A collision of fates: Julia Barretto and Joshua Garcia

MANILA, Philippines — In the Philippines, love teams are a dime a dozen. Television networks and talent agencies churn out the same tired formula, fueled by the masses’ penchant for romance: pair two good-looking starlets together, create a barely comprehensible portmanteau of their names, and market them incessantly as “the next big thing.” The shtick feels pedestrian to some viewers, yet such has been the way of local showbiz for as long as we can remember. Up-and-coming actors who wish to get a grip over the ever-fickle nature of the entertainment industry best find an onscreen partner, and fast. Rarely, however, does one come across a pairing so special, they shine together with little effort.

Julia Barretto and Joshua Garcia were never truly intended to be paired together. Not at the beginning, at least. Joshua was hot off the heels from Pinoy Big Brother, where he found a following on the small screen, something that many hopefuls his age could only wish for in search for that proverbial big break. Julia, meanwhile, was TV’s ingénue — a darling of the famed Barretto clan, touted as the next rising star with a string of leading men behind her.

It’s almost serendipitous how two young actors with seemingly different career trajectories found their way into one another. Yet, they did. Call us hopeless romantics, but there’s no stopping fate.

At just 20, Julia exudes confidence. Her classic beauty is arresting, heightened by a flicker in her eyes. She carries herself with such a casual self-assuredness that’s rare among her peers. There’s an innate sweetness to her, yet make no mistake — she’s a sprightly young thing. She’s eloquent, for sure, but she speaks her mind with boldness and certainty. This is a girl who knows herself, inside and out.

Joshua, on the other hand, is the quintessential boy-next-door. He’s playful and impish, cracking dad jokes or cheesy one-liners in the middle of a conversation, but when the matter turns serious, there’s an unmistakable sincerity in his voice and a rawness in his answers that’s refreshing from the rehearsed nature of many celebrities. Joshua strikes one as the guy who is still bewildered by their success, yet is clearly more than ready to enjoy the ride.

The two stars were brought together after they were cast in Vince and Kath and James, the teen movie based on the story Vince and Kath that had gone viral on social media, narrated through a series of texts. Joshua and Julia came in at an interesting time: Vince and Kath and James was selected as an entry to the 2016 Metro Manila Film Festival, the year that shunned major franchises and superstar-headlined comedies in favor of internationally acclaimed films, documentaries and animation, among others. While VKJ was hardly groundbreaking material compared to its contemporaries, it did become the festival’s highest grosser. Joshua and Julia were praised for their acting. Joshua, in particular, was christened as the next John Lloyd Cruz.

In spite of casting two leading men in the movie, JoshLia became a team-up to be reckoned with.

Joshua and Julia both agree that their connection just fell into place on the first day they started working together.

“What’s crazy was that even from our first scene together, it just felt right with him,” Julia shares. “Everything happened so naturally. We didn’t have to work on too many things.” Joshua, meanwhile, admitted that Julia got him to open up, even on day one.

There’s fluidity to the way they interact with each other, and an undeniable glow to them. Those who find themselves in the presence of Julia and Joshua have to do a double take in time to see the chemistry flow so effortlessly. The pair has clearly become in sync with one another, that working with each other becomes a breeze.

“I don’t know how it’s possible that you find somebody that you just work so well with without trying so hard,” according to Julia. “We just get each other — we know when somebody’s having a hard time, we know when somebody’s enjoying the scene. We just know.”

Now, a year after their first movie together is a sophomore effort helmed by acclaimed rom-com director Antoinette Jadaone, Love You to the Stars and Back. This time, it’s all Joshua and Julia. With an earnest script and a dreamy soundtrack, the movie is poised to take over box offices and tug at the heartstrings. A larger picture is at play here: there’s talk of aliens, cancer, and having faith in the impossible. In the movie, Mika and Caloy, Julia’s and Joshua’s respective characters, meet after the former runs into Caloy while on an alien-hunt-slash-road-trip.

Joshua contends that Love You to the Stars and Back is a more mature effort from VKJ, which centered on teenage romance. “Sa Love You to the Stars and Back, mas malalim na ‘yung pinagdadaanan nila — it’s about meeting your great love, dealing with death and loss — ako, may cancer ako sa movie, Julia lost her mom, I lost my dad sa pelikula — challenging na ‘yung mga struggles nila.”

Having Jadaone at the wheel steered Joshua and Julia toward the right direction, allowing the pair to step up in their craft. Of the director, Julia shares, “You learn so many things from her, and she wrote the film too, so she knows exactly what to say while directing us. She allows us the right amount of freedom, while still leaving it up to her.”

Joshua says that he and his character share some key similarities, such as “’Yung pagiging masayahin ni Caloy, ’yung makulit, ’yung mga pabiro niyang banat na waley minsan, at ‘yung pagiging mapagmahal niya sa magulang.”

Meanwhile, Julia shares that like Mika, she believes in putting faith in the unlikely. “I think that even if it seems to be very impossible, I still think that it’s worth a try. You should try to know whether it’s impossible or not.” Joshua interjects, “Ako, sa tingin ko, walang imposible.”

At this rate, talk of the impossible — destinies, aliens, and all the shebang — doesn’t seem so far-fetched. After all, it was chance that brought Joshua and Julia together. You could call it fate. Go revel in the thought that it might have been written in the stars.

Photo by Regine David

Produced by David Milan