Kristoffer Martin & Joyce Ching: Goodbye to tween years!

MANILA, Philippines – Kristoffer Martin and Joyce Ching veer away from the tween tag in their upcoming afternoon drama series Hahamakin ang Lahat. It seems to be their goal as perennial onscreen partners since their characters, Junjun and Rachel, are thrown into family life as a result of teenage pregnancy — and true love. 

“It’s a step-up from being a tween,” said Joyce of her latest project with Kristoffer when select members of the press asked them about this career development in a recent set visit. What’s good is, the two have no qualms about it.

“The soap requires it because my character (Junjun) is a swimmer,” explained Kristoffer, who participated in swimming competitions back in Olongapo City, of his well-trimmed physique.

“My character and Rachel met in school,” he shared. “He is in love with her. She has a boyfriend (played by Bruno Gabriel) and comes from a Chinese family. Her parents are strict and they want their kids to marry only Chinese. The boyfriend, however, is Filipino. He gets her pregnant and he runs away. (Junjun) loves her so much. So when (the boyfriend) leaves her, my character takes the full responsibility of a husband and a father to her and to the child.”

As for Joyce, she said her character Rachel is a rebel child, whose only connection with Junjun is swimming. “On the surface, she looks very strong and proud but deep inside her, she is hurting. She doesn’t feel the love of her family. She doesn’t feel secure.” Rachel, added Joyce, feels her eldest sister played by Thea Tolentino is more favored than her.

What’s interesting and challenging in portraying Junjun and Rachel on the small screen? 

“I’m thinking if I could do the same thing in real life — (rescue) the girl I barely know and I have just fallen in love with at first sight,” answered Kristoffer. “Gagawin mo ang lahat para sa babae and knowing that your parents have dreams for you.” Kristoffer added it’s only now that he has encountered a male character, who is madly in love with someone. “Junjun is family-oriented. Then things suddenly change, which is the result of his love for Rachel.”

“Initially, I had fear but I was excited at the same time,” said Joyce. “I feel it’s tough to graduate from the tween image. It seems like push and pull. Sige bigyan natin siya ng mature role, tapos balik sa sobrang teen. Since my character will be a young mother, people won’t see me as someone young, hindi na sobrang teeny-bopper. Sobrang kilig-kilig. I had fear because I didn’t want to make my portrayal look fake because I’ve never experienced it (being a mom) and the dilemma of getting pregnant. I wanted to be real when we would do such scenes.” 

Hahamakin ang Lahat is a follow-up to Kristoffer and Joyce’s previous assignments like Healing Hearts and Because of You. Surely, their fans are eager to see the former lovers to be acting again.

“We’re doing fine. We’re friends,” said Kristoffer of their working relationship. “I make it a point to remain friends with my exes. Ayokong masayang yung friendship. Maganda kay Joyce, ganun din siya. Wala kaming problema ever since. Three years na kaming break ngayon. Kung paano kami noon, ganun pa rin kami ngayon.”

And the feeling is mutual with Joyce, who remains single.

“Masaya po,” she said. “We’re comfortable working with each other. Hindi kami nahihirapan kapag may eksena. If the scene is heavy, like it requires us to cry, we help each other. We just enjoy the moment because after all it is only now that we have the chance to be together (again). In all tapings days, we’re together. Nag-e-enjoy lang kami sa ganun.” 

Using the social media relationship parlance, theirs is definitely ex-goals.

“We don’t have apprehensions,” said Joyce. “Sobrang ex-goals. People set goals as couples. In my case, it’s ex-goals. Parang dream ng mga mag-ex na maging magkaibigan sila, maging comfortable sila. Kami yon, yung sobrang comfortable, sobrang friends. He remains the same. I feel the label just changed (from lovers to friends). It’s the same old. Friends, who didn’t know that we had separated, still think we’re lovers.”

Role-wise, Joyce and Kristoffer have stepped up by being open to portray mature characters. In case they don’t know, the two have matured as well with their personal affairs. They are finally kissing the tween years goodbye.

(Hahamakin Ang Lahat also stars Ariel Rivera, Eula Valdez, Marina Benipayo, Chinggoy Alonzo and Snooky Serna. It is directed by Don Michael Perez.)