Having already worked together in a past soap, Beauty Gonzalez and Kelvin Miranda no longer felt awkward doing kissing scenes for their upcoming film, “After All.” Beauty has grown comfortable with Kelvin, she said. And it didn’t hurt that her leading man is quite the looker.
“He’s a gentleman, so he takes good care of me on the set. And before we do anything, we plan or talk about it with our director. I was treated with respect, so it was easy for me. At ang gwapo-gwapo niya, so s’yempre hindi na mahirap para sa ‘kin humalik sa kanya,” Beauty said at a recent press conference.
“Let’s be realistic, you know?” she added, laughing.
And if she looked like she felt “kilig” recalling the experience that was because she enjoyed doing the movie. “The audience should feel kilig themselves. I sincerely felt that way while doing the film, so I hope that comes across on the screen,” Beauty said.
Beauty is seven years older than Kelvin and was already an established actress when they were first paired together in the romantic drama series “Loving Miss Bridgette” on GMA 7 in 2021. Needless to say, Kelvin had to do the most adjusting back then.
“Before this film, we did ‘Bridgette,’ which also had a kissing scene. That time, I was so restless I was shaking. It was really awkward because I didn’t know how to do it. But Beauty and our director [in both projects, Adolf Alix Jr.] guided me through it. And they were a big help because I was able to do my job … Para daw alam ko na next time,” Kelvin said.
Building connection
And he sure does now. “Wala na ‘yung nginig,” he said, laughing. “It was more fun working. I’m more relaxed. Back then, I felt the pressure. There were expectations. And I was trying my hardest not to overthink everything. I was shy around Beauty because I still had a lot to learn. But I didn’t hear anything bad from her. She’s so helpful and collaborative.”
The more projects they did, the closer they got. And the better they knew each other, the more Kelvin realized that he and Beauty actually have a lot of things in common.
“I was intimidated and starstruck when I first met her … I thought, ‘Bagay talaga ang pangalan niya sa kanya,’” he said. “I didn’t know how to approach her. But later on, I have learned that we’re both interested in artworks and music. We would trade playlists. And from there, we built a connection.”
Beauty, on the other hand, is grateful that she’s still given the opportunity to do romantic projects with a younger actor. She’s known more as a character actress, so didn’t really experience what it was like being in a love team. Kelvin, she said, is probably the closest she will get to having a love team partner.
“I’m excited that at my age, I get to be paired with someone young. Age is just a number. It’s how you feel about yourself and how you carry yourself. I hope to break that wall in local show biz that stops older actresses from exploring other roles. Because the moment you hit a certain age, you get boxed into specific roles,” she said.
Heavier theme
Given the chance, she would like to do more projects with Kelvin—preferably something with a heavier theme. “Maybe a remake of my idol Maricel Soriano’s film ‘Soltera’? I hope to do more challenging roles with him,” said Beauty, who described Kelvin as her show biz “baby boy.” “Masarap alagaan,” she said.
For Beauty, it’s when women grow more mature that they need to start trying different roles and projects. “You now have the freedom to do more things. You’re not as scared anymore, and you’re more confident about who you are. I want to inspire other actresses to not limit themselves,” she said.
Produced by ALV Films, “After All,” which opens in cinemas on Feb. 28, centers on “eternal love” and explores the concepts of reincarnation and soulmates. While the main actors’ age gap isn’t too wide, the story is being billed as a May-December affair.
Does Kelvin see himself being in a relationship with a much older woman in real life? He has experienced dating one, he admitted, but things didn’t progress beyond dating.
“I realized that there are still a lot of things I have to learn when it comes to relationships. When you enter one, you have to be able to accept whatever it brings you. What I realized then was the things we were looking forward to were different,” he said, adding that age wouldn’t matter if people involved have a mutual understanding of each other’s needs and aspirations.
“The other person should be able to accept you—not just understand you—regardless of your status in life. That person should be able to accept the things you’re going through and what you have now … ’yung hindi naghahanap ng wala pa sa ‘yo,” he added.
Beauty didn’t need to answer hypothetically, because her husband, art curator Norman Crisologo, is 15 years older.
“What matters is that he accepts me and wants me to fulfill my dreams. I can’t ask for anything more. His being older is good, to be honest. He understands the nature of my job better. He’s confident and doesn’t feel insecure,” she said. INQ
