And now, StarStruck 2004 winners Mark Herras and Jennylyn Mercado are well on their way to stardom. As the GMA talent search egged them on, Mark and Jennylyn dreamed big dreams, believed in themselves and in The One Above, no wonder they survived the competition – and the trials – along the way.
Mark is 18 (Dec. 14, 1986, Sagittarius) and Jennylyn is 17 (May 15, 1987, Taurus). But the slight age difference doesn’t matter.
Yes, it’s true, confirmed Mark.
"Kami na po," he said, meaning he and Jennylyn have been going steady for several months now. They were lovey-dovey cute as the other loveteam (with Richard Gutierrez and Angel Locsin as co-stars) in the GMA Films smash-hit romance-drama Let The Love Begin (which has grossed more than P120 million nationwide so far – and counting) and will soon be seen in their first solo starrer as a loveteam in Regal Films’ Say That You Love Me (also directed by Mac Alejandre like Let The Love). Their first movie together was the Kris Aquino-Eric Quizon hilarious comedy starrer So...Happy Together (also by Regal).
"Inamin na naman namin, di ba?" added Mark who is the current Crush ng Bayan, so lovable and cuddly with his bedimpled smile and winsome with his fancy footwork.
They share many things.
"We are both malambing at parehong seloso," said Mark. "She prefers love stories while I go for horror-suspense, so we try to compromise when we go to the movies (usually at the malls). We are both moody, but she’s even more so than I. How do I handle her when she’s not in the mood? When we were new, I didn’t understand her moods so medyo pinapatulan ko. Now, I know what to do."
"We are both malambing and makulit," said Jennylyn. "We both love music. He’s moody pero mas moody ako."
Mark is one of two children of a couple (Claudio Herras, Jr. and Jasmin Santos) who has recently started living together again ("Together in one house," Mark said, "but they haven’t really reconciled, although they’re friends"). He has temporarily quit his studies (Business Management freshman at La Salle) but will go back to school as soon as his getting-tight showbiz schedule is fixed. He’s Catholic.
Jennylyn is one of three children. She’s enrolled in John Robert Powers School. She’s Catholic.
After StarStruck, life has never been the same again for Mark and Jennylyn.
"Now, a lot of people recognize me," said Mark. "Naging masarap ang buhay ko. I joined StarStruck because I needed the money (P1 million plus house and lot). My dad lost the P1 million he invested in the pyramid scheme. With my earnings, nabawi na rin namin ‘yung pera."
"Changes? A lot," said Jennylyn. "Time, for example. I’m always running out of time. Of course, I’m happy that I’m now earning; most of my earnings I’ve invested in a house which was blessed recently."
To find out if Mark and Jennylyn are compatible, Conversations decided to put them to the "The Best/The Worst" test. They were interviewed separately to, you know, avoid "cheating." Let’s see if their answers jibe...
• About Waking Up in the Morning
Mark: The best...Checking my cellphone and finding an inspirational message from Jen. The worst...Waking up still lacking sleep and not being in the mood to work.
Jennylyn: The best...Seeing myself fresh in the mirror, even without makeup. The worst...’Yung wala ka sa mood.
• Showbiz
Mark: The best...Meeting all sorts of people and making my own money. The worst...The intrigues. The worst intrigue written about me? ‘Yung battered child daw ako, which is not true!
Jennylyn: The best...You make a lot of friends, you’re earning, you see yourself on TV and in the movies. The worst...People who don’t understand you. It’s true that you can’t please everybody.
• Advice
Mark: The best...My parents reminded me while I was in StarStruck not to put "competition" in my mind and just to enjoy the experience. The worst...I once had a problem, not naman very serious, and a friend told me, "Iinom mo na lang ‘yan!" Of course, I didn’t do what he told me to. Wrong advice, di ba?
Jennylyn: The best...That I shouldn’t change, that I should never forget to pray. The worst...That I shouldn’t go into showbiz dahil masisira daw ang buhay ko. No regrets having joined showbiz, despite the intrigues.
• Friend
Mark: The best...Rainier (Castillo, a StarStruck runner-up). We became friends in StarStruck. From the start, even when we were lining up to audition, kaming dalawa ang naguusap, until the end of the contest. Walang intriga sa amin. The worst...I won’t name him but he was the guy who I thought was good to me but was backbiting me pala.
Jennylyn: The best...Mark. The worst...None. I avoid people who are bad influence.
• Moment
Mark: The best...Everytime I am with Jen. The worst...When we have an LQ (Lovers’ Quarrel). That’s our hobby. Oops! Joke only! What do we usually quarrel about? Small things.
Jennylyn: The best...Winning StarStruck. The worst...When I have a problem, such as when my father had to be amputated due to diabetes. (Note: Jennylyn herself has a congenital heart condition; one of her arteries is blocked, so she easily gets tired.)
• Day of the Week
Mark: The best...Friday when I don’t have too much work. We only rehearse on Fridays, in the afternoon; short rehearsals lang. I can rest pa in the morning. The worst...Monday. Too much work!
Jennylyn: The best...Sunday. Less work, only co-hosting S.O.P. That’s the day when I go out with my family. We eat out, we go to church together. The worst...Any day when I’m super-stressed.
• Vacation
Mark: The best...None yet. Since StarStruck, I haven’t had time to really take a vacation. The worst...None yet.
Jennylyn: The best...None yet. Walang time magbakasyon. The worst...When we taped a show in Hong Kong. I thought we could go around – you know, stroll-stroll. It turned out to be all work. Pero okay lang.
• Meal
Mark: The best...Give me sinigang (hipon, baka or baboy) and I’ll feel like a king. The worst...Serve me vegetables and you’ll ruin my day. Ayoko po ng gulay.
Jennylyn: The best...Lunch. It’s always super-heavy. My favorite food? Anything! The worst...Breakfast. I try to eat pero ayaw tanggapin ng tiyan ko ang food.
• Book
Mark: The best...I’m not a book reader. You know what I read? FHM magazine. Sometimes, Playboy. The worst...I read one about the kitchen when I was in high school and I didn’t like it. Do I cook? No, I don’t! Masusunog lang ang lulutuin ko.
Jennylyn: The best...I’m not a book lover. The worst...None. Hindi nga mahilig magbasa ng libro, e. Sorry!
• Toy
Mark: The best...My laptop. The worst...I once had a basketball. One day, I was playing with it and it hit our dog. The dog bit me! So I hated that ball. Kung hindi dahil sa ball na ‘yan di sana ako kinagat ng aso namin.
Jennylyn: The best...A Barbie Doll when I was a kid. The worst...I can’t think of any. No, I’m not the sporty type. Because of my heart condition, I was always exempted sa P.E. in school.
• Movie
Mark: The best...You Got Served (about dancing) and Night of the Living Dead. The worst...Alive. It’s a true story about a group of plane-crash survivors in the mountain, who started eating their dead companions when they ran out of food. It was disgusting!
Jennylyn: The best...City of Angels. The worst...None. Lahat okay sa akin. If I feel that it’s a bad movie, di ko tinatapos. What for?
• Song
Mark: The best...Any love song. Do Jen and I have a theme song? No, we have none. The worst...None. If I hear one, I turn off the radio.
Jennylyn: The best...In My Life. Theme song namin ni Mark is If I’m Not In Love. The worst...’Yung mga baduy.
• Dream
Mark: The best...That I won in the lotto. The worst...Hinahabol ako ng momo.
Jennylyn: The best...That I was super-rich. The worst...I’m the type na matatakutin, so I often dream about zombies.
• Scene in a Movie and/or TV Show
Mark: The best...It’s in a TV drama. The worst...Most of those I did when I was new. Very embarrassing!
Jennylyn: The best...That scene in Let The Love where Mark and I are playing basketball. The worst...None that I can remember.
• Role He/She’ll Ever Do
Mark: The best...It should be an action-comedy. The worst...A heavy-drama role, ‘yung todo drama, ‘yung medyo ngumangawa ka na. I’m not good in hysterical drama.
Jennylyn: The best...A kontrabida role, opposite of what I am in real life. The worst...None. I want to try all types of roles.
• Thing Written About Him/Her
Mark: The best...That I haven’t changed, na hindi raw lumalaki ang ulo ko. The worst...The opposite of that – na lumalaki na raw ang ulo ko.
Jennylyn: The best...That I’m God-fearing because it’s true. The worst...That nude thing in the cellphone. Oh, no, it’s not me! I sent that thing to Mark. I repeat, huh, hindi ako ‘yung girl doon!
• Performance in School
Mark: The best...Sports. The worst...Science.
Jennylyn: The best...Math. The worst...Pilipino and English.
• About Jennylyn/Mark
Mark: The best...Everything about her. The worst...Her being moody.
Jennylyn: The best...Super-sweet. At saka mabait. The worst...Hot-tempered.
• About Being Mark Herras/Jennylyn Mercado
Mark: The best...I am what I used to be. When I go home to my hometown (Sta. Rosa, Laguna), I seek out my old friends. Same as usual. Pasyal kami, sakay sa tricycle. Tulad ng dati. The worst...my being hard-headed.
Jennylyn: The best...Happy-go-lucky. I’m a very positive person. Hindi ako nega. The worst...Moody!
(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph)