Toni & Alex Gonzaga are sisters through and through

MANILA, Philippines — Sisters Toni and Alex Gonzaga have described their relationship as “yin and yang” polar opposites who complement and balance each other out.

Toni and Alex show off their sister act and dynamics anew in their second movie together, the horror-comedy The ExorSis, directed by Fifth Solomon and co-produced by TinCan Films and Viva. The movie is one of the official entries in the ongoing Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF).

In a recent virtual interview with The Philippine STAR, the sisters lost no time in trying to out-tease or out-joke each other that only siblings can understand, if not endure.

“You’re going to see a new Toni Gonzaga, never-before-seen because first time magho-horror ang Ate. First time na mananakot ang Ate. Makikita niyo dito ang lagi niyang ginagawa sa totoong buhay, lagi niya akong tinatakot,” Alex mused to The STAR about what viewers can expect from The ExorSis.

“It’s a parody at the same time, it has heart,” Toni added.

In the film, they play orphan siblings with opposite personalities — Toni’s Gina is goal-oriented, while Alex’s Dani is free-spirited. Their love for each other is getting tried and tested after one gets “possessed” by the spirit of a mysterious girl who falls into an accident right in front of the sisters’ grocery store.

Toni and her husband, filmmaker Paul Soriano, with Alex and her hubby, Lipa City councilor Mikee Morada.

Direk Fifth, whose movie directing debut was via his BFF Alex’s Nakalimutan Ko Nang Kalimutan Ka (2018) and next release is the Filipino version of the South Korean hit My Sassy Girl (early 2022) starring Toni, has a humor that’s “very now.”

Toni said of Fifth: “Nagagalingan ako sa kanya. Very creative, very talented and I think he represents the ‘now humor.’ Very millennial, Gen-Z and relevant that even I find him so funny. I appreciate his humor, as well as Alex’s.”

On their movie collaboration after Mary, Marry Me (2018), their dynamics as co-actors changed. Toni admitted that she used to meddle in Alex’s acting style. “Before with our first film, very Ate ako, very pakialamera sa kanya.”

“Feeling director siya,” quipped Alex.

Toni agreed, saying that she previously behaved like an acting coach. “OA talaga sa pag-gabay. But with this one (The ExorSis), I gave her the free will to do whatever she wanted it. Before, I would teach her to do things I learned from my past directors. Then I realized, she’s her own person, a different kind of actress. So, here in the second film, we’re more relaxed. I just allowed her to be herself and to take on the role however she wanted.”

Given the “exorcism” theme and the fact that the Gonzaga sisters are known to be devout Christians, The STAR asked how much of a challenge was it blending the subject with comedy.

Alex said, “I think, yun ang naging easier for us, as in may comedy siya so hindi talaga serious na para kang nagtatawag ng mga bad spirits kasi nga yung feels ganun. Dahil nakakatawa siya, nagiging light yung mood so OK siya.”

Toni also recalled that even though the “core” of the horror format was “preserved,” especially when it came to the mounting of scenes, they were executed in such a way that children could also watch the film.

The interview, nevertheless, had Toni bringing up her actual experience with the subject matter back in 2006 while filming her first ABS-CBN project with actor Piolo Pascual. “Nasa abandoned building kami and may isang talent na sinapian tapos sabi pa ni PJ (Piolo’s nickname), halika ka, Tin, pumanhik tayo, ipag-pray natin.

“I was only 21 at that time. Takot na takot din ako nun... Si Piolo, he went (to where the screaming talent was). Nakabaliktad yung mata niya. Tapos salita ng salita, umiiba yung boses niya, parang akala mo horror movie. Parang nalungkot ako nung na-witness ko yun kasi ay, bakit ako natakot? (I realized) my faith and conviction weren’t strong enough to face that. Then si Piolo, naalala ko na siya yung nag-handle ng situation,” she further shared.

In reaction to Toni’s revelation, Alex also started to open up. “Ako naman once, nakakita din ako sa house namin. (I remember) ang ingay namin dalawa ni Ate. Then our Mommy Pinty, may kausap sa phone, tapos galit na galit siya sa amin, binaba yung phone, sabi niya, ‘Kausap ko taga P-I-S!’ Ay, parang na-possess na Mommy. Hindi pala, galit lang pala siya, sorry, akala ko na The ExorSis na,” Alex joked.

The Gonzaga sisters play orphan siblings, whose love for each other is being tested by a ‘supernatural’ event in the horror-comedy The ExorSis. One of the official entries in the ongoing Metro Manila Film Festival, the movie is directed by Fifth Solomon.

If you’re a subscriber of Alex’s YouTube channel, you’ll know that when it comes to humor, hers is all-out, riotous, unfiltered. No one is spared from her “pranks,” including her parents Pinty and Bonoy. On the other hand, Toni, as she herself admitted, brings out her comedic side for work. In real life, she’s the quiet and subdued one.

“Yung humor kasi ni Ate, it depends…” Alex teased her sister.

Nevertheless, she said that whatever amuses her, it amuses Toni as well, the latter is just “tamer” while “I can go all the way.”

Despite these “differences,” Toni and Alex are sisters through and through, and they have fond and funny memories to prove it.

Toni looked back: “Si Catherine (Alex’s real name), nung bago palang ako sa showbiz, nasa St. Paul’s siya nag-aaral, pag-tinatanong siya, ‘Kapatid mo ba si Toni Gonzaga sa Eat Bulaga?’ (Sinasabi niya) ay hindi. Kinakahiya ako nuon.”

Alex, for her part, recalled the moment she knew she had an ate who would support her no matter what. It was when Toni went to the premiere night of her first film some four years ago, despite going into labor already with her son Seve.

“Nag-dilate na siya nun. Dumiretso siya sa hospital (after) and the next day, she gave birth. Nagandahan siya ng sobra sa acting ko kaya nag-labor siya,” Alex mused.

As for Toni, she was the proudest ate when Alex branched out to vlogging and became one of the top Filipino YouTubers.

“Super proud na proud ako sa kanya when she succeeded in vlogging, when she found her niche and her platform. I’m the proudest of all. So whenever someone tells me, ‘Naiinggit ka ba sa kapatid mo?’ Naku, kung alam niyo lang kung paano ko siya pinagpi-pray na sana she can flourish, she can grow and she can be recognized for who she is… Super proud ako when people started appreciating her for who she is, what she can do,” Toni said.

They’re such an influence on each other, even in their choices of lifetime partners.

Toni said, “I’m similar to Mikee (Morada, Alex’s husband). Pinakasalan niya kaugali ng Ate niya. With me naman, ang pinakasalan ko kaugali ni Alex. Si Paul (Soriano), mukha lang serious pero sa totoo lang, sila ni Alex puro kalokohan.”

She further shared that Alex influenced her not to be too guarded with everything.

“Because ako, ‘pag may gagawin or sasabihin ako, sampung beses ko iisipin. Minsan sa sobrang isip ko, di na ako nagsasalita… I’m too careful. That’s just my personality. Naninigurado, lagi kong iniisip ano kaya ang consequence or repercussions. But Alex taught me to be relaxed, let loose, go with the flow, not to be uptight, to enjoy life.”

For Alex, her Ate Toni inspired her to be a “stronger and more independent person.”

“If I want something, I shouldn’t rely on other people. If I want something, I really have to work on it. And my Ate is always there to remind me, actually so am I to her, if we lose hope sometimes, if there are frustrations, disappointments, we’re always there for each other, to lift each other’s moods and thoughts, from negativities. Never pa kaming parehong nag-sulk sa negativity. Meron laging isa na magiging OK, positive thinking,” Alex said.

In fact, if there’s a term to best describe Toni, Alex said she’s her “safety net” because “when all else fails, andyan siya.” She recalled that when she didn’t know how to handle an issue, “sasabihin niya, ‘wag ka ng magsalita, ako na dito.”

Recently, however, the sisters have made a conscious decision to no longer publicly defend each other on social media. “Ako kasi, as a younger sister, I know my sister is strong. We always text each other so parang no questions sa amin dalawa. I don’t need to show people, this is me as a sister loving her and defending her. They don’t have to know it because my Ate knows that already. That’s the most important thing. Because if you do it publicly, it will become a circus, pwede ka pang pumasok sa relationship namin as sisters,” Alex shared.

“Much better yung pinapakita ko yung how proud I am, how lucky I am to be her sister, and kung ano yung mga ginagawa niya, sinasabi ko. But to defend her from negativity or from her bashers? I don’t see the point of doing it because she knows where I stand.”

As for Toni, Alex is her soulmate. “Soulmate kasi since birth, ako na nag-aalaga sa kanya. Hanggang sa nag-aartista siya, hanggang sa lumaki kami at sa lahat. Parang kilala niya ako to the core, to the bone. We memorize each other.”

Toni said: “Our connection is different, spiritually and emotionally. Mas lumalakas ako at tumitibay ako, pag andyan si Alex. Mas malakas loob ko na kaya kong harapin lahat, kaya kong i-handle lahat kasi I know that when I turn to Alex, she becomes my rock. When everyone turns their back on me, I know may isa pa rin akong kakampi. Kahit lahat kaaway mo, OK na ako kahit si Alex lang kakampi ko — ‘wag lang siya kaaway ko.”