Dingdong & Anne together again after 21 long years

Did you know that 21 years ago, Dingdong Dantes and Anne Curtis starred together in the GMA youth-oriented show T.G.I.S. in which Dingdong was paired with Antoinette Taus (who would become his first girlfriend) and Anne with Chubi del Rosario?

A lot of things has happened since then (1997): Dingdong has had a few other girlfriends (one of them Karylle, now married to Yael Yuzon) and Anne her own boyfriends (among them Richard Gutierrez, now in a happy, fruitful partnership with Sarah Lahbati with whom he has two children). Dingdong is now married to Marian Rivera (with whom he has a daughter named Zia) while Anne and brand-new husband Erwan Heussaff still have to be blessed with a child.

So since they can’t be marketed as a loveteam in their reunion project, Viva Films and N2 Productions’ Sid & Aya, it’s a wise move to describe the movie (showing nationwide starting on Wednesday, May 30) as “Not a love story,” even if the two stars’ characters do fall in love in the story written by Irene Villamor (Camp Sawi and Meet Me in St. Gallen) who also directed it.

Dingdong plays Sid, an insomniac, and Anne is Aya, the mysterious woman Sid meets and asks to spend time with him as he grapples with sleepless, empty nights. Some of the scenes were shot in Japan, specifically at the famous Shibuya Crossing at an intersection where hundreds of pedestrians (locals and tourists) crisscross from four points as the traffic lights turn red. The Crossing was featured in the movie Fast & Furious.

“It was my first time to shoot a movie abroad so every step was exciting,” Dingdong told Funfare. “The most memorable one for me was the Shibuya Crossing scene.”

Said Anne, “Our shoot abroad was a lot of fun. It was just great. It was super smooth sailing. The cinematography and the shots are visually pleasing.”

So if Sid & Aya is, as touted, “not a love story,” what links your characters if not love?

Dingdong: We just don’t want to over-promise. But yes, I think you will find love somewhere there.

Anne: Our director didn’t want us to mention (about it). She didn’t even mention (anything) in the presscon. But let’s just say hindi nga lahat ng “I love you” ay love story na. So, ‘yun ‘yung premise niya.

Come to think of it, how do you define love and differentiate it from lust?

Dingdong: (No answer)

Anne: I think the way you differentiate love from lust. Well, love means that it’s not all about the physical aspects. Love is about being happy sitting beside each other?and contentment.

How different are your Sid & Aya characters from your previous roles?

Dingdong: I always make it a point to portray each role differently.

Anne: Well, I’m happy that Aya is not your typical character, neither a damsel in distress nor someone fighting over another man. It’s something different. I love my character; I love both characters actually because they are not in a typical love story.

What is in your character that reminds you of yourself, that you identify with?

Dingdong: Just the fact that Sid and I both love coffee and that we like wearing white sneakers.

Anne: Her being very giving.

How much from your personal experience do you draw in performing a role?

Dingdong: Moviemaking takes so much of our time and the fact that we are committed to a project means that it requires our 100-percent attention every time we are on the set, so that we can deliver our mandate effectively.

Anne: As much as possible, I don’t use personal experiences. I really work on the character and make up a story for the character. So, as much as possible, I don’t. But in any point I feel like, “Oh, this emotion suits this character that I felt or experienced before,” then maybe I will use a little bit of it.

(To Dingdong) Is your fathering style changing according to how your daughter Zia is fast growing?

Dingdong: Yes, I adapt to what is needed every now and then.

(To Anne) What kind of mom do you think you will be if and when?

Anne: I think I will be a super-duper fun mom. I will take my kids along with me in every adventure that I do.

(To Dingdong) How many more kids do you and Marian want/plan to have?

Dingdong: Probably one or two more.

(To Anne) How soon do you and Erwan plan to have a baby and how many do you want to have?

Anne: (Mum)

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