‘Heartful Cafe’ reveals a different side of Julie Anne San Jose

With David Licauco (right)

I have always been [ready]. I’m not closing my doors on the possibility,” said Julie Anne San Jose, when asked if she’s ready to enter a new romantic relationship.

But either way, the Kapuso star—who previously dated Benjamin Alves and was briefly linked to Kim Last—feels content with what she has now. “I’m happy the way things are. I’m happy as a single woman. For now, I will focus on my career and myself,” she said in a virtual conference for her ongoing primetime series, “Heartful Cafe.”

Julie Anne often gets quizzed about particular physical qualities she looks for in a man. But that, she stressed, isn’t really one of her priorities. “Good looks are just a bonus—it’s about the character and personality,” she said. “I just want someone who will respect me and my family, someone God-fearing and understanding, someone who will accept me for who I am.”

Longtime admirer

Her current leading man, David Licauco, is apparently a longtime admirer, who often cited her in past interviews as one of the actresses he hoped to work with.

“I was flattered by his honesty and his being open about it. And that’s good because trusting each other will only help us in our work and in our scenes. I never had a hard time working with David, because he’s easy to get along with and nice. He’s focused on work. And I’m thankful he’s my partner and that I got to know him better on set,” she related.

In “Heartful Cafe,” Julie Anne plays Heart, a coffee shop owner who dispenses love advice and plays cupid with her heartbroken customers. Her business, unfortunately, suffers a setback. But just when she thinks she will have to close her cafe, Ace Nobleza (David), a hunky investor, comes in.

“When I got a call to audition for the role, I said yes because I really like the concept. It’s my first time to do a romantic comedy and the script was lighthearted … We have been through a lot the past year, so why not do something fresh and feel-good?” Julie Anne said, adding that she didn’t have trouble adjusting to the locked-in taping setup.

Building rapport

“It was my first time to shoot in a bubble and my first to do a series in a long while,” added the 26-year-old talent, who was last seen in the 2018 afternoon series “My Guitar Princess.” “Everything we needed was there … We also had workshops and script readings. The project is collaborative and everyone’s open to different ideas. Building rapport was never a problem.”

The series was originally intended for airing on GMA’s secondary channel, GTV, but the executives changed their minds upon seeing the previews.

“The script and the concept were so good, so it didn’t really matter where the series would be shown. But it did feel heartening when I heard that it would be transferred to the main channel and on primetime,” Julie Anne said. “I’m so thankful for all the trust they gave us.”

Julie Anne San Jose

As the lead star, does she feel pressured about the idea that the show’s success largely rests on her? “I don’t want to think of it as pressure. We’re excited more than anything because we’re confident about the execution and the effort we put into it,” she said.

Different side

The project is a breath of fresh air for Julie Anne, whose past works were mostly heavy drama. Through “Heartful Cafe,” Julie Anne hopes to showcase her other facets as an artist.

“My pasta roles have always involved lots of crying. I was the one getting pushed off a cliff,” she said, laughing. “This a chance for me to show a different side of me. People usually see me glammed-up as a performer. But there’s also a side of me that’s fun-loving and kalog.”

“I want people to think that, ‘Oh, I never knew she could do this,’ or ‘Is she like this in real life?’” she added. “With the help of my directors and acting coaches, I was able to study my character and how to imbibe her. We also got to apply the learnings and techniques I picked up from the series of workshops I had taken.”

There was a time when she thought that it’s music she should be focusing on. Now, Julie Anne has realized that she can juggle and enjoy both.

“I love singing but I also love acting. It makes me feel like a different person when I play different roles. When you’re passionate about what you do, everything else follows. That’s when you radiate joy. I want to make fans happy in different ways,” she said. INQ