JaDine on the downside of fame

CEBU, Philippines – There’s no denying James Reid’s popularity these days, but if you ask him, there are many instances he forgets that he’s now a marquee name.

“Sometimes, it’s overwhelming. Sometimes, I don’t notice and feel it at all,” said James on how he’s dealing with his current success. “It depends, like right now, when I see the crowd, it’s overwhelming.”

The crowd he’s referring to was the one gathered Friday evening at Ayala Center Cebu’s The Terraces – mostly a gaggle of high school girls – to see James and his screen partner Nadine Lustre in the flesh.

Clutching the Fil-Aussie heartthrob’s latest CD “Reid Alert” and some of Nadine’s self-titled debut solo album, the tandem’s fans were treated to song numbers by the stars of 2014’s hit teen flicks “Diary ng Panget” and “Talk Back And You’re Dead.”

In a quick chat backstage, Nadine expressed her thoughts on their rise up the showbiz ladder. “I feel very blessed and thankful, because of course, success in our career is what we’re aiming for.”

James and Nadine, both 21 years old and collectively called JaDine, had wrapped filming for another popcorn fare titled “Para sa Hopeless Romantic,” set to hit theaters on May 13. Adapted from a book of the same title written by Marcelo Santos III, the Star Cinema/Viva Films project also stars Julia Barretto, Iñigo Pascual and AJ Muhlach.

Marcelo, who joined JaDine’s Cebu mall show, gave his thumbs-up at how his words were translated on screen by the young actors.

“I saw the movie’s rough cut, and what I wrote in the book is exactly what I saw in the film,” Marcelo said. “They usually say books that are turned into movies don’t include everything, or that the book is more satisfying, but this one is an exception. As the writer, I’m very satisfied with how they acted it out and the efforts that James and Nadine put in. Unlike Nadine’s previous roles, this one is darker. I was nervous at first if they could pull it off, since they’re usually in rom-coms, while this one is really drama.”

Performer’s rush

Had James not decided to stick it out in the Philippines, there would not have been a JaDine at all. The winner of 2010’s “Pinoy Big Brother Teens” didn’t have much going on after his exit from the famed house, so he contemplated on returning to Australia.

“The time that I kind of fell off the radar, I was travelling, doing a lot of mall shows. People would still get me for shows. I wasn’t taking show business seriously, and was just going with the flow. There was a time that I wanted to go back to Australia. I didn’t think it was going to work out here. But then, things changed.”

The turning point came when James signed up with Viva, which managed to transform the under-the-radar cutie into a sought-after star.

“Although I felt hopeless, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. I love singing and performing so much,” James shared. “So I went to Viva and told them I wanted to sing. And then they made me who I am today.”

For Nadine, she had paid her dues under Viva Entertainment’s stable in small TV and film roles, and then as member of the all-girl band Pop Girls. She eventually nabbed the lead role in the novel-turned-film “Diary ng Panget,” and things have never been the same since.

Articulate and soft-spoken, the actress took up Communication Arts which she has put on hold for now while she’s still a hot property. On what motivated her to pursue her dreams even during the time she was relegated to the backburner, Nadine shared: “I like helping my parents. When I was shelved for a while, I felt really bad and so useless. I was used to paying for my own tuition fee; I was used to earning my own money and using it for my own needs. I have three siblings, so I want my parents to only spend for them. I want to be helpful as much as I can. And like James, I really want to perform. I would always watch shows of artists like Katy Perry and Taylor Swift…I don’t know, but performing really makes me happy. The rush it gives me is very different from the other things that I’m doing.”

Price of fame

“Life has been different. My life has changed so much,” Nadine shared when asked   if there is any downside to being such a popular face now.

Losing their anonymity has been the biggest adjustment for both her and James. “I used to go to malls a lot with family and friends,” said Nadine. “Now, if I go out, I have to fix myself all the time, which I’m normally lazy at doing. Of course, there’s zero privacy now. It seems like people know everything about you. They see you hanging out with someone, and it becomes an issue. It’s very, very different now.”

Added James: “It’s mainly privacy. Sometimes I like to have fun and get a little crazy, but I have to take care of my public image.”

Used to being pitted to other hot ticket tandems like that of Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla, James and Nadine agree that the competition should just be within themselves. “We’re just enjoying what we have. We’re not here to compete with or outshine anyone,” Nadine quipped. — VAB