Barbie Forteza (left) and Jak Roberto
For their fourth anniversary, Jak Roberto posted on Instagram throwback photos with Barbie Forteza, whom he proudly called “the one.” But while it’s something the celebrity couple jokes about now and then, there’s still a different kind of “kilig,” Barbie admitted, after seeing Jak say it in public.
“He’s very ‘kalog’ and ‘makulit.’ And we never talked seriously about it; we just tease each other. So for him to claim that I’m ‘the one’ for him—and actually post it on social media—that’s very touching!” Barbie said in a recent Zoom conference for their guest appearance on the GMA 7 rom-com series “Heartful Cafe.”
What inspired Jak to make such bold pronouncements? “I don’t think we would have lasted this long [if we aren’t meant to be]. In our four years together, we have never had any major issues. And we managed to pull through despite the pandemic. We talk every day and know each other’s routines. And before we knew it, we had already gone through two anniversaries while in this pandemic,” he said. “But what I like most about us,” the 27-year-old actor pointed out, “is that we’re friends and lovers at the same time.”
ThankfulBarbie, on the other hand, is thankful for Jak’s constant presence and support whenever she’s dealing with family- or job-related problems. “Jak’s my sounding board in all the challenges I face. He’s always there to comfort me or calm me down,” she said. “I never had a problem with him and vice versa.”
If there’s one thing the 23-year-old Kapuso star has realized the past year or so, it’s that physical contact isn’t the sole determinant of a strong relationship. “It’s important that you have fun and consistent communication even if you’re physically apart. We’re both very talkative, so we don’t run out of things to discuss. There are no dull moments when we do video calls,” Barbie said.
Trust is also an indispensable part of the equation. “Even if there’s a pandemic and we have to go on quarantine apart … no worries,” Barbie stressed. “We feel secure with each other and about the relationship.”
But she won’t lie: It would be amazing, she said, if she and Jak could do a teleserye together. “Of course we like that para sabay na ang trabaho at harot!” she jested, laughing. “Now we’re not together because Jak has to quarantine for his coming soap. But if we have our own show, we can quarantine together. Harot pala ang goal!”
Business plans
Asked if marriage is something that has already crossed their minds, the GMA 7 actors agreed that the right time will come. For now, they want to “take care” of their careers. “We have to let the pandemic pass and wait until we have P20 million in savings,” Jak quipped. “That’s what we always joke about.”
“So that means we have P19 million more to go!” Barbie chimed in.
Putting up a business together, however, may be the more feasible endeavor at the moment. “Jak has been talking to me about starting a food business or a barbershop. They’re all plans at the moment because it’s hard to move around because of the restrictions. But at least there are plans,” Barbie said.
When their schedules permit, the two spend time together watching movies of some of their favorite Hollywood actors, like Al Pacino, Denzel Washington and Robert De Niro. “We can’t do workshops at the moment, so we watch a lot of films instead. We study the actors and pick up things we can apply,” Jak said.
“It’s like work and leisure at the same time. We choose movies that we can learn from,” Barbie added. “I also love watching ‘Friends,’ because I love seeing the actors exchange ad libs and punchlines.”
Roberto (left) and Forteza
‘Primetime Princess’
While Jak’s appearance on “Heartful Cafe” last Wednesday was his last, Barbie is expected to be part of the primetime series the next two weeks or so. Barbie didn’t want to reveal too much about her character and how she will shake things up between the leads, Heart (Julie Anne San Jose) and Ace (David Licauco).
“But I really enjoyed playing the character. It’s different from those I have done before. This time, I’m more sophisticated and a bit ‘mataray’. I hope I get to do something like this for a full series in the future,” she said.
Having headlined some of GMA 7’s most watched and longest-running television series in recent years, like “Meant to Be” and “Inday Will Always Love You,” Barbie has been dubbed by the network as its “Primetime Princess.” But despite her standing, the award-winning actress has no qualms playing support for other stars, especially if it’s for a good friend like Julie Anne.
“We welcome work opportunities because Judith (due date) is always around the corner! But kidding aside, I love exploring my range as an actor by taking on different characters, and it doesn’t matter if it’s a lead or supporting role,” she said. “As long as I find the character interesting, I’m all for it.”
“When I learned that I will be joining the show for some time, I immediately messaged Julie Anne,” she related. “We exchange comments on Instagram and text each other. We’re like high school friends. We can talk about the most random and personal things.”