And now comes JuliElmo

MANILA, Philippines - Elmo Magalona and Julie Anne San Jose need not have a romantic involvement off screen to make their loveteam effectively work on screen. You see, JuliElmo supporters have been increasing in numbers that their GMA show Together Forever and the Sunday afternoon variety show Party Pilipinas seem not enough to satisfy their supporters’ longing to see them together all the time.  

“Everyone knows from the start that (the popularity of) our loveteam is unexpected,” Julie Anne says. “It was experimental. No one knew that it would work. Perhaps, we have the right chemistry and I’m thankful with the kind of response we’re getting (from the public).”

For Elmo, getting along well with his perennial screen partner is a must but it doesn’t necessarily mean there should be something truly romantic going on between them behind the cameras. “I think in order for us to give the right emotions, we must show what we really feel. In our case, we are comfortable with each other because of our friendship. We bond a lot and often talk on the set. That’s why we never have to pretend that we care for each other.”

It can be recalled that it was in Party Pilipinas where their loveteam started. There was one portion in the show called Wazak Love Story which topbilled the two that instantly caught the young crowd’s attention. “We displayed a perfect chemistry that created our partnership and then later, we became known as JuliElmo,” Elmo tells.

GMA Films has certainly seen how Elmo and Julie Anne have hit bulls-eye the public’s discriminating taste that it came up with a movie fitting enough to strengthen their mass appeal and thereby solidify their fanbase. Titled Just One Summer, which opens today in 100 theaters nationwide, will test how Julie Anne and Elmo fare on the big screen. Its director, Mac Alejandre, says the movie will prove Elmo and Julie Anne’s acting abilities.

Asked if he had a hard time working with the two stars, direk Mac answers, “No, they didn’t give me a headache. Both are responsible and cooperative.”

Even in their kissing scene, direk Mac says, it only took Elmo and Julie Anne three takes, and voila! they displayed that “in-love” feeling right away on the big screen.

“May pressure pero yung pagiging komportable namin sa isat’isa helped a lot in our kissing scene,” Julie Anne offers. “Was there an awkward feeling after that scene? None, ganun pa din. Naisip ko lang ganun pala yun since it’s my first kissing scene.”         

Constant togetherness onscreen, adds Julie Anne, has led them to discover each other’s similarities and differences. Both are passionate in their craft.

“We both love music that we talk about it all the time. We both love to act, too. Ang maganda pa dito sabay kaming nakaka-discover what we can and cannot do. Both of us are close to our (respective) families,” she says.

“We respect each other,” Elmo adds. “Parehas din kaming makulit and syempre parehas kaming mabait.”

And with the summer season as backdrop in the movie, Julie Anne and Elmo share the summer moment they cherish until this day.

“I’m a homebody; I seldom go out pero yung the happiest was when we did Party Pilipinas in CamSur. E nagkataon din na birthday ko nun kaya ang saya ng bonding namin. I also tried wakeboarding but unfortunately bagsak agad unang try pa lang pero knee-boarding kaya naman. We spent time together din ni Elmo at dun kami nagkakilala talaga.”

“For me, it would have to be the last summer we spent with my dad (Francis Magalona),” Elmo shares. “We went to Baguio in 2008 so that was four years ago. That was the last time we had a summer time with my dad. Nag-bonding kami at talagang nag-enjoy. Nag-mini golf, nag-horseback riding and we took a lot of pictures that until now I can still remember that joyous moment with my dad. Lahat kami masaya.”