‘DonBelle’ in “He’s Into Her”
They both learned that falling in love is easy but staying in love is hard,” said actress Belle Mariano when asked how much her character Max, and Donny Pangilinan’s Deib, have transformed since the first season for the hit digital series “He’s Into Her” (HIH).
“Nothing much has changed in terms of their personalities. They just grew up and became more mature,” Belle said during a virtual media gathering to promote the second season of “HIH,” which began streaming on iWantTFC in April.
“The second season shows the maturity of the entire cast,” added Donny, the other half of the ‘DonBelle’ onscreen tandem. “As for Deib and Max, it shows how they will go through life as a couple. Remember that the ending of Season 1 presented an ‘open’ problem. The continuation shows how they are handling that as well. Season 2 has a different set of problems. You will see how Deib and Max choose to attack them differently, in a more mature way definitely.”
In “HIH” Season 2, Max and Deib are officially a couple. They now struggle to find the timing to reveal their relationship to Max’s father.
‘Seeing the good in others’
Belle said she wished she had “Max’s patience and dedication when it comes to dealing with the people she loves. I also like how she always sees the good in everyone because, sometimes, my emotion gets the best of me. I also wish that like Max, I’m optimistic in how I look at everything in life.”
She also said that Max helped a lot in how she has become more mature as an individual. “It wasn’t just my character who grew. Max also taught me a lot, especially when it comes to being confident. She’s like that,” Belle said. “I also want the audience to learn from Max. Like her, I hope they don’t get tired of seeing the good in others. Also, if you truly love a person, you should accept him or her despite their flaws. That’s what I appreciate most about Max.”
For Donny, it’s all about not being afraid to trust other people. “Oftentimes, we’re afraid to get hurt or to feel like we’re just being taken for granted. One tragic experience with one person doesn’t mean things will be the same in your next relationship,” he declared.
Level of trust
When asked to describe how much the level of trust they have for each other changed since doing Season 1, Belle said: “Personally, I find it really hard to trust people, especially those that I just met. This was what happened with Donny in Season 1, but while doing Season 2, I can say this has changed so much. For me, it’s a process. Donny is now one of the few people who I trust now.”
Meanwhile, Donny said he already gave his full trust to Belle as early as Season 1. “For me, in order to effectively work with someone, I need to trust that person, especially during script readings and while taping scenes. You can’t really show your authentic self without some level of trust in your partner,” he explained. “That level of trust has escalated today. I’m happy that I got to spend Season 2 with her.”
“HIH” Season 2, directed by Chad Vidanes, now features new cast members: River Joseph, Rajo Serrano, CJ Salonga, Reich Alim and Shanaia Gomez.