Diego Loyzaga and Franki Russell have been paired up for the soon-to-be streamed sexy-action movie Pabuya.
In Phil Giordano’s Pabuya, Diego is Pepe, a gang leader who is being chased by rival gangs and the police. He runs to his old flame, Bella (Franki), whom he trusts. But this trust gets shaken as police authorities issue a reward or pabuya for his capture.
Franki said she felt “lucky” to be working with Diego. During a Zoom media conference, she shared how her co-star “made me feel very comfortable on set.” “He is a very experienced actor so I learned a lot just from working with him. It was very fun.”
Diego likewise has good words for Franki. “It is always a good time working around” her, he noted, even though this is their “first time in a working kind of environment.”
“It was definitely an experience just to say that and it was great. It was fun. ‘Coz I kinda saw myself back in the day when I didn’t know much Tagalog and you know, new to the business like way, way back in the day,” he added.
Franki was born to a New Zealander father and Filipina mother and eventually moved from New Zealand to Australia. Diego spent his growing-up years in Australia before returning to the Philippines as a teenager to pursue showbiz.
“Parang inaalam pa niya kung paano yung… although she’s taped before in a different show, kinakapa-kapa pa nya yung mga iba’t-ibang bagay, especially the love scenes,” Diego said of the newbie actress.
“The (love scenes) are difficult to shoot so she was like, ‘This is normal, this is OK.’ We had direk to guide us. Another good thing is our DOP (cinematographer) was female and we’re surrounded by other females so parang hindi na nakakailang masyado, I hope ha for Franki.”
Diego admitted that Pabuya is his “wildest” movie project to date. “I give that up to direk and to Franki. I was like, you know, what if we’re gonna do this, might as well go all the way.”
On the other hand, newcomer Franki shared that she came prepared on set and read the script in advance.
“But, of course, once you get there and then you’re like, ‘Ah ganito pala, this is the process of everything.’ I was like, yeah, there’s a first time for everything, right?”
The Filipina-Kiwi model is also a former Pinoy Big Brother housemate. She appeared in FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano as PMSgt. Hannah Robles. Pabuya is her first-ever film project.
After doing the film, she felt “a lot more confident going into my next projects” and reiterated, “I was very lucky to have been guided by Diego. Because it’s really important to trust who you’re working with and of course, with direk…I just trusted the process.”
Diego and Franki were romantically linked in the past. They quickly sparked dating rumors in May when the latter posted on Instagram their sweet photos together. Diego denied that they’re “a thing” but revealed days later that they’re dating.
Last June, the two stirred “breakup” speculations after they “unfollowed” each other on Instagram.
“Nag-unfollow ba kami? Parang hindi naman yata (laughs),” he reacted when queried about it.
Franki interjected, “I unfollowed you. You blocked me. Joke lang (laughs).”
But Diego explained that it was just “method acting.”
He said, “Actually, kasi sa script nakalagay six years silang (characters) hindi nagkita so ginawa kong method acting na ‘wag munang kausapin si Franki until magkita kami sa set. This style of acting, gumana naman kasi yung mga lines niya sa akin, ‘Na-miss kita.’ Kaya yung line ko rin is, ‘Na-miss rin kita.’ So, pasok naman po sa roles namin.”
He continued, “Yung mga idols ko kasi sa Hollywood, laging method acting yung ginagamit. So, I tried method acting… (But) we remain friends. We always see each other in person. We just avoid each other for a while but we… I’m kidding (laughs). Don’t take me seriously,” and added that, “There’s no awkwardness. As soon as Franki saw me, she ran off to me with open arms (laughs). We were fine on the set.”
Nevertheless, Franki concurred that it was just part of the “method acting,” saying: “That was the plan. It wasn’t awkward po. When I came on set and working with direk and Diego, it was, yeah, I just felt that it flowed and it felt natural so I’m proud of that.”
Direk Phil, who also helmed Pusoy, commented that the “chemistry between the two of them is incredible.” “Like you’re gonna be really amazed how good they are together on screen. Like it’s unbelievable. I think people (are) gonna want to put them together like a million times because they just click…Like they were super believable and I really feel their emotions.”
Meanwhile, Diego considered his health, career and loved ones as his greatest reward or pabuya this year.
The actor emphasized the “family comes first” mantra during the virtual conference. “Hindi naman sa nagyayabang or anything (but) kapag may tumatapat na may trabaho sa araw ng birthday ng sister ko, which is Sam’s (Cruz) 18th, I called off work and I said I have to…you know, my sister turns 18 only once and I have to be there. With Angelina naman, she’s turning 21. Then tumapat yung MIM (Maid in Malacañang) trip namin sa Australia, either I don’t go or move it. But I have to be there on her 21st because I guess it’s a big realization of mine. Family should come first really.”
“Sometimes family doesn’t always necessarily mean people your blood related to. But it’s like the people who support you. You support them back and my sisters have always been there for me. So you know I’m taking care of it too. I’m making sure I have time for them,” he mused.
(Pabuya will stream on Vivamax on Oct. 7.)