Julia & Joshua: From A to Z

Unlike other love teams, young and not-so-young, Julia Barretto and Joshua Garcia don’t fool the public by claiming that there’s “something” between them to drumbeat their second big-screen movie, Star Cinema’s Love You To The Stars And Back, directed by Antoinette Jadaone who megged the JM de Guzman-Angelica Panganiban surprise hit That Thing Called Tadhana.

At the recent presscon, the painfully shy Joshua admitted that he has been courting Julia for nine months now since they (along with Ronnie Alonte) starred in Vince & Kath & James (VKJ), another Star Cinema movie which topped the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) last year, making the trio the biggest beneficiary of the indie-dominated MMFF. The movie’s success gave Julia’s lethargic career a big push and paved the way to stardom for Joshua (who is touted as “the next John Lloyd Cruz”) and Ronnie (a member of the Hashtag dancing group discovered by It’s Showtime).

In all honesty, Julia confessed that she “allowed” Joshua to court her because she genuinely liked him, although she didn’t say if their mutual “liking” for each other would lead to something deeper. During the Q&A, admitting that he lacked self-confidence and he was afraid of rejection, Joshua would get tongue-tied and Julia came to his rescue by finishing sentences for him.

Directed by Theodore Boborol (latest movie: Finally Found Someone, starring JLC and Sarah Geronimo), VKJ is about two lovestruck teens connected by text messages. Julia and Joshua continue the VKJ kilig factor generated in Love You To The Stars And Back in which Joshua plays a leukemia patient and Julia a girl wishing to be abducted by aliens. Is there a “fault” in the stars that gets in the way of the young lovers? Find out when the movie opens nationwide on Wednesday, Aug. 30.

As a nod to the lightness of being between Julia and Joshua, Conversations made them play the Alphabet Game.

JULIA

A: Angels. Angels are surrounding me.

B: Blankets. I love blankets.

C: Claudia. Claudia is the name of my sister.

D: Dogs. I’m afraid of dogs.

E: Ears. You should always use your ears.

F: Family. Family is important.

G: God. Put God first.

H: Home. Home is where the heart is.

I: Intelligence. Intelligence is beauty.

J: Joshua.

K: Kites. Kites are in my childhood memory.

L: Love. Love is the most powerful thing in the world.

M: Marjorie. Marjorie is the name of my mother.

N: Night. Night is young and so are we.

O: Opposite. Opposites attract.

P: Papa. I call my father Papa. (Referring to biological dad Dennis Padilla. — RFL)

Q: Queen. For me, my mother is Queen.

R: Rest. Rest is important.

S: Silence. Silence is also important.

T: Tomorrow. Always look forward to tomorrow.

U: Universe. Universe is beautiful.

V: Victory. Aim for victory.

W: World. World peace.

X: Xylophone. Xylophone is an instrument.

Y: Yes. Yes to love.

Z: Zoo. Zoo is where the animals are.

Julia and Joshua with Antoinette Jadaone, director of Star Cinema’s I Love You to the Stars and Back which opens nationwide on Wednesday, Aug. 30

JOSHUA

(who answered in

the vernacular)

A: Anak. Anak ako ng tatay ko.

B: Boy. Boy ako.

C: Chocolate. Favorite ko ang chocolate.

D: Damayan. Lagi tayong magdamayan.

E: Elephant. Ang laki ng elephant.

F: Fun. It’s fun to be young.

G: Grateful. Grateful ‘yung nararamdaman ko ngayon.

H: Happy. Happy ang feeling ko.

I: Inspirasyon. Pamilya ko ang inspirasyon ko.

J: Julia.

K: Kapares. Si Julia ang kapares ko.

L: Love. I love my family.

M: Matiyaga. Kailangang maging matiyaga sa mga ginagawa.

N: Natutuwa. Natutuwa ako sa mga nangyayari sa buhay ko.

O: Obsessed. Obsessed ako sa trabaho.

P: Puso. Kailangan ng puso sa lahat ng ginagawa mo.

Q: Quality. Kailangan ng magandang quality sa pelikula.

R: Responsable. Kailangang maging responsable ka.

S: Special. Pinaparamdam ko sa mga taong mahal ko na special sila.

T: Totoo. Pagiging totoo ang way para maging successful.

U: Understanding. Kailangang maging understanding sa isang relasyon.

V: Victory. Hoping for victory sa bawat proyektong ginagawa ko.

W: Wagas. Wagas na nagpapasalamat sa mga taong nagmamahal at sumusuporta sa akin.

X: X-factor. Lahat tayo may X-factor.

Y: You. You are the one who makes me happy.

Z: Zoo. Gusto kong makapunta sa magandang zoo.

(E-mail reactions at [email protected]. For more updates, photos and videos, visit www.philstar.com/funfare or follow me on Instagram @therealrickylo.)