No longer tardy, David Licauco has Barbie Forteza to thank

Barbie Forteza (left) and David Licauco—BARBIE FORTEZA/FACEBOOK

One of the things that makes Barbie Forteza and David Licauco’s screen tandem work is their contrasting personalities.

The bubbly Barbie practically grew up in show biz, has a ready laugh and knows her way around people. David, on the other hand, is quiet and reserved—a reluctant actor still trying to get used to life under the spotlight. And while they weren’t sure whether or not they could make things work at the onset of their love team, Barbie and David grew to realize that it’s their differences that make their partnership all the richer.

“Mas may lalim,” Barbie said at a recent press conference for “Sparkle Goes to Canada.” “When we were just starting, we were like, ‘How will we make this work?’ But now, we’re at a point where we know each other well. I feel like we’re a team already. We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. We know what to hype and what to set aside.”

“At the end of the day, after our shows or work, we know each other as Barbie and David,” added Barbie, whose “BarDa” tandem with David topbilled the hit fantasy drama “Maria Clara at Ibarra” and the minidrama series “Maging Sino Ka Man.”

David, who mostly stays out of the limelight and show biz circles outside work, revealed that Barbie is “the woman he’s closest to in show biz.”

“I appreciate her. She tries her best to understand me and my personality. Thank you, because you make me feel very comfortable … because you know that I’m shy and not really show biz,” he said.

Foreign work trips

Barbie and David enjoy foreign work trips because the time they spend traveling allows them to talk about things that aren’t related to work.

“We’re not waiting for cues or anything, so nakakapag-chikahan kami when we travel. And when we’re in a new place, it’s up to us to help each other out,” said Barbie, who’s considerate enough to take the aisle seat on the plane, so that David —who has sleep apnea—can get undisrupted rest.

“Window seat siya; aisle ako. We don’t want to disturb him when he’s sleeping. I don’t want to wake him up if he does manage to get some sleep. When we touch down, we take turns kung sino’ng mauuna sa CR. Strategy!” Barbie said, laughing. Joining Barbie and David in their coming shows in Canada on April 5 in Calgary and April 7 in Toronto are other Sparkle love teams: Julie Anne San Jose and Rayver Cruz; and Ruru Madrid and Bianca Umali. Because Barbie has known the other artists longer, she takes it upon herself to make sure that David feels comfortable in the group.

“Outside the country, the challenge for me is to make our ‘Pambansang Ginoo’ (David’s fan-given title) mingle with everyone. We need to warm him up a little kasi medyo kalma … baby kalma,” joked Barbie, referencing the viral song “Lagabog” by Skusta Clee.

“I’m not part of ‘All-Out Sundays’ (where the other artists regularly perform), so I don’t get to hang out with other GMA 7 artists often. It happens mostly during tapings, so most of the time, I’m with Barbie … But I think the shows will be a good chance for me to experience the artista life, I guess,” he said.

‘Very good influence’

Barbie makes the same kind of effort, David said, on the set of the upcoming war drama series “Pulang Araw,” which also features Alden Richards and Sanya Lopez. “She makes sure that I’m always included (in conversations). I appreciate that,” he said.David described Barbie as a “very good influence” on him. “Actually, never na akong na-late,” said the actor, who had admitted in past interviews that his sleep disorder used to affect his schedule.

“Oo nga, good job,” Barbie said, giving David a high five. “Proud!”

Meanwhile, when things get quite hectic during their travels, David returns the favor by helping her relax.

“I benefit from his calmness. I’m the type who’s quick to panic when things don’t go according to the itinerary, or when we get lost. But David is just like, ‘Hindi, dito tayo. See the sign?’ He’s always like that. He’s always calm, so nakakarating kami sa paroroonan!” she said.

David gets nervous thinking about performing on stage in Canada. But he’s confident that all will be well with Barbie by his side. “I feel comfortable around her. I’m nervous about the dancing part, though. But we’re working on it. I hope it turns out well,” he said.

“We just chat with each other before going onstage to ease our nerves. David would talk to me, ask if I already had coffee,” Barbie said.

How do they feel about “BarDa’s” popularity reaching Filipinos overseas? Does it make them feel pressured to create or give more kilig moments?

“Not really. We’re actors and it’s better if we focus on what we do and our work. The pressure is natural. But it’s better if we don’t think about it, and just focus on improving ourselves,” David said.