Alessandra De Rossi on reuniting, being good friends with JM de Guzman

Alessandra de Rossi and JM de Guzman. Image: Courtesy of Netflix

Alessandra De Rossi said reuniting with JM de Guzman was a delight four years after their first film together, “Lucid,” calling the actor a “beautiful presence” onscreen and behind-the-scenes.

De Rossi and de Guzman once again joined forces for the movie “What If,” which revolves around newlyweds Billie and Jecs who get trapped in a storm on their island honeymoon. This led to the couple unearthing past issues they initially thought were buried — ultimately putting a strain on their relationship.

“‘Yung ‘Lucid,’ four days lang kami together. Pero nagustuhan ko siyang ka-trabaho. Maganda presence niya. Walang arte, masayang ka-chika (In ‘Lucid,’ we were together for only four days. But I enjoyed working with him. He had a beautiful presence. He wasn’t hard to work with, he’s fun to talk to),” De Rossi said of De Guzman during an exclusive Netflix roundtable with select entertainment media.

JM de Guzman and Alessandra de Rossi. Image: JV Ravano via Netflix

Their pleasant working relationship made De Rossi eager to join forces with the actor again as a result. The former, however, joked that there were moments during filming which made her want to “give him a hug.”

“Marami kaming na-discover [tulad nang] hindi siya nakakabitaw agad, he needs a hug. Pero ang maganda kay JM, kahit anong ibato mo, kaya niyang saluhin. Hindi siya ibang actors na nagulat sa ginawa mo, hindi na nila alam anong gagawin nila. Siya, ang galing niya. Nakikinig siya. Nagre-react siya,” she said.

(We discovered a lot of things about each other. Such as him not being to exchange lines right away, which makes me think that he needs a hug. But the good thing with JM is that no matter what you throw at him, he will do the same. He doesn’t get shocked unlike most actors who are unsure on what to do. He’s really good. He listens. He reacts.)

One of the highlights of “What If” are Billie (Alessandra De Rossi) and Jecs’ (JM de Guzman) fights, which appear more subdued compared to the drama-esque flair in teleseryes.

“Si Billie, nati-trigger siya kapag may naririnig siyang nagmumura or sumisigaw dahil sa pamilya niya — as much as kaya niya — tina-try niyang maging kalmado. But she’s just a human being,” De Rossi said. “Sa totoong buhay, hindi naman [dapat] tayo magsigawan kapag naga-away tayo. Sisigaw ka lang when there’s so much injustice. But in a normal away, hindi naman dapat magsigawan.”

(Billie is triggered when she hears someone cursing or shouting because of her family background. This is why she tries her best to be calm. But she’s just a human being. In real life, you shouldn’t shout when you’re in a fight with someone. You can only shout when there’s so much injustice. But in normal fights, you shouldn’t shout.)

Touching on the film’s gut-wrenching theme, De Rossi revealed that she and de Guzman would simply “hold hands” when they feel that a certain scene hits too close to home.

JM de Guzman and Alessandra de Rossi. Image: Courtesy of Netflix

For his part, de Guzman confessed that he found a good friend in his co-star as a result, as she’s someone who’s reliable enough to understand his problems behind-the-scenes.

“Si Alex ay isang mabuting kaibigan. Lahat ng problema mo, nakikinig siya. Kahit hindi sa work, kahit anong problema sa buhay, willing kang i-share sa kanya at aalagaan niya ‘yun,” he said, referring to De Rossi using her nickname. “Hati ‘yung oras ko sa work and chikahan namin, so doon ko na-realize na masarap maging kaibigan si Alex.”

(Alex is a good friend. She listens to all of your problems. Not just at work. You’re willing to share any problem with her because she keeps them secure. Our time between work and conversations are split, but it made me realize that it’s really nice to have her as a friend.)

“Marami kaming secrets ni JM pero sa’min na ‘yun (JM and I have a lot of secrets but it will only stay between us,” De Rossi said, in a seeming response to her co-star’s “problems” before laughing. EDV