Kissing scenes still make Jennylyn nervous

Jennylyn Mercado

While Jennylyn Mercado is no stranger to doing kissing scenes, they still never fail to make her nervous—more so when she needs to do them with an acting newbie, like Gil Cuerva, her leading man in GMA 7’s adaptation of the popular Korean television series, “My Love from the Star.”

“Every kissing scene is different—and it can be tough when you’re doing it with someone new. Once you sense that he’s feeling awkward about it, you start feeling awkward, too. There was a scene that took us nine takes to get right!” she told the Inquirer at a recent press conference for the said primetime series, which starts airing on May 29.

Jennylyn, who has been in the business since 2003, is vastly more experienced. But in no way does it make her feel that she has the right to instruct Gil, who’s starring in his very first acting stint. “I didn’t guide him; that’s our director Joyce Bernal’s job. The best I could do is cheer us up,” she said.

“I was like, ‘Come on, let’s do this!’ And there’s Direk teasing us that we won’t be going home unless we nail it,” added the Kapuso star, who nonetheless appreciates Gil’s curiosity and willingness to learn.

“He’s eager and open to the things being taught to him. I saw how much he has grown—from his auditions to when he finally got to work. He really wants to become an actor, and that’s heartening to see,” related Jennylyn, who plays Steffi Chavez, a beautiful but careless actress, who meets Matteo Domingo (Gil)—an intelligent but aloof extraterrestrial, forced to live on Earth.

“On the surface my character is happy and goofy, but she’s really a sad person,” Jennylyn said of Steffi. “This is one of the most challenging roles I have tackled, because I have to appear crazy and over the top, but at the same time project sadness through my eyes.”

Jennylyn, who celebrated her 30th birthday last May 15, said she couldn’t ask for anything more, especially when it comes to her family life.

Her son with Patrick Garcia, 8-year-old Alex Jazz, received honors in school last month. “Every year, he gives me something to be proud about,” she said. “It felt good seeing him go up the stage.”

And though her aunt and adoptive mother, Mommy Lydia, passed away late last year, Jennylyn has reconnected with her estranged, biological father, Noli, whom she last saw after giving birth to Jazz. She and her father—a musician based in Seoul, South Korea—had never spent much time together, but their lines of communication were always open.

“Every New Year’s Eve, Mommy Lydia and I typically check into a hotel and celebrate the occasion there. But this time, it was different… I was sad, so I thought of calling my father. He asked if I was OK, and I said no. Before long, he was talking about going back to the Philippines and living with me,” she said.

Despite not having grown up with her father, Jennylyn said there was not much adjustment to make. “I feel comfortable with him. And I’m so happy that he and Jazz got along quickly,” she said.

Jennylyn’s relationship with boyfriend Dennis Trillo seems to be going well, too.

Asked if she and Dennis were already thinking about settling down, she said: “We don’t talk much about future plans—engagement, wedding, etc. I don’t think that would happen any time soon.”