Julia Barretto –STAR CINEMA/ YOUTUBE
Working with your ex is a matter of choice, according to actress Julia Barretto who is currently promoting “Un/Happy For You,” a film that she made with ex-beau Joshua Garcia.
“Not all endings with exes are good. Sometimes, it’s good riddance. Sometimes, there’s acceptance that they’re not really good for each other romantically,” she told Inquirer Entertainment in a recent interview.
“Everyone has different stories of why and how they broke up, so it’s kind of hard to give advice on how to find each other again and not have all those negative feelings in the heart.
“At the end of the day, I feel like with Josh and me, it was a choice. You heal from something, you take accountability for where you went wrong—probably the part where you hurt the other person—then how to heal and forgive yourself, also. I feel like we’re so lucky because we have the same mindset. I’m just happy that we can still be together in one room and work with each other.”
Forming friendship with your ex takes time, added Joshua. “After we broke up, we didn’t exchange messages right away. It took time. I realized that we really needed to go through that process in order to heal. While going through it, you will also realize that, maybe, you also did something wrong that led to the breakup … something like that.”
The two dated from 2017 to 2019. Julia is currently dating actor Gerald Anderson, while Joshua is with Filipino-French golfer Emilienne Vigier.
Anguish and affection
“Un/Happy For You,” directed by Petersen Vargas, is about how ex-lovers navigate feelings of anguish and deep affection with someone who once held a special place in their hearts. Produced by Star Cinema and Viva Films, the film has been screening in cinemas nationwide since Aug. 14.
Joshua said they didn’t have to work on finding their chemistry again. “I guess it’s always been there. We even have scenes that we shot in just one take. We just did the work that was required from us. I guess it helped that we’re both passionate about our craft. We were able to pull it off with the help of Direk. He was able to bring out the chemistry a lot faster than we thought, with how he would block us, with his angling and shots,” the actor explained.
“We click because we’re on the same page when it comes to giving importance to acting, giving depth to every scene, and being honest with our emotions when we deliver our lines,” Joshua added. “Of course, the fact that we have a past also helped create that romantic picture of us together in the minds of our viewers.”
Joshua Garcia –STAR CINEMA/ YOUTUBE
Happy, grateful
Julia said their on-screen partnership works also because they respect each other. “We both chose to move forward, to be happy and grateful for that chapter in our lives. I think it’s all about having the right mindset coming into a project and coming together again to do this. You really can’t definitely say when it’s OK to work with each other again. You’ll just know when you’re ready.”
What is the film about? Two years after their breakup, Juancho (Joshua), a Bicolano chef on the rise reunites with Zy (Julia), his ex-girlfriend who returns to the province for a short, work-related trip. Still feeling bitter about their breakup, he tries to seduce her in order to ruin her engagement, only to find himself falling for her once more.
Julia said they were lucky because Petersen had been very collaborative as their director. “Direk and the creative team would always ask us how we feel, what we think. They wanted to know if what’s happening is in line with our characters. My favorite scene in the movie would be the one when we went to Casa Rosa and did the sili challenge. That was when our characters met each other again,” Julia said.
For Josh, it was the ending. “It had a different impact on me, personally,” he explained.
Asked to share the best lesson they’ve learned from their characters when it comes to having a relationship, Josh said: “For me, it was that you really have to save some love for yourself. You have to love and respect yourself first before choosing to love another person.”
Julia agreed with Josh and added: “One of the valuable lessons I’ve learned is that a supportive partner has a huge impact on your personal success. It feels empowering if you know that the person you love is backing you up. Just let them be [who they are].”
Both actors are open to working together again after “Un/Happy For You,” but with one condition. “I’m game, as long as it’s a comedy. Crying so much makes us feel tired,” Josh said.
“Yes, we just want to be happy. This one is heavy,” added Julia. “But you’ll have laughs, too, definitely.”