Sam Milby (left) and Gerald Anderson
Actors Sam Milby and Gerald Anderson consider themselves lucky to have very supportive girlfriends in Catriona Gray and Julia Barretto, respectively. They both claim that the two girls have never felt jealous of their leading ladies and have never forbidden them to do loves scenes.
Asked whether or not there was ever a time when Catriona told him that he has gone too far in terms of doing sexy roles, Sam said: “There’s never been any talk about things becoming ‘too much.’ I think actors are more blessed here in the Philippines compared to those in Hollywood and the rest of the United States, where they are showing so much more. We are more conservative in the sense that we are able to ‘cheat’ in some of our scenes. I’m thankful to Cat (Catriona’s nickname) because she’s not show biz in that sense. She is very understanding. Even for me, if I’d find out she’d be doing intimate scenes with someone, I’d be hypocritical to say that I wouldn’t feel affected. The fact that she’s understanding about what I do, I’m really thankful for that.”
Gerald agreed with Sam, adding: “I don’t think I’ve ever done something that is really over the top. Thank God because all of the love scenes I had to do in the past were really important parts in the stories we were telling.”
“If love is not involved in the scene, I will not do it as a sign of respect to my partner. Also because five to 10 years from now, I’d have my own family and I don’t want my kids watching something I’m not proud of,” said the 33-year-old actor.
Sam and Gerald grace the cover of Star Magic’s digital video magazine, called “Flex,” for the month of October. The two “A Family Affair” stars “flex” their accomplishments as actors and their successful romantic relationships. Joining them are flexmates Elyson de Dios, Michael Ver Comaling, and Kristof Garcia. “Flex” has been available since Oct. 26.
At one point during a virtual media gathering organized for them by Star Magic, Gerald had to define the term “modern masculinity” and describe what it means to be a man of this day and age. To this, he said: “Since I’m old school, I think a man should know his responsibilities in life, and if he has made a mistake, he has to own up to it. If he does something right, he has to learn from it and do more of it.”
LEFT: Catriona Gray with Sam Milby | RIGHT: Julia Barretto with Gerald Anderson
Modern man
“The modern man is a good citizen, a good person, a good partner, and a good member of the family—someone who takes care of his family. He should also be respectful, as well as competitive but also humble. He should always be willing to help anyone. If he is in a good place financially and physically, he should extend help to the next guy,” he declared.
As for his “biggest flex” in life, Gerald said: “As a person, I’d like to flex that I’m already in a position to support and take care of my loved ones.”
Sam, however, pointed out that flexing is not always a good thing. “For me, it’s when you’re confident with certain things you do, but they are making someone else look bad. When you’re so good at something and you know that this particular person is struggling, you don’t purposely say ‘I’m going to outshine him.’ You should hold back. It’s more respectable not being a show off,” said the 38-year-old actor.
Gerald added: “Another example is the fact that I posted on social media something about my beach resort. I did this not because I want people to know that I have a resort, but because I want them to enjoy something that I’ve worked hard for. I wanted to say that the place isn’t just for me, but also for the public.”
Personal choice
Gerald also said he would often post stuff about the series “A Family Affair,” where he and Sam play brothers. “This is because we all worked hard on the show and it’s something that we’re really proud of. While one should be proud, he shouldn’t be flexing all the time. He should first know that he doesn’t need to constantly seek other people’s attention. Looking for affirmation on social media can be very dangerous,” he pointed out.
Sam, however, felt that he wasn’t the right person to talk about flexing on social media because he has never been really active on his own accounts. “In the last year, I only had two posts. It’s a personal choice. I understand that it’s part of the job to share with the fans. The problem with social media is that it’s toxic. We live in a society where we judge and hide behind some profile. I’m not bothered, especially if you know it’s just a troll, but there’s just so much toxicity.”
He further said: “Sometimes, I’m more afraid for the kids today because their sense of identity is now based on the number of likes and comments they get from their posts. When social media rose, the number of depression and anxiety cases rose, too. The intention of social media was good in the beginning—to connect a person to as many people as possible. But now, I feel sad with the social media culture here. We love to bash others. This is not necessarily the reason why I’m inactive. Cat and I want to keep details of our relationship more private, as well.” INQ