Lovi Poe in a scene from “High Rise Lovers”
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, not a few couples have unwittingly found themselves in what could very well pass off as long long-distance relationships (LDR).
Lovi Poe—who’s in an actual “LDR” with her Los Angeles-based British boyfriend, Monty Blencowe—is no stranger to the challenges some people have been going through. Though being separated from a loved one for extended periods of time can be difficult, there are ways to make the relationship still work.
Communication, trust and respect, she said, are some of the things to always keep in mind.
“Communication is important to all relationships. Trust should be there because you’re far away from each other. But still, you have to respect each other’s space and time,” Lovi related in a recent video conference for “High Rise Lovers”—the third installment of GMA 7’s new weekly drama anthology, “I Can See You.”
And at the end of day, LDR “isn’t that bad if it’s worth it.”
“You have to appreciate the little things your partner does for you, and make sure that you also do something special for him or her. It’s a give-and-take situation. You have to keep the fire burning,” said the Kapuso star, who has been dating Monty—a film producer and medical researcher—for the past year or so.
One of their favorite virtual bonding activities is watching movies or television series together. “I recall watching ‘Money Heist’ and us counting to three before clicking play. That’s how we are,” Lovi said.
And it doesn’t hurt that her boyfriend is creative and spontaneous. “He doesn’t run out of surprises for me. And chatting each other up doesn’t feel like a chore. We’re not like, ‘Reporting for duty!’” Lovi said, laughing. “It’s just more of catching up. And it’s good that we guys are best friends.”
But what if things were the opposite and she ended up having to quarantine with Monty? That could be a test of relationship, too, Lovi surmised—one that could potentially lead to new discoveries about each other’s personalities and tendencies.
Lovi and Monty Blencowe
For newer couples, it’s probably going to feel like being put in a “pressure cooker.”
“The more time you spend together, especially in this situation, the more likely your true colors will show … Since we’re currently in a whole another scenario, living together will allow us to discover what each other is like under pressure,” Lovi said.
The 31-year-old actress has spent the past couple of months consuming different forms of pop culture. She got especially hooked on K-dramas. This led to a realization: Artists and entertainers play a big role in keeping people sane while stuck at home. And what has become a routine for them actually means a lot to viewers.
Needless to say, Lovi will emerge from this quarantine with deeper respect for the craft. “It made me appreciate all my fellow artists even more. So once I’m back to work, I will do my best for that person watching from the couch. Because I want to relate to them,” she said.
In “High Rise Lovers,” which starts airing on Oct. 12, Lovi plays Samantha, a woman torn between pursuing her career goals and saving her relationship with Luis (Tom Rodriguez), an unemployed contractor whose ego is threatened by the fact that it’s the woman acting as the provider.
After being on a seven-month break from acting, getting her groove back proved to be tricky at first, especially with the current limitations.
“Exhaustion will hit you after, because this time, you have to work straight days. And because you have been out for work for a couple of months, things need getting used to again. You were at home for so long, and then you’re suddenly doing something physically and emotionally taxing,” she pointed out.
“You can’t also hold or get touchy with each other when having conversations. There’s more distance. But we will just take this as a challenge,” she added. “And I’m glad I did this project, because now I know how taping under the ‘new normal’ works.”
It also helps, Lovi said, that she has a naturally positive disposition. “I try to put myself in a good mood upon waking up. It’s not that I’m brushing aside the situation we’re in. I’m just a very optimistic person. And I have faith that things will get better soon,” she said.