MANILA, Philippines — Cherry Pie Picache held back tears as she praised her "FPJ's Batang Quiapo" co-star Coco Martin, who is also a writer and director on the show.
Cherry Pie, Coco and several of the cast members were in attendance at the media conference held earlier today at the Luxent Hotel, where the actress shared how proud she was of their show's main star, writer and director.
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She initially joked that there were too many things to commend about Coco, but went on to describe her "parental" instinct towards the actor even outside of show business.
WATCH: Actress Cherry Pie Picache holds back tears as she praises “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo” star Coco Martin not just as a good actor, director, and writer, but also as a good person. | via @kjpurneII pic.twitter.com/iGWlKwty8D
— PhilstarShowbiz (@PhilstarShowbiz) May 4, 2023
"Kahit sinong magulang will be so proud 'pag nakikita mo anak mo lumalaki ng mahusay, tama, mabuti, magaling... I'm just so proud [of] him, hindi lang bilang artista pero bilang tao," said Cherry Pie.
The actress then noticed her voice was beginning to crack with tears in her eyes as she reiterated her happiness and pride for Coco.
Related: Will 'Batang Quiapo' air longer than 'Ang Probinsyano'? Coco Martin answers
Cherry Pie expressed her gratitude to Coco for helping and giving opportunities to a lot of people, including actors who were once retired or inactive in showbiz.
Coco is known to give roles to actors who have not been seen on TV in a long time. The list is long, but it includes actors Marc Solis, CJ Ramos, Lester Llansang, Jao Mapa and Julio Diaz. These actors were given roles in Coco's previous show, "Ang Probinsyano."
"Ang pinakamasarap pa, siya ang pinakapagod sa amin, pero 'yung energy niya doon kami lahat humuhugot," she shared. "So minsan kahit pagod ka na, hindi ka puwede mag-reklamo kasi artista ka lang, eh, siya direktor, artista, sumusulat, mas marami pang iniintindi ng pangkalahatan... Grabe!"
WATCH: “Nakaka-inspire naman talaga siya.”
— PhilstarShowbiz (@PhilstarShowbiz) May 4, 2023
Actress Lovi Poe (@LoviPoe) also chipped in praiseworthy words for her “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo” co-star Coco Martin. | via @kjpurneII pic.twitter.com/WgQzJ6HT2Q
Lovi Poe, the daughter of the late National Artist Fernando Poe Jr., whose movie was the inspiration for the show, also attributed her growth in the show to Coco.
"Hindi ko naman ipagkakaila na nakaka-inspire naman talaga [si Coco]. I think for everybody. Lahat kami sa set, we look up to him. He's been setting a good example," said Lovi.
She added that she draws inspiration from all the people she works with, including Coco, particularly his improvisational techniques that allow her and fellow actors to tap more into their talents.
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