A handsome pair to watch

They are not a loveteam, not officially anyway. Gino Roque IV is identified with Kiana Takahashi, his “sweetheart” inside the Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) and Elisse Joson is said to be happily back in the arms of McCoy de Leon (now a Viva artist and is back in school resuming his rudely/interrupted engineering studies).

But Gino and Elisse might click maybe not in real life but in reel life, especially when their six-episode starrer Beauty and the Boss starts streaming on iflix on Nov. 6 (next Friday) which you can watch for free.

Directed by James Mayo, the original iflix series revolves around a young handsome (Gino) businessman who runs a small café and bakery. A young baker (Elisse) starts working there. As they work hard towards reaching their dreams, they find themselves falling in love.

Let’s see if they match.

You look good together, you make such a handsome pair. What was your impression of each other the first time you met?

Elisse: “My first impression of Gino is that he’s strict. The type who wants to get things done right away.”

Gino: “She is one of the best actresses in the industry, and not to mention one of the most beautiful women in the Philippines. My first impression? I thought she would have lots of restrictions on what she would want to eat, where she would like to stay, etc. But working with her, she’s so fun on set. Very professional, too. She’s always smiling and has such a happy personality, on and off set. She’s amazing to work with.”

How did you get the roles in Beauty and the Boss?

Elisse: “My handler sent me an inquiry about this project. She sent me the synopsis and my character and who I’ll be working with.”

Gino: “When I read Rafa’s character, I immediately related to him. Imagine a businessman actively trying to excel greatly despite his young age, this is who I am. I’ve been so blessed to have been in the business industry for a long time, not to mention, my dream to be an entrepreneur ever since I was a kid. To see that Rafa demonstrates a similar life, I couldn’t be more excited to play him. I hope this project inspires people to go for their dreams, no matter what.”

What was the first scene that you shot and how was it?

Elisse: “If I remember correctly, it was the first meeting of my character and Gino’s character. We bumped into each other (I was applying for work) while he was busy serving and helping out in the restaurant, not knowing he’s the boss. It was a crucial scene since it’s the first meeting. But luckily, we got a chance to rehearse that scene even before that shooting day.”

Gino: “One of the first scenes we did together was when Rafa and Stella (our characters) meet for the first time. It felt so real because it was the first scene with Elisse, one of the best actresses. So, of course, I was nervous. In that scene, for the first-time ever we saw Rafa flutter, but really, it was Gino that fluttered.”

How are you similar to and different from your character (please describe)?

Elisse: “Stella is very hardworking. She has dreams and goals that are very important to her. Very much like myself in real life. And our difference, would probably be how she grew up. In their family, she had a brother and a mother who expected her to always be the one helping out the family. In real life, I didn’t work for the family until I was older already.”

Gino: “As I said earlier, Rafa (my character) is very close to who I am in real life. Rafa is a young entrepreneur who is constantly trying to strive to be the best that he can be. His nuances are very much like mine, personally. The only difference I can see is the tension Rafa has with his father which I do not have in real life, as I am very, very close to my family.”

Were you able to get to know and be comfortable with each other during the shoot? What have you discovered that you have in common?

Elisse: “Yes. Gino is very easy to work with and we would have random conversations throughout the day. One thing we have in common is probably our passion for work. I noticed he is also very eager to learn what goes on behind the scenes.”

Gino: “Yes, Elisse and I were able to get close as the shoot progressed, to the point of sharing our life stories, our career plans and personal as well. We even did trust games with each other at the start which were really fun! Haha. I discovered that we have a lot of similarities. She is very passionate in what she does and tries to improve every day. She also has a certain appeal that automatically makes people gravitate towards her. She’s actually an entrepreneur, running her own business and has big goals that inspire her to do better every day. I really admire her motivation, which inspires me to be a better man and a better actor.”

What do you like best about each other?

Elisse: “Gino would always ask if you are okay on set.”

Gino: “There are too many to name. Elisse is such an amazing, passionate and caring person and like I said, there’s really something about her that lightens up your day. Among all, I admire how innately caring she is. She can immediately tell when someone isn’t feeling himself or actually, she would see if I am feeling a certain way and if it was something I was having trouble with — either about the scene or on the production end — she won’t hesitate to help me.

“And as the shoot days progress, I tend to forget to eat and she always reminds me and the others to eat. I find it so thoughtful. She puts an effort into helping me without hesitation. If you’ve interacted with Elisse for one week or one day, you’ll see how sweet and admirable she truly is. I am so lucky to have worked with her on this project.”

Do you think you embody each other’s ideal girl/guy? Please describe the qualities you admire in a girl/guy.

Elisse: “I always admire someone who works hard for what they want, and also someone very patient.”

Gino: “For me, yes she does. I mean, who wouldn’t? She’s unbelievably caring, passionate, humble and very hardworking — inspiring everyone who’s worked with her. And look at her, such a blessing to work with one of the most beautiful girls. And a personal preference of mine is that I like short girls… haha… I don’t know why, but yeah.”

(To Gino) If you were to invite Elisse to a dinner date, how would you do it and what would it be like?

“Elisse is a big fan of the beach so I would definitely drive her to Punta Fuego in Batangas, where we can walk and talk for hours next to the ocean and the breezy wind. Pretty simple but I know it’ll be meaningful for the both of us. Hehe, I’ll even attempt to make sinigang and pumpkin pie — her favorite!

(To Elisse) If Gino invited you to a dinner date, what would you expect?

“It’s always the thought that counts when it comes to preparing a dinner.”

(To Gino) If you were to bake a bread for Elisse, what would it be?

“I would bake pumpkin pie, if that counts? Because I know that is her favorite, hopefully, if I make it, papasa sa kanya. She also has a restaurant, so she is a foodie.”

(To Elisse) if Gino would bake a bread for you, what kind of bread would you ask?

“Cornbread? Haha! I like cornbread.”

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