‘McLisse’ in trouble: Rom-com leads keep rift under wraps

Elisse Joson (left) and McCoy de Leon

There was a point when it felt like we were already an item. What we didn’t have was the boyfriend-girlfriend label,” said actor McCoy de Leon of his love team partner Elisse Joson, who also admitted that the latter had tried to court her.

“He did this in his own way, not like the typical old-style ligaw. We didn’t reach that point. He did show his interest (in me),” the actress pointed out.

This was all before they started working on JP Habac’s romantic drama “Sakaling Maging Tayo,” which McCoy said “could be the (first and) last film project that you would see us together.”

McCoy and Elisse, collectively known as “McLisse,” admitted to have had a “misunderstanding” while working on the film, but refused to elaborate. People were speculating that the two have actually broken up.

“There were times when we weren’t OK with each other, but we had to set aside personal differences so we could work properly on the set,” confessed Elisse. “We worked on this film intermittently. I realized that as long as we were focused, the outcome of the shoot would be good. This was what happened on our last shooting day.”

The film, which hits cinemas on Jan. 16, also features Paulo Angeles, Chai Fonacier, Milo Elmido Jr., Markus Paterson and Bembol Roco.

“While filming, there were times when we weren’t talking off-cam,” McCoy recalled. “We both agreed that we had to give exactly what was needed of us, and that we owe this to the people who were working with us on the film.”

In “Sakaling Maging Tayo,” two college freshmen, Pol (McCoy) and Laya (Elisse) accidentally meet during their last day of school in Baguio City. Laya is about to move back to Manila to try to heal from her failed romance, while Pol is about to spend a carefree night at a music festival. After witnessing Laya break down, Pol decides to make her last night in Baguio fun and memorable. Pol also takes this chance to spend an entire night with the girl he has always admired from afar.

“I dare you to do what you want, even for a day, without thinking of what other people will say. Just one day, all for yourself,” Elisse told McCoy, when reporters asked her what kind of dare would she like the latter to pull off.

The question stemmed from her comment that Laya is the type of girl who would never back down from a dare. McCoy, meanwhile, described Pol as “someone who would always play safe, someone who’s very organized.”

They were also asked to finish the statement: “Sakaling maging tayo, ipapangako ko…”

McCoy said: “Sakaling maging tayo, ipapangako ko na magiging better person ako at mayroon kang maipagmamalaki … at mabubuhay kita.”

To this, Elisse countered: “Sakaling maging tayo, ipapangako ko lahat ay magiging nasa tama at magiging masaya tayong dalawa.”

McCoy later admitted that their “problem” had become a hurdle they had to overcome while filming. “It was tough because we were both new actors. We knew we needed to fix whatever problem we had,” he explained. “Our coworkers became our inspiration. We wanted to finish the movie because of them. Also, not everyone is given a chance to have a project like this.”

Elisse said working on the film has also helped mend their gap. “We needed to fix it because we didn’t want it to affect our working relationship. I was glad that we were able to do it,” she added. “This project went through so much. There was a point when we thought we would not be able to finish it. We’re thankful that the production team was very patient with us.”

These days, Elisse said she and McCoy “no longer talk about things outside work,” and that their misunderstanding had left a scar.

“We would smile and greet each other, but may lamat na. But it’s better now because I’m already able to smile. The feeling isn’t as heavy as before. I’m happy that we’ve now reached this point. It was really hard for us to work together,” Elisse told reporters.

Aside from this film, there’s no project lined up for McLisse this year, said Elisse, who is currently a cast member of the drama series “Ngayon at Kailanman.” McCoy is with “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano.”

McCoy tried to look at their situation from a positive perspective. “We will be able to grow as individuals. We will walk on different paths and have our own discoveries,” he said of not being part of an onscreen partnership anymore. “Our supporters will still see us together when we promote this film. This is really for them—those who believed in us.”