Why Ricky Davao thinks love teams turn actors into superstars

Ricky Davao —RICKY DAVAO/ FACEBOOK

Ricky Davao, who has been acting since he was a teenager, is convinced that he would have become a “bigger actor” had he chosen to be part of a love team back then.

“Love teams have been around since the 1940s or 1950s. I can’t personally say if it’s OK to be part of a love team [compared to going solo], because I’ve never had one. I guess if I had pushed through with it, I’d probably be a superstar by now, or a bigger actor,” he told Inquirer Entertainment when asked to share his thoughts on whether or not onscreen partnerships help boost an actor’s popularity and bankability.

“Yes, love teams are very effective in the Philippines. Pinoys are very romantic by nature. Nagkatabi at nagkatinginan lang, kinikilig na,” he observed.

Proximity

Ricky also said feeling romantically attracted to one’s love team partner often happens because of proximity. “You see each other every day. During shoots, you hold hands and hug each other, even kiss, if needed. In between takes, you start by talking about silly things. After a while, you start to get personal. You begin to open up to each other. You do this every time you are together. That’s why it’s easy to ‘develop’ love toward each other,” he explained.

Ricky, who is also a TV director, said that onscreen partners falling in love in real life can be advantageous to a certain degree. “They really feel what they’re doing, and their audience will be able to relate to them. This is a good thing during the duration of the shoot. But of course, you cannot control emotions. It gets tricky when the couple is going through a lovers’ quarrel,” he pointed out.