationship months ago.
So far, everything about the relationship is OK. “We’re happy … We find ourselves laughing all the time when we’re together. We haven’t had any problems yet,” said the 24-year-old celebrity, who fondly calls Barbie “monay” because of her round face. Barbie, on the other hand, calls Jak “pandesal” because of his abs.
But the two didn’t click immediately. Jak recalled that Barbie’s first impression of him was that he was “mayabang.” “Actually, approaching people makes me shy … I don’t want to come off as trying to be close, so they misinterpret it as me being standoffish,” he said.
Another good thing about their relationship is that their parents root for them, too. In fact, Jak became close to Barbie’s mom first, he revealed. “We both have pets. And when we upload photos of them on social media, we would end up commenting on each other’s posts,” he said.
Does Barbie, an award-winning actress, give him acting tips? “I do ask her for feedback about my work. She tries to guide me if she has suggestions,” said Jak, who first worked with Barbie in the 2016 indie film, “Laut.”
In “Contessa,” which airs on weekdays, Jak plays Jong, who’s secretly in love with the protagonist, Bea (Glaiza de Castro), who seeks revenge for being jailed for a crime she didn’t commit.
Unlike his previous shows, which were mostly romantic comedies, Jak will be doing heavy drama and action.